Notorious for self centred and egotistical behaviour dealing with Gen Y applicants irritated by the recession can be frustrating for employers but is a little interview coaching all Gen Y require?
Generation Y are often not so affectionately described as the ‘Entitlement Generation’ and have received criticism for being too arrogant, self-centred and possessive. But in the current market many Gen Y’s have taken a knock to their confidence. For those who can only remember living in economic boom times, the recession, its resulting job losses and longer, stricter working hours can leave one despondent.
If you are an employer looking to recruit, initial encounters with over confident and all overly aggressive Gen Y applicants may have left you tempted to file their application under ‘R’ for reject, however be weary not discount Gen Y’s too soon. As possibly the most educated, technology savvy and creative thinking generation yet, Gen Y applicants can be a highly valuable resource to your business.
Gen Y’s sense of entitlement is not so much an inherent personality flaw but a result of their upbringing and experiences so far. The key for employers is to approach younger workers and job seekers with patience and help coach them through the redundancy and job searching process. Known for being more than a little needy Gen Y’s crave feedback, providing them with criticism which is constructive (and not too unkind) on the application and interview performance will help shape and develop them professionally.
Trish McLean
Managing Director
Retailworld Resourcing NZ
Retailworld Resourcing is a recruitment agency that specialises in the retail sector. We place people in retail jobs in New Zealand and retail jobs in Australia, throughout all areas and levels within the retail industry.