David Storey is Account Director at Advertising Energy, an employer brand and advertising agency based in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Far from generalising about the ‘neediness’ of this new breed of employee, smart companies are beginning to think differently about attracting, engaging, and retaining the people that will one day become their company’s leaders.

And you may be surprised by some of the strategies and techniques that are proving successful…

Engaging Gen Ys Using Your Website

A recent survey by Talentsmoothie (UK) asked 2,500 Gen Yer’s about the most effective communication tool for them when they were looking for a job: 75% said it was the company’s website that was the most important medium throughout the recruitment process. So what does your website say about your company and how effectively are you using this medium?

If your potential candidates are looking at your ‘Employment’ page and finding a few paragraphs about the company environment and a link to enquire about positions, you may be missing a major opportunity to engage potential candidates with your employer brand; an important first step in filtering those candidates whose strengths and characteristics are aligned with your company’s values. Are you giving real examples of people within the organization and asking potential candidates to tell you about their strengths and interests to match with a job description?

Using Social Media In Context

Generation Y has been raised on the internet, and are tech savvy. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to be solicited ad nauseam on social media sites that they consider to be part of their ‘private’ lives. The Talentsmoothie research findings went on to say that just one in ten respondents considered social media to be the best form of communication with a potential employer. The use of social media, then, must be used in context, and is best harnessed using the power of recommendation from peers.

Retaining Gen Y – What They Expect

Interestingly, Gen Y also reported that they valued face-to-face interviews, mentors, and opportunities for development. This group is used to staying connected with family and friends through the internet and expects the same from employers.

Here are some other findings about what is important for Gen Ys in choosing and staying with an employer:

• Work-life balance
• Work that is meaningful
• Good leadership
• Continuous feedback
• Ability to contribute and share ideas (this generation has grown accustomed to sharing everything through social media!)

Final Thoughts

It’s important to remember that the digital tools we have at our disposal today must be used effectively and in context, otherwise you risk looking like you’re eavesdropping in people’s personal life to sell them something (even if it is a job).

In the end, it’s about finding the right way to use digital media with an agency that has firm experience getting results for recruiters in this ever-changing online media landscape.

Source:

Generation Y: The new generation of employees – who they are, what they want and how they should be managed. Circulated: e Financial Careers. Accessed June 2011.