A few years ago, I read Rebecca Ryan’s book, “Live First, Work Second: Getting Inside the Head of the Next Generation.”
This was my first introduction to the concept of “cool” in the workplace. As Ryan writes about the “next generation,” she shares that three out of four Americans under the age of 28 say that a cool community is more important than a good job. Beyond cool communities, young professionals essentially want three places to be cool.
Their first place – where they live.
Their second place – where they work.
Their third place – where they hang out.
Let’s start with their first place:
Thirty plus years ago, when baby boomers purchased their first homes, they purchased a small one or two-bedroom starter home with the idea of eventually upgrading to their bigger, family home.
Today, many Gen Y professionals are looking to settle down into a condo or a loft. Commonly, a small, cool space is more palatable than simply having a larger living space. Renting for a longer period of time is even appealing, in contrast to buying.
For many in Milwaukee, living downtown is cooler than being in the suburbs. Over the past several years, Milwaukee has made great strides toward developing a downtown that is attractive to young adults – the Third Ward, condos, lofts and apartment buildings, fantastic restaurants and bars, the River Walk. These are just a sampling of the things that draw young people to Milwaukee.
Let’s jump to the third place:
This is their hang-out space. Have you walked into Alterra or Stone Creek Coffee or Starbucks during the evenings and week ends? These places are highly populated by young adults. Whether studying or working, Generation Y adults like to settle into an informal, cool looking environment, for hanging out, as well as to get work done. Equally as appealing are the many bars and restaurants throughout Milwaukee…a far cry from what was available ten years ago.
Community developers and business owners of the above-mentioned types of establishments help to ensure the young crowd feels energized by their hanging-out spaces.
Now, back to the second place:
This is where you may come in. YOU are responsible to ensure the “second place” of your “next generation” workforce is appealing to them. The coolness of the workplace environment you create is a key component in your attraction and retention strategies. Let’s see how you’re doing as you look around?
1. Does your location contribute to quality of life? The ability to run out to restaurants, bars, shops and other places appealing to young people – during lunch, breaks and after work – is a positive.
2. Does your location offer easy access to work? It’s a major bonus if young workers can arrive to work by walking or biking, as well as by car.
3. Have you created visually attractive work spaces? Your young employees will form an opinion of the company based upon their personal space. We’ve seen young workers bring their own ergonomic chairs to make their space more inviting. Do things look pretty beige in cubicle world? Where are your opportunities to make a difference? How about some great chairs?
4. Are your walls painted with color? If you’ve got a lot of white paint going on, you might want to look around at some of your counterparts who have discovered that paint is one of the easiest, least expensive ways to warm up the environment.
5. Do you have areas set up for recreation? We’ve seen ping pong, darts, Wii, basketball, pool. While your young professionals need time to conduct individual work, gathering with others is an energizing opportunity.
6. Have you gotten rid of 1980’s furniture? As we walk into conference rooms, we expect to see some of them set up for comfortable conversation and brainstorming. We’ve seen living room furniture, conversation pods, coffee tables, high top tables and stools, walls painted with whiteboard paint (yes, this looks much sleeker than whiteboards)!
7. Have you stocked the cupboards? We have clients who stock snacks, juice, coffee and soda in the kitchen. It’s warm, welcoming and inviting. It says, “Hey, we care about you, make yourselves at home. You’re family here.”
8. Is your personal work technology state of the art? While new technology may not be a direct motivator; outdated technology is definitely a turnoff.
How are you doing? If you haven’t gotten started yet, I encourage you to pull your Gen Y employees together and ask them what types of things would help cool the place up a bit.
