Every year, the Canadian workforce shifts as young Generation Y-ers take on new positions, and more Baby Boomers retire. The change is gradual, but not insignificant, and it can leave managers wondering how to motivate and connect with this new generation of employees

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Engaging Generation Y:
Six Building Blocks to a
Motivated and Happy Workforce
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Every year, the Canadian workforce shifts as young Generation Y-ers take on
new positions, and more Baby Boomers retire. The change is gradual, but not
insignificant, and it can leave managers wondering how to motivate and connect
with this new generation of employees, who seem unlike even the Generation X-
ers before them.
It’s no secret that engaged employees willingly contribute to creating a healthy
morale and a productive work environment. Engaged employees feel a sense of
ownership and loyalty to their place of work, and are more likely to remain long-
term employees – a critical point when studies show that Generation Y-ers
typically average only two years with any one employer.
Despite widespread understanding of the benefits related to employee
engagement, only 29 % of employees feel actively engaged at work,1
demonstrating that management techniques are not largely in synch with
employee expectations.
With three very different generations making up the majority of today’s
workforce, it is no surprise to see a variety of expectations from managers and
those they manage. Individual priorities fluctuate from one person to the next;
however, expectations are greatly shaped by the events – both historical and
social – one has experienced in life, which is why we find shared characteristics
across generations. What motivates an employee to give their utmost and what
drives their interest is forged by their life experience.
Anticipating Generation Y Expectations
A powerful factor that sets Generation Y employees apart from the slightly older
Generation X is greater use of the internet during their formative years. Many
Generation X-ers, born sometime between the mid 1960’s to the late 1970’s,
became regular web users as adults. Many of them attended school with library
books rather than laptops in their bags. They waited for movies to come out on
video and music to be released at local record stores. They didn’t experience the
immediacy of information and culture at their fingertips from a young age.
Generation Y – the social generation, the tech-savvy generation, the instant
gratification generation – have developed a set of distinct characteristics from
Generation X and Baby Boomers, which plays a part in their continual quest for
1
Source: Gallup Management Journal, Employee Engagement Index
Only 29% of
employees
report that they
feel actively
engaged at
work.
Source: Gallup
Management
Journal, Employee
Engagement Index
Baby Boomers
and Generation
X-ers did not
grow up
experiencing the
immediacy of
information and
culture that the
internet
provided to
Generation Y.

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newer and better opportunities. The key to hanging on to these young workers
and drawing on their talents is to create exciting opportunities for them within the
organization. Doing so requires an understanding of their on-the-job
expectations.
Research shows that young workers often have a different understanding of
feedback, having grown up using social media sites where honesty and
transparency are valued and encouraged. The top-down feedback structure that
is easily accepted among Baby Boomers may have your Generation Y employees
scratching their heads. Many young professionals prefer more informal and more
regular feedback, not only from their managers, but also from their coworkers.
Generation Y experienced a culture that encouraged them to have a say. With
social media sites, online feedback forms, surveys, and blogs, they’re constantly
urged to be “part of the conversation.” These collaborative communicators
appreciate goal setting that includes input from both manager and employee, and
performance expectations that are delivered in an honest and straightforward
manner.
With the ability to use multiple channels at once, many Generation Y-ers are quite
comfortable with technology. Outdated and inflexible solutions can frustrate
these young professionals. Some organizations are opting to allow employees to
use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to perform work tasks and
complete online training. Boundaries around appropriate use and security should
be given to employees, but must first be understood by managers, so that policies
can be knowledgably explained when questions arise.
Three Foundational Blocks to Creating a Satisfying
Work Environment
It’s true that there are nuances of motivational drivers, and no two employees will
respond exactly the same way. But knowing what makes each individual tick is
not necessary to creating an engaging workplace. The focus should be on the
cornerstones to creating a satisfying work environment, and then building upon
them to draw out employee potential and maximize talent.
If we liken employee engagement to a basic building structure, the crucial
foundation would be:
With social media
sites, online
feedback forms
and blogs,
Generation Y has
constantly been
encouraged to be
“part of the
conversation.”
Help me understand
what’s expected of
me, but value my
input
Give me regular,
informal feedback
and recognition for
a job well done
Give me the right
tools and training to
perform my job

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Three Building Blocks for Maximizing Talent
Once that foundation is firmly established, these proven building blocks will drive
a sense of ownership and accountability:
The structure recommended here isn’t radical, but finding an easy way to manage
it across all departments can be challenging.
JUMPRewards helps organizations design custom reward and recognition
programs that include social tools, enabling employees to receive on-the-spot
recognition, and communicate ideas using discussion boards. Managers can set
small, short-term goals for employees to achieve, and easily reward them once
they reach their goal. It provides employees and their managers with a great
communication tool, using technology similar to many popular social media
websites.
For more information contact:
www.jumprewards.com
info@jumprewards.com
Toll Free: 1-866-387-8073
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Satisfying Work Environment
Autonomy to do
my best work
Personal short-
and long-term
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