Parallel HR » Generational Hiring

Help Desk / Technical Analysts

parallel — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:57:20 +0000

Parallel HR Solutions is looking to secure several Help Desk and Technical Support Analysts to provide world class technical support [...]

Seeking a Network Support Engineer

parallel — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:59:19 +0000

A Global information, communications and technology company is currently seeking an experienced Network Support Engineer for our Utah-based support division. [...]

Gen Y on Facebook: Where Work and Personal Habits Collide

Amy Chulik — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:18:05 +0000

As we’ve talked about before, many members of Generation Y look at work a little bit differently than other generations. ”I love my job, but I love my life more” is something you might hear Gen Yers say. Although members of Gen Y (the generational group comprised of those 18 to 29 years of age) have no problem with working hard, as a general rule, their job will never be the whole of their identity. Continue reading

Managing the Older Worker — Why It’s More Vital Now than Ever

Amy Chulik — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:17:48 +0000

"Ask your neighbor what they do," said Peter Cappelli to the room full of us in the Managing the Older Worker session at 2011's SHRM conference. Most people in the room complied. "Then," he continued, "ask them how old they are." People laughed nervously; no one moved. That was how Cappelli, the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School and co-author of Managing the Older Worker: How to Prepare for the New Organizational Order, started his discussion on older workers -- and as he went on, he explained the current surge in older workers we're seeing, shared his thoughts on ways in which older workers are better hires than their younger counterparts, discussed how employers can best engage the older generation, and more. Why the big workplace shift? The workforce is getting older -- and it's causing a lot of age-related changes in the workplace that many companies are ill-equipped to deal with. Why? Well, first of all, said Cappelli, we’re living longer -- babies born in 2010 will live 10 years longer than those born in 1950. If your parents are 65, he added, there is a 50 percent chance that at least one of them will live to the age of 90. Second of all, we're also living healthier, and the percentage of older workers who need to work (to support living longer) is growing. And even they don't have to work, many older people are healthy and want to keep busy; 84 percent say they would work even if they were set for life -- not to work for the money, but to stay active. As more people are increasingly working full-time and baby boomers are getting older, the workforce is also getting older. Basically, Cappelli said, longer life, baby boomers, and people working longer are the three main factors driving an older workforce. What do older workers want?

Why Gen Y? Plugging Into a Generational Powerhouse at SHRM 2011

Amy Chulik — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:00:34 +0000

“What words come to mind when I say “Gen Y”? Aaron Kesher asked the many SHRM 2011 attendees packed into the room. “Entitled!” shouted one person. “Job hoppers,” chimed in another. Soon, many in the room (many of them non-Gen Yers, with some Gen Y members sprinkled in) were shouting things like “smart,” “resume [...]

LinkedIn IPO – Good News for Staffing Industry

Bre — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:34:33 +0000

LinkedIn’s IPO a few weeks ago was a defining moment in staffing. I took it as a sign that we [...]

12 Problem Solving Tips to Teach Your Gen Y Future Leaders

Guest Contributor — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:14:33 +0000

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: See how you can get a free copy of one of two best-selling leadership books! See contest details below! GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: Authored by Lisa Orrell. Orrell is known globally as The Generation Relations Expert. She is the author of the top-selling books Millennials Incorporated and Millennials into Leadership. In the final part of [...]

9 Ways to Teach Gen Y Employees a Leadership Mindset

Guest Contributor — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:02:10 +0000

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: See how you can get a free copy of one of two best-selling leadership books! See contest details below!

In the leadership workshops I conduct for Millennials, one of the key points I emphasize is that even an entry-level management position IS a leadership role. I also explain to them the need to understand the difference between a leadership mindset and a manager mindset from Day One of their first professional job. After all, they are judged on everything they do and say – and everything they don’t do and don’t say – from the very beginning of their career. As their supervisor or employer, your goal should be to help your employees understand this concept. You’ve probably heard the saying, “People don’t leave companies; they leave managers.” Be sure to share that with your Millennial employees and emphasize that your goal is to help them avoid being a young leader employees choose to leave. To further illustrate this point, consider the following key differences between a manager mindset and a leader mindset. Share these with your Millennial employees as well, as you work with them to adopt leadership into their personal management styles: 1. Leaders seek employee commitment – Managers seek employee compliance 2. Leaders are proactive – Managers are reactive 3. Leaders create change – Managers maintain the status quo 4. Leaders take risks – Managers are risk-averse 5. Leaders are passionate – Managers are controlling 6. Leaders create loyal followers – Managers have subordinates 7. Leaders use personal charisma – Managers rely on bestowed authority 8. Leaders give credit – Managers take credit 9. Leaders understand what motivates each employee – Managers stick to a one-size-fits-all approach Managers who choose not to embody important leadership qualities suffer – as do their employees and their companies as a whole. Shortsighted managers tend to focus on process and procedures, not people and vision, whereas leaders focus on the latter first. Groom your Millennial employees to blend solid management skills with strong leadership qualities, and they will have a much better chance of succeeding in any role, at any level, within your organization. If you missed the first part of this three-part series on preparing your Millennial employees for leadership, you can read about 6 Ways to Retain Your Gen Y Future Leaders now. Soon to come: “12 Problem Solving Tips to Teach Your Gen Y Future Leaders,” ths final part of this series.

Want to win a free copy of Millennials into Leadership or Millennials Incorporated?

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LEADER AND A MANAGER? Answer this question for the chance to win one of Lisa Orrell's best-selling leadership books. HOW TO ENTER: In the comments section below, simply submit a one- or two-sentence answer to this question: "What's the difference between a leader and manager?" Ten (10) lucky winners will be drawn at random to receive a copy of one of the books of their choosing: Millennials into Leadership or Millennials Incorporated. See contest rules for details.

How Has the Recession Shaped Career Attitudes of Millennials?

Sanja Licina — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:30:45 +0000

It's dangerous -- and often inaccurate -- to generalize generations' workplace preferences and behaviors. Many hiring managers, however, are still clinging onto generational stereotypes, particularly of the oft much-hyped Millennial generation (those workers born between 1980 - 1995) -- stereotypes that Millennials themselves have moved well beyond since first entering the workplace in the last several years. In How the Recession Shaped Millenial and Hiring Manager Attitudes about Millenials' Future Careers, Alexandra Levit and I examine various research initiatives to determine how the attitudes of Millennials toward their career paths have changed as a result of the economic downturn, how these attitudes compare to the way hiring managers view Millennials' career paths, and what hiring managers can do to better understand this generation of workers. Many of our report conclusions have been drawn from The Future of Millennial Careers research study, which was commissioned by the Career Advisory Board, presented by DeVry University, and conducted by Harris Interactive among 500 Millennials age 21-31 either employed or planning to seek employment, and 523 hiring managers age 18+ who interact with Millennials at work. While Millennials and hiring managers can generally both agree that Millennials tend to have certain commonalities, like digital comfort and impatience with certain established processes, there is also much disparity between how Millennials view themselves and how they are viewed by their bosses. This can result in a frustrating situation for both parties -- but by learning to truly understand Millennials, hiring managers can create a smoother workplace environment for the multiple generations currently working within it, as well as improve one-on-one relationships with their valuable Millennial workers.

Pre-recession to the present

The oldest Millennials blazed into the workplace in the early 2000s, many of them unabashedly demanding flexibility, seamless communication and desirable assignments right away -- and from this, many employers formed their opinions on Millennials right then and haven't since wavered. However, the recession appears to have caused a shift in Millennials' attitudes toward achieving immediate career success, as watching hiring freezes and mass layoffs occur, or being affected by them themselves, caused many Millennials to recognize that having a good job was not just a given, but instead something that must be earned. Now, as the economy is picking itself back up post-recession, Millennials have a much different idea of what they need to do to succeed, and more of them are taking the initiative to prove their worth to employers on a daily basis while honing their soft skills in the long term.

Millennials and hiring managers: Different worlds?

While the recession appears to have pushed many Millennials to form more realistic expectations about career advancement, many hiring managers don’t yet see a change in Millennials' expectations and are still of the belief that Millennials are driven by unreasonably high pay in return for minimal effort. Many hiring managers remain very cynical of the efforts Millennials are making, and believe that this generation continues to have a sense of entitlement and unrealistic expectations of their own career growth and success. Millennials also believe doing work that is personally meaningful to them and achieving a sense of accomplishment are just as important as earning a high salary for a successful career. In fact, 30 percent of Millennials identify meaningful work as the single most important measure of a successful career. Millennials are also feeling a need to pursue higher education, obtain transferable skills, and hold a variety of jobs in order to get ahead in their careers. Mistakenly, however, hiring managers commonly believe Millennials' desire to earn a high salary primarily drives their job and career decisions. Forty-eight percent of hiring managers rank high pay as the number one way Millennials measure their career success. In contrast, only 11 percent of hiring managers say Millennials consider meaningful work as the number one measure of success. Let's take a closer look:

6 Ways to Retain Your Generation Y Future Leaders

Guest Contributor — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:28:35 +0000

Why do companies - large and small - spend so much time worrying about how to retain Millennials (a.k.a. Gen Y)? It’s basically a matter of math. According to the Employment Policy Foundation (EPF), our country is at the beginning of a labor shortage of approximately 35 million skilled and educated workers, which is estimated to continue over the next two decades – especially now that Baby Boomers are starting to retire at an estimated rate of 1 every 8 seconds. Out of necessity, Millennials - many of whom may only have one to three years of career experience - are moving into management roles much sooner (and younger!) than the generations before them did – and are expected to perform in these roles successfully. While it’s entirely possible to groom this next generation of professionals to be effective leaders, you must first be able to retain them (otherwise, grooming them for leadership won’t even matter!). For the first of this three-part series, I’d like to share six effective tips to help employers and managers effectively retain Millennial talent. 6 Ways to Retain Your Gen Y Employees:

Constant Contact: A recent survey of over 1,000 Millennials showed that over 60 percent of them want to hear from their managers at least once a day. That message is pretty clear: They want to communicate with you often so make it happen or they will leave! Unfortunately many older generations tend to operate differently. Oftentimes, they have a hands-off approach to management, but this style clearly does not work well with Millennials.
Praise Culture: We all need praise from our employers, but Millennials tend to need it more often than older generations. If they are not feeling “valued” on a regular basis, they will leave. So many well-known companies are shifting to a “praise culture” to retain them…and it improves retention of their older employees, too! Get creative and have fun with this. I know of one company that actually appointed a “celebrations assistant” in their office and one of her tasks is to throw confetti on employees (in their cubes or offices) whenever a manager tells her an employee had done something exceptional. I realize this strategy may sound a bit extreme to you, but this company is obviously seeing an ROI (or the confetti wouldn’t be happening).