Canadian Government Executive - Volume 25 - Issue 04

22 / Canadian Government Executive // October/November 2019 By Antoinette Sarpong Millennial Outlook Y ou can feel their presence. They traverse the office like zombies moaning “praise … praise” as they glance from hand-held screens into corner suites with hungry eyes. Here today. Gone tomorrow. They crave authenticity and smell lip service a mile away because they have an app for it. Meet the Millennial. Or the familiar ar- chetype associated with the generation born between 1980 and 1995, according to Environics’s 2017 Canadian Millennials Social Values Study. This group makes up more than a quarter of the Canadian popu- lation. If you haven’t noticed them, you will … because they’re here to stay. In 2016, Statistics Canada found that 36 per cent of Canada’s workforce was over the age of 55 — the highest proportion on record. As the public service braces for a wave of retirements in 2020, its longevity will depend on Millennials. So how does a hiring manager secure top talent from Canada’s most educated talent pool? By understanding that Mil- lennials, like anyone else, value public service features like job mobility, mean- ingful work, and work-life balance. Hir- ing managers can leverage this knowl- edge when they meet prospective hires by offering them greater flexibility in when they work, where they work, and how they contribute. The 2018 Deloitte Millennial Survey re- vealed that, “… highly flexible working ar- rangements enhance degrees of employee loyalty. Not only do Millennials appreciate not being tied to strict hours or locations, they also value the trust their employers demonstrate in granting that flexibility. This may seem counterintuitive to risk- averse public service managers, but stud- ies show that workers respond positively when given the freedom to achieve clearly defined deliverables how they see fit—a balance between managerial oversight and staff autonomy. Among Millennials who intend to stay with their current employer for at least five years, 55 per cent say there is more flexibility now as compared to three years ago.” Many private sector employers even consider work-life balance when they design work spaces. They think beyond open concept, a trend that Harvard re- searchers say has ironically contributed to 70 per cent less face time. Deloitte avoids this issue in Toronto with, “… 18 different types of workspaces to allow employees to match their work environment to the task at hand, as well as dedicated areas for client use, and a well- ness centre focused on physical and men- tal wellbeing.” By encouraging agile work spaces, Deloitte has given its employees the power of choice. A six-floor open stair- case also stresses social interaction rather than hierarchy—something that crowd- funding, ridesharing Millennials increas- ingly dismiss. The Public Service of Canada acknowl- edges this change in Blueprint 2020, a plan to drive change and spur innovation. When it comes to implementing these changes, getting back to basics offers the largest incentive for Canada’s youngest public servants. Driver’s Ed. for motivating Millennials The Four-Drive Theory of Motivation de- scribes the main motivators for employees: • Drive A: acquire and achieve; • Drive B: bond and belong; • Drive C: be challenged and compre- hend; and • Drive D: define and defend. Organizational research shows that Mil- lennials want to satisfy all four drives in the workplace. Public managers must take this into consideration when implement- ing change. Millennials need to know that they are valued and that employers will invest in them and give them opportunities to grow. These are the hallmarks of Drives B and C, tangibly reinforced in the public service through organizational structure and culture. Generation Y (born 1980-1995) doesn’t want to sit back and quietly pay their dues when they have good ideas to contribute now. Right now. Think globally, act locally Since Millennials will make up 35 per cent of the global workforce by 2020, public service leaders are going to need Genera- tion Y to thrive in a global economy. Fortunately, the key to Millennial reten- tion transcends borders. It’s simply about management supporting the four drives that motivate employees and, by exten- sion, offering more flexibility that shifts organizational culture. Organizations that do this will attract future thought leaders while ensuring that the brightest young minds stay in the public service once they get there. Antoinette Sarpong is a Toronto-based communications consultant caught between the millennial/generation-x cusp. She is a candidate for the master of public policy, administration and law at York University (toinest1@yorku.ca) . Let’s get physical The public sector needs to be nimble to woo tomorrow’s top talent.