1. Getting the best from Gen Y
Output from Human Resources Director Summit
themed lunch
Gen Y
Engaged
Jo Protherough
Director, Human Capital Management
Peter Bricknell,
Director, IT Advisory

2. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting2
Attracting & On-
boarding
Learning and
Development
Rewards that are
Relevant
Workplace
Environment
Gen Y
• At the Human Resources Director
Summit on 4-5 February 2014,
• Hitachi Consulting invited a
number of HR leaders to join them
and to share their views and
experiences on engaging
Generation Y employees.
• This document is the output of that
discussion, looking at the
challenges and actions different
companies have taken.
Getting the Best out of Gen Y

3. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting3
Baby
Boomers
Generation
X
Generation
Y
Generation
Z?
The ‘Silent
Majority’
Who are Generation Y
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
3,500,000
4,000,000
4,500,000
600,000
650,000
700,000
750,000
800,000
850,000
900,000
950,000
1,000,000
1,050,000
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
UK Live Births USA Live Births USA Live
Births
UK Live
Births
Source: UK Office of National Statistics & US Department of Health and Human Services

4. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting4
Work Ethic
and Values
Leadership
Style
Interactive
Style
Comms
Feedback
and
Rewards
Messages
that
motivate
Based on: Greg Hammil, Mixing and Managing four generations of Employees,
http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm
What are the characteristics of the generations
Veterans
(~1920-1950)
Hard Work
Respect Authority
Sacrifice
Duty before Fun
Directive
Command & Control
Individual
Formal Memo
No news is good
news
Your experience is
respective
Baby Boomer
(~1950-1965)
Workaholics
Work Efficiently
Crusading Causes
Personal Fulfilment
Consensual
Collegial
Team
In Person
Money
Title
You are valued
You are Needed
Gen X
(1965-1980)
Eliminate the Task
Self-Reliance
Structure
Sceptical
Non-Hierarchical
Always Challenge
Entrepreneur
Direct
immediate
Freedom
Do it your way
Gen Y
(~1980-2000)
Multi-task
Tolerant
‘Instant’
Unknown
Participative
E-mail
Social Media
Instant reward
Meaningful work
You’re working
with bright
creative people

5. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting5
• Challenges we face
– Attracting the right people:
• Some roles are over subscribed or
employees overqualified
• Some industries (e.g. engineering) are
not fashionable
– Senior Managers don’t know how to
communicate with Gen Y in
interviews
– Increasing number of interviewee
questions on community & CSR
– Gen Y want to feel important in the
interview process
– The base level of skills and job
expectations from interviewee are
changing over time. We cannot
assume they have core skills
– Gen Y know how to find knowledge
and ask for it – but haven’t been
taught knowledge itself
• Strategies we can adopt
– Focus on individuality in the workplace
– because Gen Y is not homogenous.
• Develop flexible contracts, rewards, offers
etc – and that will support all generations
– Focus on organisational fit
– Work with schools to prepare potential
candidates
– Embrace apprenticeships – not all
young people are graduates
– Use junior staff to conduct initial
interviews
– Involve senior leaders in final
interviews/ milk round to show
organisational commitment
– Recognise dress codes are changing
(Bowler hat & brolly, vs backpack and
hoodie)
How to attract and on-board Gen Y
Getting the best from Gen Y
Ideas…
 Short-listing
 Attracting
people to
industrial
careers
 Being customer
focussed
 The rewarding
package
 Making front
line jobs
interesting
 Over-qualified?
 Online
recruitment
 Recruiting and
referring friends
Attracting &
On-boarding
Learning and
Development
Rewards that
are Relevant
Workplace
Environment
Gen Y

6. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting6
• Challenges we face
– Gen Y learn from others:
• Youtube / TEDtalks
• Still prefer classroom training – as it
shows company invests in them
• Online training seen as ‘cheap’
because youtube is free
– Flexible workers cannot do 9-5
training
– Want instant, visible feedback
– Gen Y are a network generation –
means increased need for skills on
managing others
• Strategies we can adopt
– New training trends:
• Social Skills
• Behavioural training (since many processes
are now automated)
• Conscious training for managers
• Skills on managing conflict and poor
performers
– New training forms
• Decide what is classroom training
• Change training to more ‘bite size chunks’ vs
full day
– Always available training:
• Not all training needs to be online – consider
device independent and downloadable, so it’s
there when you need it
– Mentoring and “consulting” roles for older
workers
• Provides a safety net for Gen Y
• Provides a welcome role for older workers
Learning and Development
Getting the best from Gen Y
Ideas …
 Tech savvy
 Core skills:
reading ,
presentations
 Moving from
tech
consumers to
producers
 Engagement
 Learning at
your own pace
 Behaviours and
attitudes
 Mentoring and
coaching
 Learning to
problem solve
 Network
Attracting &
On-boarding
Learning and
Development
Rewards that
are Relevant
Workplace
Environment
Gen Y

7. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting7
• Challenges we face
– Gen Y are merit based – and want
merit based progression
– Gen Y need to maximise their
earning but are more motivated by
recognition than reward
– Time off, sabbaticals and learning
opportunities are important rewards
– Gen Y want instant information
about themselves:
• How are they doing
• How do they compare
• Strategies we can adopt
– Schooling has an impact:
• UK .. Often focussed on continual
assessment and re-sits, means Gen Y are
not used to delivering a final deliverable,
but one for feedback
• India … Often focussed on facts and skills
and less on problem solving
– Provide faster feedback and visibility
of performance
• Vs. annual performance process in
darkened room
– Drive meritocracy. Enable experienced
high performers to mentor juniors.
– Use new ways for recognition – likes,
followers, ‘retweets’, reuse of IP
– Not everyone is top talent – also focus
on the ‘worker ants’
– Empower managers to have ad-hoc
rewards – but tailored to the personal
motivators (not just cash, but time-off,
recognition etc)
Rewards that are relevant
Getting the best from Gen Y
Ideas…
 Recognition
and praise
 Pensions
 Flexible
Working
 Involvement
Attracting &
On-boarding
Learning and
Development
Rewards that
are Relevant
Workplace
Environment
Gen Y

8. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting8
• Challenges we face
– Gen Y want to be managed
differently … but what does that
mean
– Gen Y want freedom to choose
how and when to work
– Gen Y are entrepreneurial – if not
supported they will take their ideas
elsewhere
– Gen Y live within a virtual network
… versus golf and dinners. How
does that affect relationship sales?
– Gen Y want instant information
about themselves:
• How are they doing
• How do they compare
• Strategies we can adopt
– Freedom is the theme
– Understand different generational
styles (e.g. an e-mail at the
weekends can cause stress and
pressure to baby boomer, but
normal for Gen Y)
– Educate on leadership styles and
needs across generations
– Set time aside for own projects
(entrepreneurial ideas)
– Enable career breaks (not just
maternity leave), to allow for non-
work life stages. Reduce
recruitment costs, by fast track
return
– Drive management by outcomes
and budgets (not tasks and
activities)
Workplace environment
Getting the best from Gen Y
Ideas
 Engagement
 Office Hierarchy
 Team
atmosphere
 Work & life
merged
 Bring your own
device
 The ‘instant’ apps
 Self service
outside working
house
 Retention
 Career
Management
(portfolio careers)
 Variety and
transition
Attracting &
On-boarding
Learning and
Development
Rewards that
are Relevant
Workplace
Environment
Gen Y

9. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting9
How do you address this
1. Recruiting
to Hiring
2. On-
boarding
3. Learning
and Dev.
4. Rewards,
Comp. &
Ben.
5. Talent
Management
6. Role / Life
Changes
7. Leaving
HR
Systems
Develop a conscious
HR strategy for each
generation
Develop flexibility
into the processes,
policies and tools to
support this
Use technology as
the glue for delivery
– access, insight,
flexibility and choice.

10. | © Copyright 2013 Hitachi Consulting10
How Hitachi Consulting can help
HRIS Business Case
• Developing an HR
Systems Roadmap
connected to the HR
Strategy
• Simplifying the options
to key decisions for the
HR leadership
• Developing a business
case and timeline to
optimise and enhance
HR delivery enabled by
IT
Business Application
Optimisation
• Review of the current
HR systems
implementation and link
to HR Strategy
• Determine how to adapt
processes, systems
and data to meet the
flexibility needed by
different work
HR Metrics and
Governance
• Review of the HR
meetings, governance
and reporting
• Identification of the key
insights required for
decision making
• Streamlining and
developing the reports/
insights that make a
difference
• Building the Business
Intelligence / HR
Analytics
HCM Systems Delivery -
Oracle
• Mobile HR in the cloud
- Oracle Fusion HCM
• Online recruitment and
shortlisting
• Self Service HR –
personalised
dashboards
• Networking and Social
Media as part of your
HR System
• Built in collaboration
capability
• Online “kudos” feeding
performance reviews
• Line of sight objective
setting
• Talent management
and succession
planning
Providing the IT glue to engage with Gen Y