Our research tells us that mentoring is very important to Generation Y. They are desperate for mentors in the workplace and it is a role that they expect their managers to take on.

Why is mentoring so important to this generation? I can think of at least two possible explanations:

1. They are used to a much more hands-on relationship with their parents than previous generations had. Parents of Gen Y are much more inclined to be closely involved with all aspects of their children’s lives and decisions. This creates a need for on-tap mentoring style relationships with important older people
2. The huge amount of information available to them at anyone time via the internet means that having significant relationships with people who can guide them becomes much more important than it otherwise would.  Malcolm Gladwell’s explanation of this phenomena makes a lot of sense.

Managers were not traditionally taught the skills of mentoring.  I would argue that this has always been an important skill of a good leader. Now I would argue it is absolutely essential.

Sally

Someone said to me recently that if you are still buying CDs you must be over 40. It got me thinking. I grew up with records, then tapes and now CDs. A producer puts them together and decides which set of songs you can buy as a package. Old habits die hard and I still buy CDs.  Even though I only put the tracks that I like on my iPod I still like to have the entire CD for my collection. Crazy really.

We all have the benefits of non-standard packages now in buying music and other entertainment. Not only can we buy it how we like but we can consume it when we like. And the customisation options are endless.

This is Generation Y’s world. Yet organisations have not caught up. They are still very standardised in their approach. People policies and practices that still prevail today were designed for a very different era. An era when jobs were more well defined, customers more predictable, communications limited to telephone, face-to-face or fax, working hours were mainly contained to times when everyone else was working. 24/7 connectivity was not possible because we were not connected via the internet.

Generation Y don’t understand standard. They are used to designing their own gap year, their own MySpace, the design of their sports shoes etc etc. What about their own career, jobs and benefits packages? Companies in the main still have fixed benefits packages even within the ‘cafeteria’ system (and this is to say nothing of whether the benefits are the kinds of things that Gen Y want).

In the past job descriptions have been created by the company and given to the employee to fulfil. This is changing. Not only are people wanting to add their own interests and personality to the job they are also looking to take short term sabbaticals, spend part of their working week on pro-bono charity work, run their own start-up business, the list goes on. Highly talented people are not content to be restricted anymore. When I was in my twenties I certainly would have liked to pursue all sorts of other interests in the work sphere but I expected not to be able to do it. Nowadays people expect it, and if they do not get it they leave. Top talent will always be in demand and will always have choices. Giving more options and flexibility is one way to make sure that you attract the best. Economic downturn or not good people always have choice. And why would they buy a CD when they can create their own playlists.

Sally