The Me Generation, also known as Gen Y, the Net Generation, the Millennials, Nexters, Peter Pan Generation, and the Trophy Generation, typically doesn't respond to the one- size-fits-all management style. Born after 1980, they have a distinctive set of expectations, values, attitudes, priorities and behaviors as a result of the era in which they grew up.  If the differences are ignored, this young population can grow into a source of misunderstanding and conflict. HR's goal is to appropriately address the challenges and opportunities that will give your organization the competitive edge.

Often thought of as the biggest work-shift in 100 years, the members of the Me Generation are here to stay. Although these young people are confident and also extremely tolerant of those who are different from them, they can come across as brash and cynical. Many believe they're entitled to quick financial and professional success. 

Join author, speaker and senior HR professional Carol Hacker, of Hacker & Associates, as she discusses the following:

• How to respond to the shifting contemporary interests of the Me Generation
• The Me Generation and what makes them different from previous generations
• Develop a structure that embraces change
• Provide timely and helpful feedback
• Assign work that taps into their talents 
• Shift standard policies to include the preferences and expectations of the Me Generation
• Provide plenty of opportunities for promotion and growth
• Allow them to work with other bright and creative people
• Offer them independence, flexibility and informal relationships 
• Evaluate the Me Generation without the filter through the lens of age and experience
• Define expectations
• Support them in applying their innovative ideas
• Don't count mistakes as crimes 
• Provide teambuilding experiences so that they can get to know their colleagues
• Be empathetic to their needs, and follow the Platinum Rule
• Celebrate the small victories by offering praise, rewards and recognition
• Respect their work ethic and judge them on their best days
• Fuel their fire through teamwork and engage them with role-play 
• Appreciate the diversity of your younger workers
• Accept their new perspective because they are more culturally diverse than their older counterparts
• Recognize them in ways that  connect with what they value most
• Don't interpret their  rebellious nature as negative
• Make sure that all supervisors and managers understand the importance of being accessible to their Me Generation employees 

Carol Hacker, President, Hacker & Associates

 
Carol Hacker has been an instructor, speaker, and independent business consultant for over 25 years. As president of Hacker & Associates, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, she works with organizations throughout North America to build a chain of evidence that demonstrates the value of effective management practices. Her goal is to help managers, supervisors, HR professionals, team leaders and business owners meet the leadership challenge. Over 500,000 participants have benefited from her customized seminars on the topics of recruiting, retention, evaluating employee performance, change management, handling troublesome workplace issues and much more.  Her clients range from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies and also include not-for-profit and government agencies. Carol is the author of 14 books, scores of audio CDs and over 400 published articles.  She earned her BS and MS with honors from the University of Wisconsin.