When was the last time you posted a help wanted sign and a number of suitably qualified individuals lined up to fill out an application? Chances are it’s been a while, especially for solution providers and other IT companies looking for experienced technicians and engineers. The labor force and the processes involved in attracting this pool of new talent have both evolved over the past few years.
Employment specialists often point to work ethic and personal motivation differences between various age groups, as well as the technological and societal advances that influence their career and job preferences. These generation gaps can be hard for employers to manage, especially when their values and habits vary significantly. With baby boomers reaching retirement age, employers should focus more attention on the needs and desires of those in subsequent age groups.
Generation X refers to those born between the early 1960s and the first half of the 1980s, followed directly by Generation Y, aka millennials, which extends to those born prior to the year 2000. They were raised in an era of automation and computer advances, so their comfort with these technologies is often higher than their predecessors. Most attained or will attain a higher level of education than those from previous generations and fewer will have worked a manual labor job.
That means prospective employers will need to be more selective than ever before. According to research by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com, millennials want more for the services they’ll deliver, with younger job applicants looking for stability, above average wages and generous benefits. Of course, economic issues will determine whether they get what they want or have to settle the best position available.
Either way, employers need to understand the drivers and the unique characteristics of the future workforce. Millennials are willing to work hard, but those in the survey indicated they want to move through the ranks quickly if they do. Fifty-one percent of respondents in Robert Half and CareerBuilder’s study reported they only wanted to spend one to two years in entry-level positions before being promoted. These individuals often look for responsibilities that stretch their abilities, advanced training opportunities and tuition reimbursement plans, as well as other activities that will help them strengthen their proficiencies. If a prospective employer can offer some assurances to that effect, assuming performance meets expectations, they stand a greater chance of recruiting and retaining Generation Y candidates.
These are just a few of the issues being addressed by an initiative of the Canadian members of the CompTIA IT Services and Support community. The group is exploring a number of concerns and best practices related to employee recruiting and retention, focusing much of its efforts on Gen X and Y employees. Based on interviews with several successful solution providers well versed in the latest hiring procedures, they are in the final stages of developing a white paper with a variety of best practices that solution providers can use to improve their staffing activities. After finalizing details with the CompTIA content team, they hope to introduce their “Next Generation Workforce” document later this summer.
Would you like more details on this initiative or on other activities of the IT Services and Support Community? Contact Bryan L’Esperance at BLEsperance@comptia.org (Canada) or Cathy Alper at CAlper@comptia.org (U.S.).
Brian Sherman is founder of Tech Success Communications, specializing in editorial content and consulting for the IT channel. His previous roles include chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@techsuccesscommunications.com.
