How to keep Gen Y and employees?

Dear Annie : I am currently in charge of the product development team in a Fortune 500 company, the head of department and I have just set an important goal for 2015 years, among which the products planned to be launched in the middle of next year are the top priority. I think that the deadlines we set for the different phases of the project are realistic, but whether these goals can be achieved depends on the stability of the current team, because finding a replacement for the situation will delay our pace of progress.

My biggest worry is that among the 22 subordinates, 12 were at the age of 76 to Eve. Employees of this age group have the highest mobility in our company. How can I keep them, at least for a few months? Do you have any suggestions? --F.C.

Dear F.C.: Millennials (Gen Y) have a higher frequency of job-hopping than other age groups, especially baby boomers. For example, a new study by PayScale.com, a compensation website, shows that more than 40% of baby boomers believe that a job should be at least five years old, or at least five years in a company. Millennials, who share the same view, are only 13%.

In addition, there is much evidence that young people's expectations of work are different from those of their predecessors. So, to keep them, employers must change the way they lead. BetterWorks is committed to creating a software platform designed to help companies achieve their goals. "Millennials want management to be more open and transparent," said Chris Duggan, CEO of the company. They also need more encouragement and want to feel that they are making progress. In their view, the kind of encouragement most managers are accustomed to offer is far from enough. ”

Duggan is also co-founder of Badgeville, a gaming company. Working with Betteworks's clients, he observed at a close distance what measures could help keep young talent more than 20-year-olds from doing so. He recommends the following four steps:

aim to be clear, including their and your own goals. Duggan said: "Millennials crave reason and guidance, so set clear expectations." "At the same time, explain to them your own goals--such as catching up with those tough deadlines--and why these goals are important not only to your team, but to the department and the company as a whole.

Duggan said: "Managers often do not explain when assigning tasks, and the result is that people don't know what their bosses are trying to achieve." But for millennials, it is important to understand the linkages between different jobs. They want to know the big picture. ”

don't be a stumbling block for them. after explaining the goals to the staff, Duggan said, "We will not intervene and let them decide how to achieve these goals." You need to change from a manager to a coach-like role and encourage them to identify the details themselves. He added that millennials tend to be very disgusted with micro-management (more disgusted than most people of other ages), so try to avoid micro-management. Your role is to help-for example, to achieve larger goals, set smaller temporary goals and deadlines, etc.-but never intervene.

provide a lot of positive feedback. Millennials are an overly praised generation, and it has been hotly discussed that everyone will win a prize if they have a face. But Duggan that the progress and milestones in the work are not related to the so-called rights consciousness. Instead, he points out, studies have shown that people who use a pedometer or Fitbit wrist to measure their daily walking distance are 30% more steps per day than those who do not use the equipment.

This is no coincidence. He said: "To understand their own performance, so that their progress is recognized, can greatly mobilize a person's enthusiasm." "And the more often this feedback, the better. He added: "The annual performance assessment is not suitable for millennials." They hope to receive feedback and guidance every two weeks. ”

show them the path to career development. Although millennials often make short-term changes that appear to be haphazard, they are "really focused on long-term development." They want to figure out whether the current job is suitable for their overall career planning. By openly talking about how to succeed at different levels of the company, and what conditions the promotion needs to achieve, employers can make something very abstract actionable. "Talking about the future can give Gen Y a reason to look for new development opportunities in the house, rather than a job-hopping."

Duggan says that any team leader who wants to create a culture that is friendly to millennials can do it, and January "is the perfect time to start a more open collaborative management approach – the new Year, new goals, new transparency." "Good luck to you."

Feedback: If you are millennials, what are the factors that will make you choose to stay in the current company? Comments are welcome. (Fortune Chinese website)

Translator: Liu Jinlong/Wang Hao

How to keep Gen Y and employees?