What the Gen Y
Employees Really Want
FEATURE
By Azizah Ali, Director, Small and Medium Solutions and Partners,
Microsoft Malaysia
Generation Y employees come to interviews and online job applications
with a fresh set of expectations and preferences compared to the
workforce of the past. For many young workers, flexible work conditions,
social computing and the freedom to use personal devices at work can
be more important than salary.
I
n today’s economy, attracting Generation Y (Gen
Y) employees and keeping them is essential
to businesses that want to maintain their
competitive edge. According to financial services
sector body Asian Institute of Finance (AIF) almost
half of Malaysia’s workforce1 falls into the category
of Gen Y, or Millennial Generation.
Gen Y employees place higher value on
their freedom to choose and make use of mobile
technology, access to social media and workplace
flexibility (in terms of mobility) than salary when
evaluating job opportunities. Findings from the Kelly
Global Workforce Index (KGWI) in 2012 displayed
high approval of the personal use of social media
while at work among Malaysian workforce from
Gen Y employees, in comparison to other aging
generations; 56% of Gen Y (aged 19-30)2 believe it
is acceptable to use social media for personal use
while at work, compared with 48% of Gen X (aged
31-48) and 38% of Baby Boomers (aged 49-66).
And the approval numbers are expected to climb
dramatically as Gen X and Baby Boomers start to
retire in years to come.
While some employers may be alarmed by
such expectations, the good news is that technology
enables greater freedom and flexibility in work than
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