The recent practice of trying to determine what millennials want from work has spawned a new growth in book publishing, seminars, and industrial psychology. Millennials have been characterized as being lazy, spoiled, entitled but what is the reality behind this stereotype? What most employers and hiring managers need to recognize is that millennials in the work force grew up as the most stressed generation ever, facing intense competition not only locally but internationally, predominantly from the best and brightest students from China and India. Academic requirements for colleges have grown more demanding than the previous generation. For example, today’s VP’s that graduated from the University of California (UC) system, frequently mention that they would not be admitted into the same UC school where they went to college. As a result, what you see in today’s highly educated workforce are highly disciplined individuals whose behavior is still dictated by supply and..
Read More How do you get the right mix of executive management, adaptability, tech savviness and cost effective employees in your company? First by understanding the respective strengths of the past three generations that have impacted the work force. Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace has become a priority for many organizations in the business world today. Baby Boomers, generally defined as being born between the years of 1946 to 1964, bring a tremendous amount of executive presence, are productive, hardworking, team players and make great mentors. These skills and traits makes them the most cost effective generational workforce. Meanwhile, Gen X (1964 -1980) excels at generating revenue for companies, mostly due to their strong problem solving skills, adaptability to changes and challenges. Combine this with their strong collaboration and relationship building traits, a company will have an ideal workforce when executive leadership is not a requisite. The Millennials (1980 – 1995)..
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With Amazon’s announcement that it is seeking to build their HQ2, there’s been a lot of discussion regarding the challenge of maintaining a corporate culture when you have two headquarters. Which, in turn, brings up a bigger issue: What should everyone focus on in the hiring process to ensure that new hires “fit in” with the corporate culture? While many organizations have been focusing on “Culture-Fit,” I have seen that this is not a good idea. As the US workforce has become increasingly internationalized, “Culture-Fit” has become associated with “culture bias”—where candidates with similar backgrounds, opinions, communication styles, ethnicity and lifestyles are hired. However, what actually makes companies work is to instill a set of common values or principles. Which is why growing companies are now focusing on “Values-Fit,” hiring candidates who share the organization’s core values regardless of their opinions, ethnicity, etc. Quite often these core values are..
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Google, Facebook and Apple get a lot of hype as great places to work, and they all have many positives. However, before choosing your next place of employment, there’s something vitally important that you need to look at: the Values-Fit. In other words, what are that company’s core values and guiding principles, and do these translate into something that works for you? And, just as importantly, do you have access to insider knowledge regarding what is really going on “behind the curtain” of a potential employer? If you work with me as your recruiting expert you do. In fact, one of the things that sets me apart is my ability to provide the type of insider knowledge that can help you land your best job yet. Before looking for new opportunities, determine what Values-Fit works best for you. Be brutally honest with yourself in respect to what you value at..
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