Electric Co-op Today

LAS VEGAS—In the 1960s and 70s it was the baby boomers who were out to change the world. Today, it’s a group known as Generation Y that has its elders wondering what to make of it.

Enter the Gen Y expert at Connect.

“Those are the folks born be­tween 1977 and just about 1995,” said Nadira Hira. And since nearly 80 million people fit that demographic, she added, “You’re stuck with us.”

Hira has become something of an authority on Generation Y, having written about it for Fortune magazine.

And at 28, as part of Gen Y, she was at ease speaking about “The Wired Y’ers: Understanding the Social Networking Generation.”

“The most important thing you can do with respect to your young employees is to have a mission,” Hira said.

“It sounds strange because you’re wondering, ‘What does a 22-year-old need to know about my mission? They just need to come to work.’ But this is a generation that wants to be proud of the organizations they work for.”

Hira urged co-ops to clearly highlight “what makes you wonderful.” For Gen Y, that means showing “the extent to which you share the values of this generation: Are you green? Are you diverse? Are you socially responsible?”

And if the answer to any of those questions is no, Hira encouraged telling young prospects, “We’re not where we want to be, but we would love it if you would be a partner with us in achieving those goals.”

Hira also said that Gen Y’ers “crave feedback” and constant communication.

Tags: CONNECT, HR, Social Media