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11 inTeg RaTing geneRaTion y employees To aCCeleRaTe

Compe TiTive aDvanTag e

Introduction

This chapter focuses on Gen Y employees who are also known as “ digital natives” and “ millennials.” Gen Y employees possess the attributes to assist companies in transforming their workforce to meet the accelerated change in the competitive landscape. Most executives across industries recognize that digital technologies are the most powerful variable to maintaining and expanding company markets. Gen Y employees provide a natural fit for dealing with emerging digital technologies. However, success with integrating Gen Y employees is contingent upon baby boomer and Gen X man- agement to adapt new leadership philosophies and procedures suited to meet the expectations and needs of these new workers. Ignoring the unique needs of Gen Y employees will likely result in an incon- gruent organization that suffers high turnover of young employees who will seek more entrepreneurial environments.

I established in Chapter 10 that digital transformation is at the core of change and competitive survival in the twenty-first cen- tury. Chapter 10 did not address the changes in personnel that are quickly becoming major issues at today’ s global firms. While I offered changes to organizational structures, I did not address the mixture of different generations that are at the fabric of any typical organization. This chapter is designed to discuss how these multiple generations need to “ learn” how to work together to form productive and effective organizations that can compete in the digital economy. Furthermore, this chapter will address how access to human capital will change in the future and the different types of relationships that individuals will have with employers. For example, the “ gig”

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economy will use non-traditional outside workers who will provide sources of talent for shorter-term employment needs. Indeed, the gig economy will require HR and IT leaders to form new and intri- cate employee relationships.

As discussed in Chapter 10, companies need to transform their business from analogue to one that uses digital technologies. Such transformation requires moving from a transactional relation- ship with customers to one that is more “ interactional” (Ernst & Young, 2012). Completing an analogue to digital transformation, while essential for a business to survive in the twenty-first century, is difficult to accomplish. Responsive organizational dynamism (ROD) showed us that successful adaptation of new digital tech- nologies requires strategic integration and cultural assimilation of the people that comprise the organization. As stated earlier, these components of ROD can be categorized as the essential roles and responsibilities of the organization that are necessary to utilize new technological inventions that can strategically be integrated within a business entity. The purpose here is to explore why Gen Y employees need to be integrated with baby boomers and Gen X staff to effectively enhance the success of digital transformation initiatives.

The Employment Challenge in the Digital Era

Capgemini and MIT (2013) research shows that organizations need new operating models to meet the demands of a digital-driven era. Digital tools have provided leaders with ways to connect at an unprec- edented scale. Digital technology has allowed companies to invade other spaces previously protected by a business’ s “ asset specificities” (Tushman & Anderson, 1997), which are defined as advantages enjoyed by companies because of their location, product access, and delivery capabilities. Digital technologies allow those specificities to be neutralized and thus, change the previous competitive balances among market players. Furthermore, digital technology acceler- ates this process, meaning that changes in market share occur very quickly. The research offers five key indicators that support successful digital transformation in a firm:

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1. A company’ s strategic vision is only as effective as the people behind it. Thus, winning the minds of all levels of the organi- zation is required.

2. To become digital is to be digital. Companies must have a “ one-team culture” and raise their employees’ digital IQ.

3. A company must address the scarcity of talented resources and look more to using Gen Y individuals because they have a more natural adaptation to take on the challenges of digital transformation.

4. Resistant managers are impediments to progress and can actually stop digital transformation.

5. Digital leadership starts at the top.

As stated in Chapter 10, Eisenhardt and Bourgeouis (1988) first defined dynamic changing markets as being “ high-velocity.” Their research shows that high-velocity conditions existed in the technol- ogy industry during the early 1980s in Silicon Valley, in the United States. They found that competitive advantage was highly dependent on the quality of people that worked at those firms. Specifically, they concluded that workers who were capable of dealing with change and less subjected to a centralized totalitarian management structure out- performed those that had more traditional hierarchical organizational structures. While “ high-velocity” during the 1980s was unusual, dig- ital disruption in the twenty-first century has made it a market norm.

The combination of evolving digital business drivers with acceler- ated and changing customer demands has created a business revolution that best defines the imperative of the strategic integration component of ROD. The changing and accelerated way businesses deal with their customers and vendors requires a new strategic integration to become a reality, rather than remain a concept without action. Most experts see digital technology as the mechanism that will require business realignment to create new customer experiences. The driving force behind this realignment emanates from digital technologies, which serve as the principle accelerator of the change in transactions across all business units. The general need to optimize human resources forces organizations to rethink and to realign business processes, in order to gain access to new business markets, which are weakening the existing “ asset specificities” of the once dominant market leaders.

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Gen Y Population Attributes

Gen Y or digital natives are those people who are accustomed to the attributes of living in a digital world and are 18– 35 years old. Gen Y employees are more comfortable with accelerated life changes, par- ticularly change brought on by new technologies. Such individuals, according to a number of commercial and academic research studies (Johnson Controls, 2010; Capgemini, 2013; Cisco, 2012; Saxena & Jain, 2012), have attributes and expectations in the workplace that support environments that are flexible, offer mobility, and provide collaborative and unconventional relationships. Specifically, millen- nial workers

• want access to dedicated team spaces where they can have emotional engagements in a socialized atmosphere;

• require their own space; that is, are not supportive of a “ hotel- ing” existence where they do not have a permanent office or workspace;

• need a flexible life/work balance; • prefer a workplace that supports formal and informal collab-

orative engagement.

Research has further confirmed that 79% of Gen Y workers pre- fer mobile jobs, 40% want to drive to work, and female millennials need more flexibility at work than their male counterparts. As a result of this data, businesses will need to compete to recruit and develop skilled Gen Y workers who now represent 25% of the workforce. In India, while Gen Y represents more than 50% of the working popula- tion, the required talent needed by businesses is extremely scarce.

Advantages of Employing Millennials to Support Digital Transformation

As stated, Gen Y adults appear to have many identities and capabilities that fit well in a digital-driven business world. Indeed, Gen Y peo- ple are consumers, colleagues, employees, managers, and innovators (Johnson Controls, 2010). They possess attributes that align with the requirements to be an entrepreneur, a person with technology savvy and creativity, someone who works well in a mobile environment, and is non-conformant enough to drive change in an organization. Thus,

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the presence of Gen Y personnel can help organizations to restrat- egize their competitive position and to retain key talent (Saxena & Jain, 2012). Furthermore, Gen Y brings a more impressive array of academic credentials than their predecessors.

Most important is Gen Y’ s ability to deal better with market change— which inevitably affects organizational change. That is, the digital world market will constantly require changes in organizational structure to accommodate its consumer needs. A major reason for Gen Y’ s willingness to change is its natural alignment with a company’ s customers. Swadzba (2010) posits that we are approaching the end of what he called the “ work era” and moving into a new age based on consumption. Millennials are more apt to see the value of their jobs from their own consumption needs. Thus, they see employment as an act of consumption (Jonas & Kortenius, 2014). Gen Y employees therefore allow employers to acquire the necessary talent that can lead to better consumer reputation, reduced turnover of resources and, ulti- mately, increased customer satisfaction (Bakanauskiené et al., 2011). Yet another advantage of Gen Y employees is their ability to transform organizations that operate on a departmental basis into one that is based more on function; an essential requirement in a digital economy.

Integration of Gen Y with Baby Boomers and Gen X

The prediction is that 76 million baby boomers (born 1946– 1964) and Gen X workers (born 1965– 1984) will be retiring over the next 15 years. The question for many corporate talent executives is how to manage the transition in a major multigenerational workforce. Baby boomers alone still inhabit the most powerful leadership positions in the world. Currently, the average age of CEOs is 56, and 65% of all corporate leaders are baby boomers. Essentially, corporations need to produce career paths that will be attractive to millennials. Thus, the older generation needs to

• Acknowledge some of their preconceived perceptions of cur- rent work ethics that are simply not relevant in today’ s com- plex environments.

• Allow Gen Y to escalate in ranks to satisfy their ambitions and sense of entitlement.

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• Implement more flexible work schedules, offer telecommut- ing, and develop a stronger focus on social responsibility.

• Support more advanced uses of technology, especially those used by Gen Yers in their personal lives.

• Employ more mentors to help Gen Y employees to better understand the reasons for existing constraints in the organi- zations where they work.

• Provide more complex employee orientations, more timely personnel reviews, and in general more frequent feedback needed by Gen Y individuals.

• Establish programs that improve the verbal communications skills of Gen Y workers that are typically more comfortable with nonverbal text-based methods of communication.

• Implement more continual learning and rotational programs that support a vertical growth path for younger employees.

In summary, it is up to the baby boomer and Gen X leaders to modify their styles of management to fit the needs of their younger Gen Y employees. The challenge to accomplish this objective is com- plicated, given the wide variances on how these three generations think, plan, take risks, and most important, learn.

Designing the Digital Enterprise

Zogby completed an interactive poll of 4,811 people on perceptions of different generations. 42% of the respondents stated that baby boomers would be remembered for their focus on consumerism and self-indulgence. Gen Y, on the other hand, are considered more self- interested, entitled narcissists who want to spend all their time post- ing “ selfies” to Facebook. However, other facts offer an expanded perception of these two generations, as shown in Table 11.1

Research completed by Ernst and Young (2013) offers additional comparisons among the three generations as follows:

1. Gen Y individuals are moving into management positions faster due to retirements, lack of corporate succession plan- ning, and their natural ability to use technology at work. Table 11.2 shows percentage comparisons between 2008 and 2013.

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The acceleration of growth to management positions among Gen Y individuals can be further illuminated in Table 11.3 by comparing the prior five-year period from 2003 to 2007.

2. While responders of the survey felt Gen X were better equipped to manage than Gen Y, the number of Gen Y man- agers is expected to double by 2020 due to continued retire- ments. Another interesting result of the research relates to Gen Y expectations from their employers when they become managers. Specifically Gen Y managers expect (1) an oppor- tunity to have a mentor, (2) to receive sponsorship, (3) to have more career-related experiences, and (4) to receive training to build their professional skills.

3. Seventy-five percent of respondents that identified themselves as managers agree that managing the multiple generations is a significant challenge. This was attributed to different work expectations and the lack of comfort with younger employees managing older employees.

Table 11.4 provides additional differences among the three generations:

Table 11.1 Baby Boomers versus Gen Y

BABY BOOMERS GEN Y

Married later and less children Not as aligned to political parties Spend lavishly More civically engaged More active and selfless Socially active Fought against social injustice, supported civil

rights, and defied the Vietnam War Cheerfully optimistic

Had more higher education access More concerned with quality of life than material gain

Table 11.2 Management Roles 2008– 2013

Baby boomer (ages 49– 67) 19% Gen X (ages 33– 48) 38% Gen Y (18– 32) 87%

Table 11.3 Management Roles 2003– 2007

Baby boomer (ages 49– 67) 23% Gen X (ages 33– 48) 30% Gen Y (18– 32) 12%

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Assimilating Gen Y Talent from Underserved and Socially Excluded Populations

The outsourcing of jobs outside of local communities to countries with lower employment costs has continued to grow during the early part of the twenty-first century. This phenomenon has led to significant social and economic problems, especially in the United States and in Western Europe as jobs continue to migrate to foreign countries where there are lower labor costs and education systems that provide

Table 11.4 Baby Boomer, Gen X and Gen Y Compared

BABY BOOMERS GEN X GEN Y

Seek employment in large established companies that provide dependable employment.

Established companies no longer a guarantee for lifetime employment. Many jobs begin to go offshore.

Seek multiple experiences with heavy emphasis on social good and global experiences. Re-evaluation of offshoring strategies.

Process of promotion is well defined, hierarchical and structured, eventually leading to promotion and higher earnings—concept of waiting your turn.

Process of promotion still hierarchical, but based more on skills and individual accomplishments. Master’s degree now preferred for many promotions.

Less patience with hierarchical promotion policies. More reliance on predictive analytics as the basis for decision making.

Undergraduate degree preferred but not mandatory.

Undergraduate degree required for most professional job opportunities.

More focus on specific skills. Multiple strategies developed on how to meet shortages of talent. Higher education is expensive and concerns increase about the value of graduate knowledge and abilities.

Plan career preferably with one company and retire. Acceptance of a gradual process of growth that was slow to change. Successful employees assimilated into existing organizational structures by following the rules.

Employees begin to change jobs more often, given growth in the technology industry, and opportunities to increase compensation and accelerate promotion by switching jobs.

Emergence of a “gig” economy, and the rise of multiple employment relationships

Entrepreneurism was seen as an external option for those individuals desiring wealth and independence and willing to take risks.

Corporate executives’ compensation dramatically increases, no longer requiring starting businesses as the basis for wealth.

Entrepreneurism promoted in Higher Education as the basis for economic growth, given the loss of jobs in the U.S.

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more of the skills needed by corporations. Most impacted by the loss of jobs have been the underserved or socially excluded Gen Y youth populations. Indeed, the European average for young adult unem- ployment (aged 15– 25) in 2013 was nearly 25%, almost twice the rate for their adult counterparts (Dolado, 2015). Much of the loss of local jobs can be attributed to expansion of the globalized economy, which has been accelerated by continued technological advancements (Wabike, 2014). Thus, the effects of technology gains have negatively impacted efforts toward social inclusion and social equality.

Langer, in 2003, established an organization called Workforce Opportunity Services (WOS), as a means of utilizing a form of action research using adult development theory to solve employment problems caused by outsourcing. Langer’ s approach is based on the belief that socially excluded youth can be trained and prepared for jobs in areas such as information technology that would typically be outsourced to lower labor markets. WOS has developed a talent-finding model that has suc- cessfully placed over 1400 young individuals in such jobs. Results of over 12 years of operation and research have shown that talented youth in disadvantaged communities do exist and that such talent can economi- cally and socially contribute to companies (Langer, 2013). The following section describes the Langer Workforce Maturity Arc (LWMA), pres- ents data on its effectiveness as a transformative learning instrument, and discusses how the model can be used as an effective way of recruit- ing Gen Y talent from underserved and socially excluded populations.

Langer Workforce Maturity Arc

The Langer Workforce Maturity Arc (LWMA) was developed to help evaluate socially excluded youth preparation to succeed in the workplace. The LWMA, initially known as the Inner-City Workplace Literacy Arc:

charts the progression of underserved or ‘ excluded’ individuals along defined stages of development in workplace culture and skills in relation to multiple dimensions of workplace literacy such as cognitive growth and self-reflection. When one is mapped in relation to the other (work- place culture in relation to stages of literacy assimilation), an Arc is created. LWMA traces the assimilation of workplace norms, a form of individual development. (Langer, 2003: 18)

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The LWMA addresses one of the major challenges confronting an organization’ s HR group: to find talent from diverse local populations that can successfully respond to evolving business norms, especially those related to electronic and digital technologies. The LWMA provides a method for measuring the assimilation of workplace cultural norms and thus, can be used to meet the mounting demands of an increasingly global, dynamic, and multicultural workplace. Furthermore, if organi- zations are to attain acceptable quality of work from diverse employees, assimilation of socially or economically excluded populations must be evaluated based on (1) if and how individuals adopt workplace cultural norms, and (2) how they become integrated into the business (Langer, 2003). Understanding the relationship between workplace assimila- tion and its development can provide important information on how to secure the work ethic, dignity, solidarity, culture, cognition, and self-esteem of individuals from disadvantaged communities, and their salient contributions to the digital age.

Theoretical Constructs of the LWMA

The LWMA encompasses sectors of workplace literacy and stages of lit­ eracy development , and the arc charts business acculturation require- ments as they pertain to disadvantaged young adult learners. The relationship between workplace assimilation and literacy is a chal- lenging subject. A specific form of literacy can be defined as a social practice that requires specific skills and knowledge (Rassool, 1999). In this instance, workplace literacy addresses the effects of workplace practices and culture on the social experiences of people in their work- day, as well as their everyday lives. We need to better understand how individual literacy in the workplace, which subordinates individuality to the demands of an organization, is formulated for diverse groups (Newman, 1999). Most important, are the ways in which one learns how to behave effectively in the workplace— the knowledge, skill, and attitude sets required by business generally, as well as by a specific organization. This is particularly important in disadvantaged commu- nities, which are marginalized from the experiences of more affluent communities in terms of access to high-quality education, informa- tion technologies, job opportunities, and workplace socialization. For example, Friedman et al. (2014) postulate that the active involvement

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of parents in the lives of their children greatly impacts a student’ s chances of success. It is the absence of this activism that contributes to a system of social exclusion of youth. Prior to determining what directions to pursue in educational pedagogies and infrastructures, it is necessary to understand what workplace literacy requirements are present and how they can be developed for disadvantaged youth in the absence of the active support from families and friends.

The LWMA assesses individual development in six distinct sectors of workplace literacy:

1. Cognition : Knowledge and skills required to learn and com- plete job duties in the business world, including computational skills; ability to read, comprehend, and retain written infor- mation quickly; remembering and executing oral instructions; and critically examining data.

2. Technology : An aptitude for operating various electronic and digital technologies.

3. Business culture : Knowledge and practice of proper etiquette in the workplace including dress codes, telephone and in-per- son interactions, punctuality, completing work and meeting deadlines, conflict resolution, deference and other protocols associated with supervisors and hierarchies.

4. Socio­economic values : Ability to articulate and act upon main- stream business values, which shape the work ethic. Such val- ues include independent initiative, dedication, integrity, and personal identification with career goals. Values are associated with a person’ s appreciation for intellectual life, cultural sen- sitivity to others, and sensitivity for how others view their role in the workplace. Individuals understand that they should make decisions based on principles and evidence rather than personal interests.

5. Community and ethnic solidarity : Commitment to the educa- tion and professional advancement of persons in ethnic minor- ity groups and underserved communities. Individuals can use their ethnicity to explore the liberating capacities offered in the workplace without sacrificing their identity (i.e., they can assimilate workplace norms without abandoning cultural, ethnic, or self-defining principles and beliefs).

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6. Self­esteem : The view that personal and professional success work in tandem, and the belief in one’ s capacity to succeed in both arenas. This includes a devotion to learning and self- improvement. Individuals with high self-esteem are reflective about themselves and their potential in business. They accept the realities of the business world in which they work and can comfortably confirm their business disposition, indepen- dently of others’ valuations.

Each stage in the course of an individual’ s workplace development reflects an underlying principle that guides the process of adopting workplace norms and behavior. The LWMA is a classificatory scheme that identifies progressive stages in the assimilated uses of workplace literacy. It reflects the perspective that an effective workplace partici- pant is able to move through increasingly complex levels of thinking and to develop independence of thought and judgment (Knefelkamp, 1999). The profile of an individual who assimilates workplace norms can be characterized in five developmental stages:

1. Concept recognition : The first stage represents the capacity to learn, conceptualize, and articulate key issues related to the six sectors of workplace literacy. Concept recognition provides the basis for becoming adaptive to all workplace requirements.

2. Multiple workplace perspectives : This refers to the ability to integrate points of view from different colleagues at various levels of the workplace hierarchy. By using multiple perspec- tives, the individual is in a position to augment his or her workplace literacy.

3. Comprehension of business processes : Individuals increase their understanding of workplace cooperation, competition, and advancement as they build on their recognition of busi- ness concepts and workplace perspectives. They increasingly understand the organization as a system of interconnected parts.

4. Workplace competence : As assimilation and competence increase, the individual learns not only on how to perform a particu- lar job adequately but how to conduct oneself professionally within the workplace and larger business environment.

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5. Professional independence : Individuals demonstrate the ability to employ all sectors of workplace literacy to compete effec- tively in corporate labor markets. They obtain more respon- sible jobs through successful interviewing and workplace performance and demonstrate leadership abilities, leading to greater independence in career pursuits. Professionally inde- pendent individuals are motivated and can use their skills for creative purposes (Langer, 2009).

The LWMA is a rubric that charts an individual’ s development across the six sectors of workplace literacy. Each cell within the matrix represents a particular stage of development relative to that sector of workplace literacy, and each cell contains definitions that can be used to identify where a particular individual stands in his or her develop- ment of workplace literacy.

The LWMA and Action Research

While the LWMA serves as a framework for measuring growth, the model also uses reflection-with-action methods, a component of action research theory, as the primary vehicle for assisting young adults to develop the necessary labor market skills to compete for a job and inevitably achieve some level of professional independence (that is, the ability to work for many employers because of achiev- ing required market skills). Reflection-with-action is used as a rubric

STAGES OF WORKPLACE LITERACY

SECTORS OF WORKPLACE LITERACY

CONCEPT RECOGNITION

MULTIPLE WORKPLACE

PERSPECTIVES

COMPREHENSION OF BUSINESS PROCESSES

WORKPLACE COMPETENCE

PROFESSIONAL INDEPENDENCE

Cognition

Technology

Business Culture

Socio- Economic Values

Community and Ethnic Solidarity

Self-Esteem

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for a variety of methods, involving reflection in relation to learning activities. Reflection has received a number of definitions from differ- ent sources in the literature. Here, “ reflection-with-action” carries the resonance of Schö n’ s (1983) twin constructs: “ reflection-on-action” and “ reflection-in-action,” which emphasize (respectively) reflec- tion in retrospect and reflection to determine what actions to take in the present or immediate future (Langer, 2003). Dewey (1933) and Hullfish and Smith (1978) also suggest that the use of reflection sup- ports an implied purpose. Their formulation suggests the possibility of reflection that is future oriented; what we might call “ reflection-to- action.” These are methodological orientations covered by the rubric.

Reflection-with-action is critical to the educational and workplace assimilation process of Gen Y. While many people reflect, it is in being reflective that people bring about “ an orientation to their every- day lives” (Moon, 2000). The LWMA incorporates reflection-with- action methods as fundamental strategies for facilitating development and assimilation. These methods are also implemented interactively, for example in mentoring, reflective learning journals, and group dis- cussions. Indeed, as stated by De Jong (2014), “ Social exclusion is multi-dimensional, ranging from unemployment, barriers to educa- tion and health care, and marginalized living circumstances” (p. 94). Ultimately, teaching socially excluded youth to reflect-with-action is the practice that will help them mature across the LWMA stages and inevitably, achieve levels of inclusion in the labor market and in citizenship.

Implications for New Pathways for Digital Talent

The salient implications of the LWMA, as a method of discover- ing and managing disadvantaged Gen Y youth in communities, can be categorized across three frames: demographic shifts in talent resources, economic sustainability and integration and trust among vested local interest groups.

Demographic Shifts in Talent Resources

The LWMA can be used as a predictive analytic tool for capturing and cultivating the abilities in the new generation of digital natives

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from disadvantaged local communities. This young talent has the advantage of more exposure to technologies, which senior workers had to learn later in their careers. This puts them ahead of the curve with respect to basic digital skills. Having the capacity to employ tal- ent locally and provide incentives for these individuals to advance can alleviate the significant strain placed on firms who suffer from high turnover in outsourced positions. Investing in viable Gen Y under- served youth can help firms close the skills gap that is prevalent in the emerging labor force.

Economic Sustainability

As globalization ebbs and flows, cities need to establish themselves as global centers, careful not to slip into market obsolescence, espe- cially when facing difficulties in labor force supply chains. In order to alleviate the difficulty in supplying industry-ready professionals to a city only recently maturing into the IT-centric business world, firms need to adapt to an “ on-demand” gig approach. The value drawn from this paradigm lies in its cyclical nature. By obtaining localized human capital at a lower cost, firms can generate a fundable supply chain of talent and diversity as markets change over time.

Integration and Trust

Porter and Kramer (2011) postulate that companies need to formulate a new method of integrating business profits and societal responsi- bilities. They state, “ the solution lies in the principle of shared value, which involves creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges” (p. 64). Porter and Kramer suggest that companies need to alter corporate performance to include social progress. The LWMA provides the mechanism, the- ory, and measurement that is consistent with this direction and pro- vides the vehicle that establishes a shared partnership of trust among business, education, and community needs. Each of the interested parties experiences progress toward its financial and social objectives. Specifically, companies are able to attract diverse and socially excluded local talent, and have the constituents trained specifically for its needs and for an economic return that fits its corporate models. As a result,

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the community adds jobs, which reduces crime rates and increases tax revenue. The funding corporation then establishes an ecosystem that provides a shared value of performance that underserved and excluded youth bring to the business.

Global Implications for Sources of Talent

The increasing social exclusion of Gen Y youth is a growing prob- lem in almost every country. Questions remain about how to establish systemic solutions that can create sustainable and scalable programs that provide equity in access to education for this population. This access to education is undoubtedly increasing employability, which indirectly contributes to better citizenship for underserved youth. Indeed, there is a widening gap between the “ haves” and the “ have- nots” throughout the world. Firms can use tools like the LWMA to provide a model that can improve educational attainment of under- served youth by establishing skill-based certificates with universities, coupled with a different employment-to-hire model. The results have shown that students accelerate in these types of programs and ulti- mately, find more success in labor market assimilation. The data sug- gests that traditional degree programs that require full-time study at university as the primary preparation for labor market employment may not be the most appropriate approach to solving the growing social inequality issue among youth.

Conclusion

This chapter has made the argument that Gen Y employees are “ digi- tal natives” who have the attributes to assist companies to transform their workforce and meet the accelerated change in the competitive landscape. Organizations today need to adapt their staff to operate under the auspices of ROD by creating processes that can determine the strategic value of new emerging technologies and establish a cul- ture that is more “ change ready.” Most executives across industries recognize that digital technologies are the most powerful variable to maintaining and expanding company markets.

Gen Y employees provide a natural fit for dealing with emerg- ing digital technologies. However, success with integrating Gen Y

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employees is contingent upon baby boomer and Gen X manage- ment adapting new leadership philosophies and procedures that are suited to meet the expectations and needs of millennials. Ignoring the unique needs of Gen Y employees will likely result in an incongruent organization that suffers high turnover of young employees who will ultimately seek a more entrepreneurial environment. Firms should consider investing in non-traditional Gen Y youth from underserved and socially excluded populations as alternate sources of talent.