Courtesy Hamel Resources LLC
By Jill Nagy
Young people want a safe work environment and “employee engagement” is a big buzzword these days, said Gail Hamel of Hamel Resources LLC, an HR consultant based in Glens Falls.
They want more feedback and they want it more often, she added.
Young adults tend to come from homes with close communication between parents and children and an opportunity to participate in family decisions, Hamel said. They were raised in a world of “helicopter parents” and “participation trophies” and expect to see some of that reflected in the workplace.
“They look for a workplace where they are included,” she said. They also seek growth opportunities and a chance to make a difference in their communities.
“Their defining moments have been horrific,” said Hamel, referring to incidents like 9/11, the Columbine shootings and others. At the same time, they have a smaller world at their fingertips, thanks to the Internet.
Kara Diem, a senior account executive with Integrated Staffing in Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs and Albany, a company that also places people into jobs, said benefits are an important aspect for employees these days, especially in families with two working parents.
Those include time off, health insurance, retirement savings plans and flex time, and employees want more explanation about them. She said more employers are offering an open work environment and more team-oriented work and thinks that employees like that.
Both agree that today’s young employees want a better work/life balance than their parents may have had.
Hamel noted that many of them have seen their parents devote their lives to a company and then, as they neared retirement, the country moved elsewhere and left them behind. They saw that companies were not always loyal to their employees and they know that they will not stay in one job forever, she said. They tend to place self and family ahead of employer.
“At Integrated Staffing, we find that work/life balance is ranked as one of the most important aspects of the workplace culture,” Diem said. “Today’s professional wants to pursue life with enjoyment. More time off can be inviting and mentally rewarding for workplace morale. Keeping employees happy can directly contribute to increased productivity.”
She finds that companies are placing more emphasis on creating a work environment that fosters engagement, productivity and innovation. Open work environments are popular because they foster collaboration.
“We also find that having quiet space available behind closed doors is important to these open work environments, so that employees have areas to go to when needing privacy or just somewhere to think quietly,” Diem said.
Hamel said a workplace “where they can take time to volunteer” is also a big plus for young workers.
Demographics also play a big role in shaping the modern workplace. As baby boomers retire, there are not enough new workers coming in to take their places, Hamel said. As a result, workers are coming into higher positions at a younger age and using the opportunity to design a new workplace. Gen-Yers and Millenials will constitute 60 percent of the workforce by 2020, she said.
Hamel draws on her 30 years of human resources experience to provide training and consultation for other companies. She advises on policy, develops employee handbooks, and provides other help and guidance for the many Glens Falls area companies too small to have a dedicated HR person on staff.
Integrated Staffing is an eight-year-old woman-owned business that assists companies with staffing, of both permanent and temporary positions. Most of the time, they have more than 100 employees. In the summer time, when they gear up to staff the Saratoga and Belmont racetracks, they may have more than 1,200 people working for them.