HRYP Series: What You Need To Know
Posted on 25. July 2010 by UpstartHR
What the heck is an HRYP?
HRYP stands for “human resources young professional.” Yeah, sounds like a mouthful, so HRYP is the easiest way to say it, ‘kay? 
HRYP is an initiative kicked off by SHRM’s go-to guy for everything on the “young professional” end of the spectrum–Chuck Salvetti.
I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck at SHRM10, and since then I’ve learned more about what they are doing for young professionals in the HR space. I have to say… I love it. My goal from the very beginning was to serve as a resource for those just getting started in human resources, and this initiative is something that closely aligns with my goals for this blog.
With that in mind, I have built a series that links together the strengths and knowledge of some of my trusted resources in the HR arena and the questions/needs of the HRYP community. I am an active participant in the HRYP group on LinkedIn, and I encourage other young HR pros to join (I’m also a fan of the HRYP Facebook group, but I don’t participate there as much). I have had some interesting discussions with the people there, and I am excited to share some helpful information with non-HRYPs related to those conversations.
Top 3 HRYP Concerns
- Lack of credibility
- Lack of challenging work
- Lack of a definite career path
Communication Across Generations
Posted on 19. July 2010 by Eva Rykr
A few months ago, I attended a Leadership Development Program with mostly Gen Xers and Boomers. I believe I was the sole Gen Y attendee there. On the third day of the five-day program, we practiced coaching behaviors. The woman I was paired with had a dilemma at work where there were communication issues with her direct report, who was a good decade or so younger than her. We role played this dilemma,with her assuming the role of the direct report and me serving as her, playing the coach.
At one point during the background preparation for the coaching process, she remarked:
“Here is an example of his poor communication: one Tuesday, he is missing from the office. I go all day wondering where he is, and by the end of the day, when I finally get to my email, I see that he had emailed me last night that he wasn’t going to be in. Why wouldn’t he have just popped in to the office and let me know about this in person?”
At first, I was very confused about the point she was trying to make. At my office, if someone will be out, they send an email; if we don’t realize we’ll be out until the day of, we’ll send a text message. Message is sent, message is received–no big deal. After some discussion, several people in the room, including the executive coach facilitating the session, came to an agreement that email is not communication. That email is a one-way memo that is devoid of tone, posture, and other nonverbals so it cannot be used as a method of communicating with another person.
How to Communicate Across Generations
Posted on 6. July 2010 by Alexandra LevitIn every talk I give at a corporation or conference on intergenerational communication, someone raises their hand and says that people of different generations don’t vary in their styles and that it’s all in my head. If you’re tempted to think that, here are some examples of the types of remarks I’m always hearing:
Born before 1945, they’re the loyalists, the ones who spent a lifetime at the company and expect to be rewarded with a Rolex:
How can I help YOU?
Flexibility is a code word for less work getting done.
If I’m not yelling at you, you’re doing fine.
Baby Boomers
Born 1945-63, they’re the hippies and the yuppies, the ones who worshiped the Beatles and clawed their way to the top:
How differently do tomorrow’s workforce and today’s leadership think?
Posted on 5. July 2010 by Gautam GhoshAmong the nine leadership traits CEOs and students could choose from, students placed a higher emphasis on only two leadership qualities – global thinking and a focus on sustainability. Students were 46 percent more likely than CEOs to view global thinking as a top leadership quality. And they were 35 percent more likely to include sustainability in the top three.”
Beliefs about globalization and sustainability were even more defining. We found students were much more concerned with these issues than CEOs, and most importantly, saw them as inherently connected.”
The Gen Y Debate Rages On
Posted on 14. May 2010 by Melany GallantBack in April, I read a story in the Washington Post by Ian Shapira on the work ethic of Millennials – Millennials accused of lax work ethic say it’s not all about 9-to-5. I read some subsequent debate on the article a few weeks later and thought I’d reflect on it here. Shapira’s initial report on some recent generational survey data was pretty compelling to start.
As Shapira explains:
The millennial generation – about 50 million people between ages 18 and 29 – is the only age group in the nation that doesn’t cite work ethic as one of its “principal claims to distinctiveness,” according to a new Pew Research Center study, “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.” The Washington-based nonprofit group found that young adults and their elders agree: Baby boomers and Generation Xers have better work ethics and moral values than those in their 20s.
In a survey of about 1,200 people of all ages, millennials chose other traits to define themselves: 24 percent said “technology use,” 11 percent went with “music/pop culture,” 7 percent chose “liberal/tolerant” and 6 percent said “smarter.” Only 5 percent noted their generation’s “work ethic” – the same portion as who chose “clothes.”
How to Work with Someone Older
Posted on 6. May 2010 by Alexandra LevitThere are currently four generations in the workforce, so chances are you’ve foundyourself in the position of having to work closely with someone older. Maybe you’re even in a powerful position in which you are trusted with weighty responsibilities. Good for you!
Now…don’t let it go to your head. In particular, you’ll want to be careful of having an attitude of superiority. In dealing with an older co-worker, show humility and demonstrate respect for her years of experience. After all, she may have been doing her job while you were still in high school, and having a younger colleague with a similar title might be a tough pill for her ego to swallow.
Recruiting Animal: Reliable Info About Gen Y
Posted on 5. May 2010 by Laurie Ruettimann
I just read an article in O Magazine. The topic, Gen Y. The title, Your Kids Are Different and It’s Okay.
The author? Let’s call him Dave.
Dave says that Gen Y is different in 4 ways.
- They think that they’re entitled to the good life.
- They want a good work-life balance.
- They’re “much more collaborative”.
- They’re “much more technologically savvy”.
Let’s focus on number 4. What’s Dave’s proof? An anecdote. (That means story).
Recognizing a Multigenerational & Culturally Diverse Workforce
Posted on 13. April 2010 by Derek Irvine, GloboforceDoes your workforce span multiple generations from GenY to Boomers and cultures from New York to New Delhi, Berlin to Beijing?
My article on just this topic appears in the latest issue of Workspan magazine (subscription required). In “How to Reward a Multigenerational and Culturally Diverse Workforce,” I offer insight into engaging four generations of employees from global cultures by redefining recognition or the 21st century. Guidelines for achieving this include…
For Those Who Cant Spell Can’t
Posted on 30. March 2010 by ReThink HR
Guest Post Intro: As a Corporate Trainer, Motivational Speaker and Employee Recognition Strategist; David Kovacovich is always asked what differentiates the great people in the workplace. The best answer he can summon is that they never allowed themselves to give in to their doubt. This is a story of a young man and his belief that he can achieve anything. Feel free to connect with David at his Blog or Twitter. Read the rest of this entry »
Millenials – Challenge Academia
Posted on 15. March 2010 by EQmentor
This is the time of the year that college students and soon-to-be graduates are actively ‘hitting the pavement’ looking for internships and jobs. As an employer, I am deeply troubled by what I see coming out of most colleges and university. Here are specific issues I have:
- Most collegiate curricula has not changed over the past 30 years, whereas the professional workplace has changed dramatically.
- Academia requires you to major… with no focus on industry. Yet the real world cares about the industry focus with your major being secondary.
- Students are being taught by academics, many of whom have never worked in an industry or workplace.
As students and parents of students who are paying the equivalent of a modest home for a college degree, I believe it is time to challenge academia. You are a customer. It is the job of the service provider, the colleges and universities, to prepare you or your child for the workplace. If the content (curriculum) is outdated and in many cases irrelevant, the modality of learning is outdated, the people providing the services are outdated, how can you possibly expect yourself or your child to be ready for the changing 21st Century? You would never accept this kind of service from any other place. Outside your home, spending on your child’s college tuition is the second largest investment you will make. Why not demand more? Why not demand for:
Baby Boomers
Posted on 9. March 2010 by EQmentor
This morning, I heard some alarming and troubling statistics; 16% of the baby boomer generation says they are ready for retirement and 43% say they have less than $10K saved for retirement. The recession has delayed the retirement plans of the average baby boomer by about 9 years. Two thirds of all health care costs are incurred after the age of 60 and health care costs/insurance is the #1 source of financial concern to retirees, despite medicare and medicaid.
Don’t worry – I am not getting into the health care debate here. Instead, I am putting on my Talent Management hat and asking, What is the impact of this to the workforce and workplace? We already have a good sense of how the workplace is evolving to more virtual and transient models almost entirely enabled by some form of technology. Studies have shown higher levels of discomfort by baby boomers with technology than younger generations for obvious reasons… the younger generations grew up with technology (Digitial Natives) as opposed the Digital Immigrants that the baby boomers are. The baby boomers also come with significantly higher overhead than youger employees and couple that with the desire of baby boomers to not want to work full-time …. all leads to following plausible conclusions:
Millenials: Electric, and No Longer Youth
Posted on 4. March 2010 by The Hiring Site
Millenials. Comprised of those born after 1980, or those 18-29 years old, they’re America’s newest generation. (And it’d be more fun if they were called this, no?) But what else are we learning about them, particularly when it comes to the workplace? A new report aimed at Millenials attempts to answer some of our unanswered questions.
Who are Millenials?
Fifty million people currently fall into the “Millenials” category. Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world, has just released a report called “Millenials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.”
The report, conducted by Pew Research Center’s “Social & Demographic Trends Project,” compares the values, attitudes and behaviors of Millenials with those of older adults, and seeks to shed some light on which formative experiences Millenials will carry throughout their life cycle. Among other findings, the report found that personality-wise, Millenials are confident, self-expressive, liberal, and upbeat, and are open to change.
Creating Choice and Control for Gen X
Posted on 2. March 2010 by Melany GallantTammy Erickson recently did a webinar over at HR.com that I had a chance to listen in on. As one of leading experts on collaboration and innovation, you’ve probably read her blog posts and/or articles for Harvard Business Review, as well as her many books on managing the generations. Her latest book What’s Next Gen X offers an analysis of the “implications of organizational and technological changes” for this generation’s future. The webinar Why Gen X Has the Leaders We Need Now draws heavily from this book and shares some interesting ideas on the leadership potential of Gen X.
During the Webinar, Erickson, did a thorough job of establishing all of the factors that have brought Gen X to where we are today, including the economy, changing world order, the Internet, entry of women into the workforce and divorce rates. The end result is a generation that is self-reliant, mistrustful of institutions, rule-morphing, tribal, information-savvy, and determined and dedicated parents Now, you may be thinking… really, how much are generational differences even an issue? According to experts like Erickson, there is definitely a difference between boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. And the experts from the HR Raging Debates forum offer many views on whether or not these differences matter. From my perspective, the reality is that HR pros need to recognize there is a difference and go from there. The differences shouldn’t be the primary focus, but a guiding force in creating and managing HR programs.
Forms of Address – A Generational Difference?
Posted on 10. February 2010 by Respectful Workplace
I am writing in response to Mr. Remer’s recent post on the topic of names and formality. I agree with half of his argument: it is objectively disrespectful when you forget a friend or colleague’s name. However, I think the second point, about addressing others with a formal title (Mr., Miss), may be a legitimate generational norm. If younger folks (even those who are married and have kids, like myself) feel uncomfortable when so addressed, isn’t it within their rights to forego this convention, and shouldn’t we honor their preference by addressing them in a style that speaks to their perceptions of reality? Moreover, the point is made in the article that intent matters; we all forget names from time to time and a sincere apology and request for a reminder should not be viewed in a negative light. In the same vein, if children or even peers fail to address others by their given title, but do so without malice or arrogance, I contend that first names can be used respectfully. If someone else feels slighted, they have the option to handle the situation maturely, and are entitled to politely ask that they be addressed according to their preference.
Podcast: Multi-Generational Workforce
Posted on 3. February 2010 by Lance HaunA couple of weeks ago, my buddy Chris Ferdinandi over at Renegade HR and I talked about multi-generational workforces and what they mean to employers for his podcast (one of the few I actually listen to). Want to have a listen? Of course you do:
Listen Here
So what are always my main points about generations?
- There are differences between various generations.
- Sometimes these differences are blown out of proportion to their importance.
- Often these differences relate to career level rather than generations.
- Truly skilled managers rarely have issues dealing with a multi-generational workforce.
- Problems with managing certain generations often point to greater leadership issues.
- Generation Y can talk about whatever they want but businesses speak the language of action.
