25 Ways to Motivate Generation Y: A Pocketbook Guide

PART I: GEN Y DEFINED Known as “Nexters” (Schlichtemeier-Nutzman, 2002, p. 35) because they are the next wave of employees and “Echo Boomers” (p. 36) because they are similar to their Baby Boomer predecessor’s in size, Gen Y, individuals born after 1980, began entering the workplace during the summer of 2000. Gen Y is 81 million strong, comprising 30% of the current United States population (Dulin, 2005). With very focused and involved Boomer parents, Gen Y grew up with busy schedules—sports, music lessons, and scheduled play-dates occupying much of their time. Gen Y always had input in family decisions because their parents constantly communicated with them (Lancaster & Stillman, 2002). Despite some variations in the way researchers and experts name and classify start and end dates (i.e., Gen Y end dates of 1977), there is a general descriptive consensus among academics and practitioners regarding Gen Y (Eisner, 2005). Gen Yers are independent, techno-savvy, and entrepreneurial employees who thrive on flexibility (Martin, & Tulgan, 2001). In their book entitled Managing Generation Y: Global Citizens Born in the Late Seventies and Early Eighties, Martin and Tulgan listed the following as the truths about Gen Y: 1. A generation of new confidence, upbeat and full of self-esteem 2. The most education minded generation in history 3. A generation paving the way to a more open, tolerant society 4. A generation leading a new wave of volunteerism