Tip of the Day: Don’t let the texting and flip-flops frighten you

Pros, I know Gen Yers can seem a little foreign – maybe even alien-like – with their texting techiness, and their flip-flops in the workplace, and their want-it-all-yesterday attitudes. But I promise you – I have first-hand knowledge, I swear! – that your Gen Y employees are indeed of this world.

I know that connecting with them professionally can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. And – since at 73 million strong, Gen Y holds the key to the future of your business – it’s necessary.

If you’d like a Cliff’s Notes to 20-somethings, you may want to try “Y in the Workplace: Managing the ‘Me First’ Generation.” The book (according to the jacket) “defines the psychological, social, environmental and cultural influences that have shaped the generation, and discusses how the values, attitudes and expectations of Generation Y have had an impact, positively and negatively, on corporate environments, intergenerational functioning and management strategies.” This is a really wordy way of saying that it will help you understand and manage Gen Yers a little better.

Co-author Nicole Lipkin’s press people call the book a “must read” for HR folks. I can’t say; I haven’t read it. I will say that reading a book never hurt anyone. But, I’ll also say that taking that reading time to actually talk to Gen Yers about what they value, want and need from their work surely couldn’t hurt either.