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Leverage Boomers as coaches for new hires in workplace


October 27, 2008   by Canadian Underwriter


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Attraction and retention of the millennial generation should not be the focus of employers, but rather maximizing the potential all of the workers from different generations including Boomers and getting them to work together is the key to successful strategies.
Max Valiquette, president and CEO of the marketing firm Youthography, delivered the message to delegates of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario’s 88th annual convention.
Although generational differences do exist, employers can leverage those differences so as to attract and retain young workers who tend to be much more transitory in their career paths, he said. One example is to use Baby Boomers as coaching figures for young hires.
In a recent survey of 1,200 Canadians aged 13-29, more than 80% of respondents expected to change jobs in less than two years, he noted.
He cited some unique characteristics of the millennial generation. If employers can identify and take advantage of these characteristics, he added, they will have a better chance of hanging on to that new hire.
For example, although the millennial generation is high performing, he said, they are also very high maintenance.
“Frequent feedback is really important to this group, but it’s not what they’ve done well over the past six months, it’s what they’ve done well today,” Valiquette said.
“They tend to be very good team players and they want a coaching environment,” he continued. “They work well with seasoned employees, but it can’t be someone that just flies in and tells them what to do. It’s got to be more on-the-go coaching.”
Extensive mentoring by older workers and a prolonged job orientation are key, he stressed.


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