By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN
In the 1960s, there was a song recorded by the group Buffalo Springfield that included the lyrics “There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear” . I was reminded of this song recently because many leaders share this sentiment today as they look at their workforce. Over the past three months, nurse leaders have begun to tell me that turnover is on the increase – even in the best organizations. After years of having a fairly stable nursing workforce with low turnover, the situation is changing. Baby boomer nurses are now beginning to retire in larger numbers. As a generational cohort, their careers were fairly stable and they rarely left an employer even if they were dissatisfied in their jobs. In their place, Generation Y nurses are being hired with very different ideas about career progression and organizational loyalty. By 2020, over 50% of the nursing workforce will be Generation Y nurses and their numbers will continue to increase over the next decade. Leaders cannot count on retaining this generation of staff without eliminating some experience biases and customizing their management to their needs.
What Generation Y Seeks in their Work
The current research about Generation Y and their ideas about career provides the following guidance:
1. Generation seeks meaning in their work.
This is good news for healthcare organizations because the work is meaningful. The flip side of this though is that Generation Y expects their leaders and organizations to “walk the talk” of this meaning. This means that if a healthcare organization purports to be patient-centered then this value must be lived in the work and decisions made by the leadership. They certainly aren’t shy about discussing employers online and their comments won’t always be positive. If they have an issue they won’t hold back on social media as evidenced by conversations on sites like www.glassdoor.com.
2. Generation Y seeks work-life balance.
Generation Y has two compelling differences in behavior from the generations who preceded them. The first is their incorporation of technology as a “sixth sense” and a means of interacting with the world. The second is their expectation of organizational accommodation that is outgrowth of how they were parented and treated throughout their education. It is this second expectation that has proven challenging to nurse leaders who have become accustomed to the Baby Boomer who were willing to sacrifice work-life balance in their careers. While manageable workloads, nurse-patient ratios and workplace recognition are key concerns across generations, Gen Y nurses are more likely to seek other employment opportunities if their expectations are not met. Flexibility in scheduling is a must and their may be new strategies needed such as bidding on shifts to fill in gaps in the schedule.
3. Generation Y wants career development.
Generation Y expect more coaching and regular feedback than any other generation in the workplace. They are optimistic and goal-oriented but want structure, guidance and an extensive orientation in today’s chaotic health care environment. Generation Y is also very interested in career development. They don’t necessarily value long-term employment in organizations but rather seek to develop their competencies so they are ready for the next step. Leaders need to understand that traditional ideas about career progression and the career ladder will not work with this generation. When a Generation Y employee feels ready to move to the next level – they will either do it within your organization or move outside if necessary.
4. Generation Y values civic involvement.
Civic and community involvement are important to Generation Y staff. They have been noted to be both charitable in giving and keen to participate in civic life. As staff, they value opportunities to play key roles in organizational initiatives such as a United Way drive or a heart walk. They seek employers who participate in their community in an active way.
Currently, 17.3% of new graduates leave their first job within the first year and more than 50% had left their employers within six and a half years. In spite of this higher job turnover, Generation Y is optimistic about nursing and may leave employers but not the profession. In a recent nationwide study conducted , this age group was the most likely to recommend nursing as a career. When satisfied with their jobs, they have been noted to have greater organizational commitment than either Generation X or the Baby Boomers but are also more likely to monitor and consider employment opportunities in other settings. Wise nurse leaders will recognize that there is no opting out from managing this generation and at 80 million strong as a cohort – they are our future.
Read to Lead
AMN Healthcare. 2013 Survey of Registered Nurses. Available at http://www.amnhealthcare.com/uploadedFiles/MainSite/Content/Healthcare_Industry_Insights/Industry_Research/2013_RNSurvey.pdf
American Hospital Association (January 2014). Managing an Intergenerational Workforce: Strategies for Health Care Transformation. Available at http://www.aha.org/about/cpi/managing-intergenerational-workforce.shtml
Deloitte Millennial Survey (January 2014). Big Demands and High Expectations: What Generation Y wants from Business, Government and the Workplace. Available at http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_NZ/nz/news-room/7a23840dda1b3410VgnVCM2000003356f70aRCRD.htm
© emergingrnleader.com 2014
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