With an upturn in the economy, more companies are planning on hiring additional employees. Many will be college aged students, young and fresh out of school. Most are eager and ready to jump into the workforce. Even more are grateful to have secured a job while the economy takes its time recovering. As an employer, what are your techniques when it comes to training and managing a new team of employees, especially the younger generation?
Characteristics of the Younger Working Generation
Before you can begin effectively managing your new employees, you must come to an understanding of what makes them tick and what motivates them to work to their fullest potential. You may be wondering why this is an important step in management. The answer is simple. If you properly manage your employees, especially across generations, they will work harder and produce a better result which in the long run nets you a better profit.
- Eager to Learn
- Crave Affirmation of a Job Well Done
- Better Motivated by Acknowledgment
- Motivated by Educational Opportunities
- Encouraged by incentives
Characteristics of a Productive Manager for the Younger Working Generation
Maximize the knowledge of long term employees
In addition to motivation, a productive manager has the ability to teach an employee to mirror their thinking and learn from their long term employment & experience. By incorporating rotation programs, mentoring programsor mini workshops into management strategies yields time effective payoffs.
- Gain Pleasure from Teaching
- Diagram their Rationale
- Offer Sound/Full Explanations
- Teach from experience & knowledge
- Utilize mentoring programs to maximize the knowledge of long term employees
Motivational Techniques
It’s important to incorporate a new employee into the workings of your company from the beginning. Essentially, the employee should be thrown into their work immediately with guidance from a mentor. (After a good orientation program) Give them an important decision to make right away. This will make them feel important. Never hold their hand if they are not sure what to do, instead encourage them to figure things out on their own. This is a great way to motivate them to put their best effort forward. It also trains them to think steadily and instills problem solving skills. If presenting the opportunity of decision making or problem solving is too high a risk for a particular employee, it’s best to place them in another position where they will be more effective. Always offer feedback immediately as this has proven to be a substantial motivating factor.
Motivation Goes Well Beyond the First Day
- Public Praise: During a meeting with your new staff, highlight who has performed at the highest level. Explain how and why the employee’s performance deserves your praise. Along with issuing praise, a thank you should be presented.
- Ask Quality Questions in Quantity: Asking frequent questions that are meaningful and require an honest answer helps to stimulate junior employees to think about matters on their own. As the manager, respecting the answers you receive further motivates and empowers your junior staff.
- Encourage Interaction among Junior and Senior Employees: This management tactic is an effective way to bring employees together as a team in addition to being motivating. This move encourages future collaborations and team efforts. It also aids junior employees who are shy about intermingling.
- Promote Responsibility with Short-Term Projects: Set weekly goals. Each junior employee should know what is expected of them from Monday to Friday. This managerial tactic boosts productivity by encouraging junior employees and motivating them to accomplish a project within the time span you have determined.
- Rewards:Offer the incentive of long-term rewards. This is perhaps one of the most effective motivation strategies for aspiring junior employees. Allow room for them to grow and be forthcoming about the opportunities available in your company. A diligent junior employee with aspirations of ascending the hierarchy ladder is more productive when promotions are in sight. Establish the point that only those performing at an efficient level within your company will be considered for a higher position.
~ Written by Gary Sorrell, Sorrell Associates, LLC.
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