The Ten-Minute Manager’s Guide to ... Hiring (and Keeping) Gen Y Workers

The Ten-Minute Manager’s Guide to ... Hiring (and Keeping) Gen Y Workers

By Christine LaFave, Associate Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 2/1/2008

Are they more demanding than previous generations? Sure. Gen Y workers (ages 26 and younger) know what they want—in particular, a good work/life balance and ready opportunities for advancement. But this doesn’t mean that they aren’t a dedicated workforce capable of loyal service. Operators can find success in their Gen Y hiring and retention efforts by providing younger workers with three things: clear-cut job expectations, an explanation of how the employer can help them meet their career goals or support a cause they support, and early and frequent performance feedback.

QUICK THINKERS

Keeping pace with tech-savvy Gen Y means more than finding ways to incorporate online elements into employee training (although that can be a critical component, too). Jeff Bonner, vice president of operations and training at Prairie du Sac, Wis.-based Culver’s, notes a couple of stand-out traits of the wireless generation.

"They’re on the go," he says. "Their attention span is a little shorter than others’." This is not to say that they are uninterested in their work, Bonner is quick to point out. Rather, they have varied interests—"These young folks come to the table with a tremendous amount of knowledge and ideas and perspective on life," he says—and they appreciate short-term projects and shorter lessons.

At Culver’s, interactive online training modules on such topics as hospitality, customer service and grill procedures run no longer than 30 to 35 minutes each. "Clear and concise with these folks goes a long way," he says.

Jeff Hookham, founder and chief executive officer of Dallas-based restaurant consultancy 4 Remarkable Service, adds that when planning employee competitions, it’s good to think short-term. "Gen Y wants more of an instant gratification," Hookham says. "Run a weekend competition versus a monthlong."

At the end of a contest or after a particularly tough project, give top performers public kudos. "We’ve got to recognize them," Bonner says. "[Recognition] in front of their peers, too, is very important," Bonner says.

SHINING STARS

The best candidates tend to stand out in an interview, notes 4 Remarkable Service’s Jeff Hookham. But keeping in mind a few key pointers can help the interview go as smoothly—and be as productive—as possible. Hookham’s tips:

• Look for more than a pulse. "I had a guy tell me, if they don’t smile or make eye contact in the first 30 seconds, they most likely are not going to get hired," Hookham says.
• Ask open-ended questions. Candidates’ answers will help you generate important follow-up questions and identify things that might need to be clarified—by the applicant or by you.
• Don’t, out of nervousness, hog the conversation. "Managers in the restaurant field don’t always have expertise in hiring," Hookham says. "They do all the talking in the interview and they want to brag about themselves and how great their restaurant is. … They don’t really get a true [idea] of who the applicant is."

EAGER LEARNERS

"They are the most educated, most passionate, most philanthropic, most entrepreneurial generation in recent memory," says Paul Bolles-Beaven, chief people officer at New York City-based Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). "I think the challenge is that their interest in our industry is declining and that there are fewer of them—we’re competing with every other industry."

This competition means that foodservice must be willing to re-examine its attitudes about work/life balance and offer younger employees more chances to work with mentors, Bolles-Beaven says. At USHG, which operates Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern, among other restaurants, staff members who express an interest in moving into management may be directed into USHG’s 18-month management-training program. "Along the way, [program participants] have opportunities to develop relationships with key people in our company," he says.

Relationships—professional or personal—are key for Gen Y. "They bring a values system that puts relationships first and quality of life very high on their list," says Bolles-Beaven. "One could judge that and say, ‘They’re very spoiled,’ but the other way of looking at that is, ‘Well, I think that [balance] is something that everybody wants.’"

How to address Gen Y’s quirks on a smaller, everyday scale? "Gen Y is looking for mentors, and they are eager to gather information," Bolles-Beaven says. "Be on their side, be flexible, give them limitless opportunities to learn new things and a clear path for career growth. It is my impression that they respond wonderfully to being truly listened to well."

COMMITMENT-PHOBES?

Gen Y and Gen X workers see little point in staying at a job if they are unhappy and feel unchallenged in their role, says Tracy Yandow, founder and owner of Albans, Vt.-based training-manual consultancy The Manual Solution. Or, to put it more succinctly, offers Yandow, "They tend to be a bit self-centered."

In part, the younger generations have their parents to thank for that trait, she says. Gen Yers in particular were encouraged to find "the perfect fit" in their selection of everything from childhood activities to a college, and they now seek a similar sense of place in their job.

Additionally, Yandow says, younger workers believe that a résumé demonstrating a variety of skills and accomplishments is the best form of job security. "What I hear from a lot of restaurant operators is, ‘These people aren’t around very long; why should I take the time to train them?’" she says. "My response is, ‘No one likes switching jobs ... [They leave because] they feel that they don’t fit, [or] there’s nothing there in the long haul for them.’"

To keep Gen Yers around, keep them engaged, Yandow says. Inviting them to participate in a planning meeting or discussing with them the operation’s goals shows commitment to their career development. "Anything that lets them know what they’re doing is worth something [is good]," she says.

VALUE SEEKERS

Gen Y workers are hardly the first to long for a job that offers more than a paycheck and a way to fill their days. But, as a group, they are notable for their desire to work for an operation that actively promotes their closely held social values, says Alicia Caceres, regional recruiter for U.S. retail operations at Starbucks.

"They are a socially conscious generation," Caceres says. "[They] gravitate toward companies whose guiding principles are aligned closely with their own."

Going-green initiatives or a partnership with a local charity will be a draw for Gen Y. At Seattle-based Starbucks, the Individual Make Your Mark program lets employees boost the impact of their community-service endeavors through the award of a corporate grant.

Starbucks provides grants to nonprofit organizations in correlation with the number of hours employees volunteer on qualified projects. The program offers a way "to recognize and support each partner’s personal volunteer efforts," Caceres says.

To further entice employees to pursue a longer-term career with the company, Starbucks in 2006 created an internal social-networking site, MyPartnerCareer.com, that allows employees to create a profile page, network with other employees and learn about career-growth opportunities at Starbucks, Caceres says.

JOB-DETAIL-ORIENTED

The info-at-its-fingertips generation is into specifics, says restaurant consultant Jeff Hookham. Gen Y job applicants, therefore, appreciate a job description and interview process that conveys the following:

1. The precise duties of the position—if there may be "other duties as needed," list them

2. The number of hours—expressed as a range, not an average—an employee can expect to work each week

3. The pay schedule and the timetable for the distribution of work schedules

4. Operational rules, such as limits on switching shifts or on cellphone use in the workplace

5. Current—not wishful-thinking—employee benefits and performance incentives

6. Time-off policies

7. Opportunities for advancement—for example, the potential for an hourly position to lead to a paid managerial internship

8. Critical aspects of the operation’s culture—what do current employees enjoy about working for that establishment?