Generation Integration: Roberta Matuson Unites Boomers, X-ers and Millennials in the Workplace

Safe Havens?

Is there such a thing as a safe haven for workers in today's economy? Newsweek seems to think so. Click here to to read Ten Companies that Won't Cut Jobs. 

If you've got companies that you'd like to add to the list please do so in the comments section. 

Is the Economy Helping Us to Get Along Better?

Are the generations learning to get along better at work? Or is the economy creating a diversion for the conflict that exists?

It seems like young and old both realize that to survive we must all be rowing in the same direction. Of course it would have been nice to learn this lesson without all of the other side effects we are seeing from this recession.

It will be a while before we safely maneuver through this economy. Keep the lines of communication open, the direction clear and your team on track and you should see smooth waters ahead.

Is it Too Late to Save Your Career?

Jobs Postings Magazine recently published an article titled, Will the Internet Wreck Your Job Hunt? Why should this concern you? A survey by CareerBuilder found 63% of hiring managers have admitted to not hiring someone based on the information they found online.

Have you Googled yourself lately? Anything shocking come up? Does your profile more closely reflect who you were in college or who you are today?

There are ways to set things right. Begin by adjusting your privacy settings. Ask friends to take down photos of you that no longer represent the image you are trying to present. Be selective who you accept as "friends."

It's tough enough to find work these days. Don't make it more difficult than it has to be. 

Wanted: Recent Job Search Success Stories

On Thursday, March 12th I will be presenting a keynote speech on  5 Things You NEED to Know to Get the Job You Want for the Boston Women's Network Living Your Hire Purpose . Please pass the word on to people you know who would benefit from attending this event.

As you have probably figured out by now, I'm all about the stories. I'd like to share some recent job search success stories with the audience. If you or someone you know has a story they would be willing to share, please e-mail me directly at Roberta@yourhrexperts.com . Also, feel free to post your story in the comment section below. Together we can inspire people to stay the course as they transition to a new work life.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Training?

I had the pleasure of spending the day at a fancy bowling alley in Boston. I have to say, I was a bit surprised that I had to leave my credit card at the front desk while my children bowled. Did they think we would run out the door wearing those fancy bowling shoes?

As I settled our bill ( you don't really want to know how much it was) the young attendant hung onto my credit card as if it were a winning lottery ticket, even after I told her I was paying in cash. It was clear to me that she had been trained to retain all cards until the transaction was complete.

I eyed my card and thought long and hard before snatching it, when she turned away to place the cash in the draw. After all, I didn't want to get caught red handed stealing my own card back.

Who makes these rules and how do they make the customers feel?  Believe me, if you can afford to bowl at a place where the bumpers go up and down based on who is bowling, you certainly aren't going to skip out on the bill. As for me, I'm heading back to my local bowling alley, which is now in my living room thanks to my Wii.

How I see it

I finally couldn't take it anymore. It seems like I'm receiving calls and e-mails on a daily basis from people sharing their horrific stories about the way companies are treating them on the way out. So I decided to do something about it. I wrote an Op-ed piece to Mass High Tech Employees May be Gone, but Their Impact Lingers .

I'm hoping this piece shakes some people up. I understand the need to reduce headcount at times like these. However, you can do this in a way that is more humane. 

View from the Frontlines on Managing Millennials

I received an e-mail this morning from a subscriber to this blog regarding yesterday's posting on Why the Recession May be a Good Thing. I thought it was too good not to share. So, with her permission, here it is:

Hi there – Your predictions are spot on for our three millennials!  They were very thankful to find their jobs at the desk. I continue to like working with this group as they are a lot of fun but there certainly are challenges. None of them diss me. They challenge my decisions at times, but I have always welcomed and encouraged this. They do however respect when my decision is final.

 

One thing that seems to be a common theme is they do not have the writing skills our generation had starting out from college and they do not have the same speed in which we work. There is the underlining theme they already know everything, which I get a chuckle out of as I do not know everything and I have a lot more experience. I find it fun to challenge in all this and let them try and get one up on me. (they have and I bow gracefully!) To challenge speed, I give them a project and tell them since I can do in two hours I will give them 4 hours. I love it when they get it done in the two hours to prove to me that they can do things as fast. This is one way I found to cut their Facebook time. They use a chunk of their day for Facebook, internet time and all other communication non stop that they do with family, friends and strangers. I do not monitor or care about this as I believe it would be a losing battle. Getting them focused in other areas away from this during office hours seems to be a better way to handle.

 

My boss continues to want things quicker, and of course wants them to be held very accountable but they do not work as quick. Holding this generation accountable is also a whole new deal. I believe accountability at work is broader. If overall, they are getting the job done and we are profitable things are getting done. I have all the time management measures in place but since they are new to these measures the training (or sinking in time with them) takes longer. I hold them accountable for getting their jobs done in a reasonable mutually agreed upon timeframe. Progress is being made, but I find that basic management steps and training take longer with this generation. I am glad they are beginning to stop job hopping and wanting to stay longer. This should make it easier on companies that invest all the training time.

Could this Recession be a Good Thing?

I wouldn't wish this economy on anyone. But it's here so we might as well look at what some of the positive outcomes might be, particularly for the Millennials since they never worked in an economy like this. Here are my predictions.

1. The demands for salaries, that in no way reflect the value young people bring to an organization, will normalize.

2. Job hoppers will become job stoppers. The realization that a job is better than no job will keep young people at their jobs for a longer period of time.

3. Instead of dissing the Boomers, they will attach themselves to this one sector of the workforce that appears to be hanging onto their jobs.

4. They will be less materialistic and consumer-driven. In the end, this will free them up to pursue work that is more fulfilling than the generations before them.