Generation Y (the young men and women born after 1977) are different
from other generations in many respects, from their political views to
the careers they choose (or don't choose). Their presence in the
workplace is truly making an impact, causing employers to worry, fret
and scratch their heads, and asking, "What do I do to attract the
20-something worker, and once I have them, how do I keep them?"

The answer to this question is this: Stop trying to keep them and
control them with old, worn out "pay your dues" tactics, and start
designing your company to be attractive to this generation, which
includes over 72 million young potential employers.

When it comes to loyalty, the companies Gen Y works for are last on their list.
These millennial leaders are ambitious, worldly and demanding, and if
you can't give them a compelling reason to stick around, don't expect
them to. They will either find a better job in greener pastures, or
they'll move back in with mom and dad (hey...free rent and a packed
fridge is not a bad deal after all, and moms and dads are allowing
their 20-something age kids to move back home in droves).

Many employers are labeling Gen Y workers "demanding" and "self-serving"
(not a good move), and when you look at the fact that over 64 million
workers will exit from the workforce by the year 2010, this puts
employers in a talent deficit dilemma. The pools they have to dip from
are these young, so-called "demanding" young men and women from ages
22-30. So, if you want to attract the up and coming knowledge worker,
you have to stop calling them names and start doing what you can to
accommodate their needs, even if their expectations seem to be
outrageous.

The remainder of this article will share with you
some information about the companies who I believe are doing a great
job in attracting Gen Y into their workforce and a few of the
strategies they are using. As you read this article, do your best to
resist the thought of "Well, Google, Intuit or Deloitte would never be
my competition...we are worlds apart in location, size, budget and
industry focus". While it is true that we are all not like Google or
Apple, there is one thing that is true: We are in the age of the "young
knowledge worker", and Generation Y is the most high-performing
generation in the history of mankind with more information in their
heads and at their fingertips (and they can multi-task), so they can
perform a variety of tasks in many business domains and can live
anywhere if the job and company cool. So, in today's world, any company
is your competition, yet the big question is

"Will Gen Y be working for you or for your competition?"

Here's my top ten list of companies who are being successful with attracting
the Gen Y worker. As you read through this list, don't try to bite off
everything on this list. Simply ask yourself "How can I shift my
business or organization to include a few of these strategies to make
my company more attractive to the young knowledge worker?"

1) Google: Focus on Perks: Google is unfortunately (or fortunately) raising the
bar for each company in the world in the war for young talent.
According to a study done by the Great Place to Work Institute, Google
is at the top of Gen Y's list of companies they most want to work for.
Why wouldn't when you can gain access to perks including: *On site
dental and medical facilities * Free breakfast, lunch and dinner on a
daily basis at 11 gourmet restaurants *Unlimited sick leave * 27 days
of paid time off after one year of employment * A global education
leave program which enables employees to take a leave of absence to
pursue further education for up to 5 years and $150,000 in
reimbursement * Free shuttles equipped with Wi-Fi from locations around
the San Francisco Bay area headquarters * Classes on a variety of
subjects including estate planning, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin.

2) Intuit: Focus on a Rotational Development Program. Gen Y was born
multi-tasking, so boredom on the job can set in quickly. Intuit has
addressed this by offering a cracker-jack Rotational Development
Program, allowing new recruits rotation programs in finance, marketing
and product development every 6-12 months. This program not only keeps
young workers engaged but prepares them for future leadership positions
in the company.

3) Walt Disney: Focus on Internships and a Collaborative Culture. Disney has a rock solid
internship program for college students, which includes college credits
for the colleges they partner with, which gets young leaders committed
to the company before they graduate. Disney is also built on a
foundation of a diverse and collaborative culture, and Generation Y was
born playing on teams made up of members from all cultures and walks of
life. The sense of camaraderie makes Disney attractive for Gen Y,
because it breeds a familiar sense of teamwork.

4) Deloitte and Touche: Focus on Leadership Development. Generation Y is very attracted to all
aspects of learning and development. They have been raised on a diet
which includes a combination of personal, leadership and team
development. Deloitte and Touche have therefore designed a state of the
art leadership program called the Future Leaders Apprentice Program
(FLAP), and new recruits are immediately eligible for the program.
Deloitte is also offering a top flight coaching and mentoring program.
Because Gen Y has been coached since age 5, they are saying that the
coaching and development programs offered by Deloitte are two of the
main attraction points that has them stick around or return later in
their career.

5) The Peace Corps. Focus on Saving the World. The pay is not so great (as a matter of
fact, most Gen Y leaders say it's lousy), but they are willing to
sacrifice pay in order to do meaningful work on a global scale, to work
and live in another country where they can become fluent in a new
language and to toughen up mentally and emotionally by doing hard work
with long hours. Generation Y sees companies who are making a
significant contribution back to their communities as tops on their
lists for future employment. Teach for America is another hot and
growing company that allows emerging leaders the opportunity to teach
in failing school districts...another approach to "making a difference"
in the world.

6) Lockheed Martin. Focus on Continuing Education. Gen Y is all about knowledge acquisition
and this aeronautics and space company has hit the nail on the head
with 20-something recruits by offering a maximum of $7500.00 annual for
education reimbursement and full graduate school sponsorship for junior
level employees.

7) L'Oreal USA: Focus on College Competitions and World Travel. If you have not noticed this
lately, Gen Y LOVES a competition, and they are certainly keen on world
travel. You only have to watch American Idol, So You Think You Can
Dance or America's Next Top Model to verify this. L"Oreal has latched
onto this idea with its L'Oreal Brandstorm Competition, providing
college students the opportunity to compete by putting themselves in
the shoes of a L'Oreal Brand Manager. The competition allows emerging
leaders the opportunity to analyze consumer trends while developing a
top of the line marketing and advertising campaign for L'Oreal. The
winner receives a trip to Paris and the opportunity to interact with
top L'Oreal managers, giving young recruits a leg up during the
recruiting and hiring process. The competition alone creates buzz and a
"cool factor" for L'Oreal, which is appealing to 20-somethings.

8)Southwest Airlines: Focus on Fun. If you have never flown Southwest, I highly recommend you do it
just one time...just for the fun of it. Generation Y's mantra is "Live
First, Work Second and Have Fun!", and Southwest's quirky but
fun-loving culture makes it a great first stomping grounds for the
young knowledge worker.

9) Nike: Focus on Fitness. Nike's campus is a prime location for Gen Y, who hits the
gym at least 3-4 times each week. Nike is situated on over 170 acres,
which includes a fabulous exercise center, playing fields and running
trails. And of course, their "Just Do It" tagline inspires young
workers to actually use these facilities rather than sitting at home in
front of their computer or the tube.

10) Apple: Focus on Simplicity. If you have visited an Apple store lately, you
will notice that you will be greeted by a young man or woman under age
30 at the Genius Bar. Apple is filled with Gen Y employees. The reason?
Apple makes things simple. In a report by Outlaw Consulting, Apple won
the number 1 loyalty spot for Gen Y, because their products are as
"stripped-down and unadorned as possible" (According to Outlaw
Consulting). To be simple means convenience and speed to the
multi-tasking Gen Y crowd. This audience is also highly dedicated to
saving the environment, the concept of excess means that the
environment may be harmed even more. Gen Y is therefore choosing to
work for companies like Apple whose positioning is dedicated to the
greening of our world.

By Bea Fields

For more information on how to attract and retain Generaation Y, visit http://MillennialLeaders.com.