Boy, here’s the look of three young people that are just thrilled to be working!
I know the photo is a bit dramatic, but it does raise an important issue, that being the level of employee engagement of the younger generation. After careful statistical analysis of over 300,000 employee engagement surveys we can report that employee engagement does vary by age. In fact, our studies clearly show that older employees are generally more engaged than younger employees. There are, of course, exceptions to this statement, but the general rule holds true.
Is this the fault of the younger generation? Are they simply not as motivated as Boomers like me? I think not. I believe the responsibility for those gaps lies, in great part, at the feet of management. Many organizations have yet to figure out how to more effectively engage younger workers. I’m convinced this most recent generation to join the workforce is very motivated– we just need to figure out how we can motivate them when they come to work. Remember, engagement is what leaders do to create an environment that is conducive to:
- people feeling energized for what they do,
- makes them want to go the extra mile, and
- keeps them from looking for other employment.
Employee engagement, then, is something we as leaders can largely control. It is our charge to create the conditions necessary to engage all employees, young and old alike– even more important now as we face this difficult economic times.
(This is the first in a series I am calling “Funny Photos”. Our topic will remain earnest, but the photo, I hope, will bring a smile. We can and should take this work seriously, but we don’t have to always take ourselves seriously, right? Enjoy your weekend.)
Mark Hirschfeld 
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