WhY Gen Y: Millennials Outside the Walls of Nationwide Presented by Crystal Olig November 20, 2014

Introductions Crystal Olig Interactive Director, Upward Brand Interactions & Oxiem

Digital Marketer, Dog Lover, Husker Fan, Mommy, Nationwide Wife

crystal@oxiem.com

@sparklegem on Twitter

Linked In: Linkedin.com/in/crystalolig

Instagram: Instagram.com/sparklegem

Past Related Speaking Engagements •  Phoenix Public Relations Society of America, “What’s Next” •  Denison University, “GenYers Who Get It” •  Columbus Young Professionals Conference, “Personal Branding for

Gen Y” •  Entrepreneurship Education Forum, “Teaching Entrepreneurship to a

Digital Generation” •  Ohio Growth Summit, “Understanding the Natives, Looking at the

Web from a Gen Y Lens” •  Private presentations for Colliers International, MT Business

Technologies, others

Better Brand Building On The Rise Upward Brand Interactions helps elevate brands in

traditional and digital marketing environments. We

bring together the experience and capabilities of

Oxiem Interactive, Hafenbrack Marketing + Public

Relations and Genessa Health Marketing.

Overview •  Introduction to my interest in Gen Y: It's not "them" it's "us.” •  Millennial demographics 101 •  Three generations in the workplace: Gen Y, X, Boomers •  Older vs. younger Millennials •  Typical Gen Y stereotypes and issues - Bruce Tulgan's myths & the

real scoop •  Beating the entitlement label •  Tips for managers of Gen Y •  Traits of leadership in Gen Y's world

How Millennial Are You? Take the quiz: http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/how-millennial-are-you/ I am…. •  connected professionally to more than 500 people on LinkedIn •  more likely to have your email than your phone number •  friends with more than 800 people on Facebook •  a second language speaker •  a college graduate •  six jobs into my career •  a laid off worker •  a digital native

Age Demographics at Work in 2014 Gen Y adults, ages 18 – 35 76.6 Million Americans Gen Xers, ages 36 – 48 54.0 Million Americans Baby Boomers, ages 49 – 67 75.6 Million Americans Silent & Greatest Generations, ages 68+ 39.9 Million Americans

Gen Y Millennials

Echo Boomers Boomerang Generation

Trophy Kids with Helicopter Parents

Millennial Moments •  Grew up in boom times, GDP

growth and unlimited credit •  “Digital natives” – technology,

technology, technology •  Recession affected early careers

and shaped outlook on work, finances •  Approach to adulthood, milestones

not the same •  Post 9-11, Afghanistan & Iraq wars •  Education debt

Millennials by the Numbers •  38% have tattoos •  75% have a social profile •  50% favor gay marriage •  64% believe in God •  37% are unemployed or out of the

labor force •  41% have a full time job •  1/3 are receiving financial

assistance from their families •  13% of 22-to-29 year olds have

moved in with their parents after living on their own

Study of 50 million Miillenials 18 or older by the Pew Research Center in 2010  

“On the one hand, they are narcissistic, self-entitled, impatient, stressed and suffering from extreme moral relativism; on the other

hand, they’re multicultural, tolerant, entrepreneurial, globally engaged and persistently optimistic.”

Marketing to the Millennial Hero – In the Cereal Aisle and Beyond Nita Rollins, Ph.D. , Sep. 15, 2014

Gen Ys Care About •  52% say being a good parent is a priority •  30% prioritize having a successful marriage •  21% care about helping others in need •  20% want to own a home •  15% want to live a very religious life •  15% care about a high-paying career •  9% want lots of free time •  1% want to become famous

 Pew Research Center, 2010  

Three Generations at Work

Three Generations at Work

Gen X

Boomers

Gen Y

Older Gen Ys •  Older Gen Ys….

•  … are in their early 30s •  … are married •  … some have children •  … are in middle management •  … manage people who are younger •  … manage people who are older •  …. are perceived to be unpolished &

entitled

 “When we think about Millennials, most people talk about ‘when they grow up,’ but what they miss is that it already happened for a lot of them—just not in the way that “growing up” looked in the past.” Patrick Spenner, “Inside the Millennial Mind: The Do's & Don'ts of Marketing to this Powerful Generation”  

Older Gen Ys •  Reverse ageism struggles…

•  Seeing age first, not experience in role •  “Dang son, I thought you’d be older…” •  “Do you even know what a fax

machine is?” •  “How long have you been doing this? I

need to talk to someone experienced.” •  Struggle to have voices heard without

the “gray hair” to back it up

 “87% of Gen Y managers in the EY survey took on a new management role between 2008 and 2013, compared with 38% of Gen X managers and just 19% of those aging baby boomer managers.” “Gen Y managers perceived as entitled, unpolished” in USA Today  

“Gotta keep learning. Gotta keep moving. All the stuff you’ve forgotten, I’ll never have to know. Half the stuff you remember, I’ll

never have to know. That just means I’m way past halfway to catching up to you.

It’s the obsolescence curve getting steeper and steeper.

It makes it a whole lot easier for a guy my age to catch up to the more experienced people.”

Not Everyone Gets a Trophy:

How to Manage Gen Y by Bruce Tulgan

Typical Gen Y Issues & the Real Scoop Myths: •  Gen Yers are disloyal •  We won’t do the grunt work •  We don’t know much and

have short attention spans

The Scoop: •  Work is transactional – we

don’t trust the system •  We want credit for the work

we do •  Expectations for knowledge

bases has changed

 Adapted from “Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Gen Y” by Bruce Tulgan  

Typical Gen Y Issues & the Real Scoop Myths: •  We need work to be fun •  We want to be left alone •  We want managers to do

our work for us •  We want to learn only from

computers

The Scoop: •  It’s not fun, it’s engagement •  Authority to manage selves,

with feedback & mentorship •  Want managers to teach us

how to do work well, fast •  Only what’s easy to learn

from computers – need the human element too

 Adapted from “Not Everyone Gets a Trophy” by Bruce Tulgan  

Typical Gen Y Issues & the Real Scoop Myths: •  We want the top job day 1 •  Career ladder what?! •  Money and benefits don’t

matter •  Money is the only thing that

matters to us

The Scoop:

•  Just want to make an impact and hit the ground running •  Our career paths will be

erratic and eclectic but still progressive & developmental •  We are savvy enough to

compare •  We want to know how to

earn more

 Adapted from “Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Gen Y” by Bruce Tulgan  

Typical Gen Y Issues & the Real Scoop Myths: •  We don’t respect our elders •  It’s impossible to turn us

into long-term employees •  Gen Yers are too self-

focused to be good managers

The Scoop: •  Mutual respect is crucial •  One day at a time •  Just need to learn the

basics & then practice

 Adapted from “Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Gen Y” by Bruce Tulgan  

“The good news is that Gen Y members are perceived as tech savvy, and smart about ways to leverage social media. ‘They are also seen as inclusive leaders who display what EY

calls ‘diversity’ skills, or the ability to build culturally competent teams.’

And they come across as enthusiastic and adaptable, qualities that may help them shift gears”

“Gen Y managers perceived as entitled, unpolished” in USA Today

Tips for Managers of Gen Y •  Compliment the person, not the technology •  Capitalize on Gen Y’s adaptability and work shifting •  Don’t use the lens of the past to frame issues •  Reward in-person engagement; discourage distraction •  Understand the idea of an “idea economy” •  Teach context •  Manage actively, consistently •  Focus on relationships •  Adapt communications styles •  Allow flexibility when possible, use other incenting & rewards

Beating the Entitlement Label •  Take the words “should” and “deserve” out of your mindset

and replace it with “earn” •  Compare you to you – not others •  Learn your context – how you dress, how you present ideas,

how you prepare, when you speak up •  Make your managers look good and you’ll be rewarded with

trust, ability to present your own ideas in the future •  Find ways to add value •  There’s no way to cheat experience. Experience implies time. •  It’s not a job, it’s a career •  Adapt to grow

Traits of Leadership in the New Millenium •  Make yourself a source of information •  Expect your ideas to resonate due to merit, not rank •  Get good at following – peers, not just supervisors •  Get good at selling from the inside out •  Be authentic in situations where authenticity is most difficult

 “How to Lead in the New Millennium,” by Penelope Trunk - http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/  

Q/A Time!

Thanks for having me. Keep in touch!

Crystal Olig Interactive Director

Oxiem & Upward Brand Interactions crystal@oxiem.com

Twitter @sparklegem