Why should I have to make special exceptions to engage the Gen Y workforce?

Actually, you don't have to, anymore than you might accommodate the needs of those over 50, or those with children, and so on. The research on generations is actually interesting, because it turns out that 18 year olds now aren't that different from those who were 18 years old twenty years ago (see Foot, Boom Bust Echo).

Stereotyping is ALWAYS dangerous and counter-productive and ALWAYS wrong. Individual differences between people from the same "generation", are almost always greater than the difference between age cohort groups.

My management advice? Forget about generations, and start thinking about individuals and understanding each person as a fairly unique person.

I may be the black-sheep out here but I would encourage you to see the Gen-Y "issues" as a general trend affecting all generations not just the 20-somethings. Like every generation, the younger people are more aware of the shifts and likewise more reactionary to it. However, I have seen the Gen-Y mindset in every generation.

We handle cross-industry and cross-role technical executive search and HR consulting, so monthly we deal with mid-late 20s and 60+ers. Without a doubt the entire culture is shifting.

Whether you are in your 20s or 50s, people are very worried. They are worried that their companies are no longer stable or can offer them long-term employment. Most employers are likewise cutting back their benefits yet still requiring the same dedication from their employees, the same outdated systems and the same mindless commitment to fixed schedules and working arrangements. I have had 50+ life-time employees tell me they felt cheated by their companies because they dedicated their lives to helping the company grow and were then given the pink-slip when the company didn't adapt in line with the market. Not just young people, everyone wants a better work-life balance and true career accomplishment.

I would agree with some of the points raised above, many issues can be solved by more careful hiring and development of potential employees. But if your company truly wants to tap into the new-technology trends and develop within the new employment market, you will need to look long and hard in the mirror at your own company and whether it offers all employees the opportunities to be champions of their own careers.

No you shouldn't single out Gen-Yers for special treatment, but you would be foolish to not offer those same opportunities Gen-Yers are asking for to your entire company. You may be surprised by what that 45-year-old Executive Secretary really thinks about your company.

I believe we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in how businesses think about the day to day lives of employees in an ever evolving professional landscape. Accommodating Millennials (another term for Gen Y) isn’t a reaction to one new 25 year old employee, but a reaction to an overall change in industry. The US has been on a steady move away from traditional goods and services production to the production of thought in a digital age. With the change in industry comes the change in workplace lifestyle; social media as a tool, digital networking as a tool, blogging as a tool. I believe that often times, the ‘special treatment’ of Millennials is framed in the wrong context; the manufacturing intern who wants to use Facebook for social reasons is largely different than an inside sales rep at a progressive technology using Facebook as a tool. I consider the former an example of the desire for special treatment while the latter is an example of the changing business landscape.

When you start to understand the business benefits of Millennials who are well versed and immersed in the social, digital world, the concerns of special treatment start to dissolve. Is there a better, quicker or easier way to market your new product to the masses than to see it posted all over Facebook, regularly tweeted or seen on YouTube?

As has been suggested in several different ways already, it's incredibly important to avoid the temptation to, as my sainted mother used to say, "cut the garment to suit the cloth." It's the job of every potential hire to deliver value to YOUR business, and it is NOT your job to modify the business to accommodate any particular subset or stratum of the workforce. Build a company based on delivering value and demonstrating real values, and those who matter and want to contribute will find and come work for you.

From a management perspective, you need to be explicitly clear regarding what is expected of them.
1. Hours - if you spend the first 30 min of the day catching up on personal email, that doesn't count. Neither does lunch hour. It seems obvious but it's not a given. I've had Gen Y employees book vacations and then ask for the time off after the fact. Business doesn't work the same way as spring break. It's up to you, but I don't want someone to text me (or their coworker friend) to call in sick.
2. What social media is acceptable - chat and FB can and will get out of control if you let it
3. Communication/planning - with Gen Y more than any other age group, you need to outline deliverables, what's expected (sometimes even in what format), and when. Otherwise, the sense of urgency generally isn't inherent. Task lists are good so they know they need to close the loop on action items, email requests, and other deliverables. Somehow, organization and prep can be lacking here. Not sure where it got lost.

A lot of it feels like micromanaging which can be the frustrating part, but if you set the expectations up front, then it gets easier. As far as exceptions go, social media is probably the big one. Chatting has become a business standard, so you may get sucked in as well, so you just need to train your employees when and where it is acceptable to draw the line between personal and professional chats. It can get sticky, so that's where strict deliverables come in - you need to be on top of time management more than ever.

As a Gen-Y, I always find this conversation interesting when it turns down the road of someone saying "there are the 3 things you must do, etc. etc.".

One observation I've made with these conversations is that the term Gen-Y becomes a substitute for young, entry-level professional. Setting expectations, talking about deliverables and processes, etc., etc. should be done for EVERY SINGLE NEW EMPLOYEE! This was happening back when baby-boomers were entering the workforce. Their bosses had to tell them how to do things, why and when it was expected from them...it isn't new.

As far as micromanaging, young people (typically) are more than able to complete tasks without someone looking over their shoulder and holding their hand along the way. But as it is with any new employee, this isn't going to happen on the very first project. Providing your new employees with some responsibility and autonomy will develop a quality employee. This stuff is as much as a generational management issue as it is a workforce development issue.

One thing that should NOT be done in working with Gen-Y employees is to lower established performance standards.

In my experience the net effect of this will be higher employee turnover than we have seen before, but it is unfair to provide special accommodation for new entry level workers at the expense of those who have proven themselves in the past.

Anyone who works with entry level workers these days knows that something has gone very wrong with our educational system, but this doesn't change the economic facts of life including relentless international competition.

Nice Connor (or is it Andrew). It's not about generational issues but where people are in life and the entire environment. At a family gathering with people from 22 yrs to 90yrs, and you'd really be amazed because the similarities among people were far more obvious than the supposed generational differences. At least for most important human issues.