Where do you work?

This post is really just a continuation of the last one, with a slight shift in topic. As I mentioned before, I regard generational labels as unfair branding and reductive to the people that are contained within such arbitrary timelines. On the flip side of that coin, the level of maturity and the things they work towards and find importance in generally changes as they age. There’s no magical switch that happens between generations where everyone collectively says ‘time to grow up’, as that point is much less conscious and more a result of the lifestyle of the individual; perhaps they have a new professional job, or they want to start saving for retirement, maybe they have a girlfriend they are going to propose to and need to display some long term stability, or they could have a child on the way they need to prepare for. Whatever the reason, circumstances generally dictate people’s behaviors rather than age.

With that said, as a (relatively) young executive in a small business where the average age within an 80% bell curve is high 20s, we have noticed a few things about younger people.

1. Community Minded: I’m not saying every young person we employ has this personality trait, but the ones that do have this desire are extremely passionate about it.

2. It’s about where you work: Let’s face it, selling office supplies is not sexy. A box of paper is the same whether you get it from us, or from our competitors. One of the ways you can make your company more attractive to younger talent is the environment and culture your company has established (for reference, see Google). You don’t need to be a multi-billion dollar company to have bright colors and a friendly, collaborative structure that makes people work together to get things done. Cubes have their purpose and certainly help many people with productivity, but it’s a much different office when the cubes are torn down and people are allowed to cross talk while working.

3. Don’t forget the small perks: If your business is in a place where you simply cannot afford to invest $100 or so a month on your employee morale, you have a whole other set of problems and this isn’t for you. Nearly every business has either free or reduced price coffee (I encourage free-hopped up employees can get a lot of things done), but think about free breakfast, free candy, free beer, or even a small game room where people can unwind. We have those things, our employees use them and seem to appreciate those small investments. It doesn’t take a lot of money to get started and employees see the money the company is earning going back into the business to help them and create a nicer, more inviting and comfortable environment. These small things definitely aren’t going to tip the scales to make an employee stay if they are unhappy, but they allow for a lot of forgiveness from the employee if the business makes them unhappy.

4. Culture is key: Your employees need to love where they work, even more than what they do. All of the items above sort of feed into this one, but I’m splitting it out because you have to take a holistic approach to culture. What does the final picture of your company culture look like? A lot of people think that culture natively develops over time and however it ends up is whatever it is. This couldn’t be more wrong. As a manager or owner, you have a responsibility to push the final picture of what your company culture looks like and guide employee development and interactions to that end. Open door policy? Knock down the walls. Free speaking and thinking environment? Encourage candid conversation and critical feedback. A place where everyone is friends? Company sponsored retreats and after work events at local bars or entertainment venues should be on your menu.

Take all the items above and filter them through the lens of your business to give them some context. If they fit, give them a shot! If they don’t, move on to the next idea and see how that one looks. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to business, but I know as businesses employ more young people, at least some of the items above are going to be important to those employees.

Justin Huereña Staff Blogger

#generations #communityminded #perks #culture