That’s the assessment of Terese Corey Blanck, an employee development consultant who focuses on helping businesses learn how to attract, retain and manage so-called Generation Y employees, the 75 million or so workers who range from 18 to 30 years old. This cohort is also nicknamed “Echo Boomers” because the group is almost as large as the Baby Boomers who are now retiring in droves.

But the comparisons stop there. After interviewing thousands of so-called Generation Y college graduates during her career, Corey Blanck concludes this generation is largely bereft of the decision-making and conflict-resolution skills that most Baby Boomers carry as standard equipment.

Why? Corey Blanck — the chief executive officer and president of CTS Consultants (CTC stands for College to Career) — asserts it’s much more than just a generation gap.

She points to overly protective parents who not only paved the way for their children, but also went out and built the road too. “They haven’t had the experiences or developed decision-making skills because their parents have been so involved and had them so programmed,” she continues. “They’re still navigating toward adulthood. They don’t know how to fail — and build their skill sets in doing so.”

There are aberrations, Corey Blanck notes. She guesstimates that 10 to 20 percent of Gen Yers possess enough moxie to thrive as entry-level employees. But there aren’t enough of them to fill the yawning gap of job openings, which means it’s very likely these maturity-challenged workers will soon be filling a cubicle near you.

So what’s a manager to do? First of all, they might want to temper expectations. Corey Blanck has heard many Gen Y horror anecdotes, like the ones about employees who balk at menial tasks to those who ask if it’s OK to come in late on certain days to accommodate their social lives.

“Managers will need to push them out of self-absorbed mode — make them make decisions based on the greater good of the organization,” she says.
Supervisors also must become much more hands-on, developmental managers, Corey Blanck says. Gone are the days when rushed, harried managers could hand off projects to employees with minimal direction.

“Instead of solving a problem for them, managers will have to walk them through their thoughts … and discuss what kind of resources are available,” she says.

Managers should also work closely with their human resources departments to perform developmental assessments of Gen Yers, and figure out where they are in terms of cognitive competencies and emotional development. Then they need to talk candidly to employees about their deficiencies.

“Managers will need to sit down with these employees and discuss specific experiences they want them to navigate,” Corey Blanck explains.

Managers will have to continually benchmark and assess their development, and patiently correct mistakes. “The more you do something and get corrected, the more efficient your brain becomes at executing the task,” she says. “You want them to practice these new skills on a frequent basis. Part of this is about developing an identity.”

Managers also will likely find they need to check in more often with these employees, rather than relying on a traditional weekly staff meeting. “Get rid of the half-hour weekly staff meeting and coach these employees,” Corey Blanck suggests. “You need to get to know people well … some will respond better to e-mail, while other will prefer a lot of face-to-face contact. You’ll have to ask them often if they need help, as well as give them specific times you’ll be available if they need assistance later on.”

Managers who patiently coach and develop this new breed of employee, teaching them how to manage conflict and develop assessment skills, just might eventually resume normal management mode — and wear one less hat along the way.

By Ken Wysocky

Ken Wysocky, owner of Write Words Communications, is a freelance writer based in Whitefish Bay.