“Generation Y” in the IT field

Generation Y includes people born between 1981 and 1996, the generation between X and Z. Each generation presents differences from the others, especially in their ways of understanding the world and work, differences that have an impact on companies.

What are the expectations of ‘Generation Y’ employees towards their work? Are there any differences with other generation’s expectations? What impact do these differences have on their commitment to the company? How can the commitment to the company be improved? These questions were the starting point for the Webinar The challenge of managing the expectations of “Generation Y” employees in the IT field, which took place last Thursday with InnoiIT Consulting, Linkedin, and TBS in Barcelona.

The event featured the experience of 5 speakers: Marieta Ramos, Head of It at Boehringer Ingelheim Spain, Andres Spitzer, Software Engineering Director of Europcar Mobility Group & CTO at Ubeeqo, Gianluca Rosania, Global Recruitment Lead Glovo, Co-Founder Livt, and Alvaro Moya, Experienced CTO, founder of Lidr. The webinar also featured Başak Canboy, professor and researcher at TBS, as moderator of the debate and Jérome Girard, Business Director of InnoIT, as moderator of the chat.

What characterizes Generation Y most, according to the speakers, is their commitment to the projects that excite them, accompanied by a general lack of attachment to companies. They also highlighted the value they place on flexibility and freedom, over and above security or stability, as they move much more than previous generations. “They want to know what they are going to learn, what autonomy they are going to have, and if you don’t have a project that appeals to them, it’s very difficult to keep them in the company,” explained Marieta Ramos.

Gianluca Rosania pointed out that just as people used to look for one job, now four or five are combined, “all models point to making it easier for companies to hire project workers, rather than having a full-time worker. Álvaro Moya agreed with them and explained that this new work format is becoming more and more common, giving access to a network of global talent where one has to be able to compete. “It is not so much performance that has an impact, but rather how difficult it is to retain people,” highlighted Andres Spitzer, also pointing out the need to be competitive in terms of salary.

Something that Generation Y also values highly is that your project has a real and visible impact. “You need a purpose beyond yourself, that the project becomes a machine that works,” Álvaro Moya explained that this is the only way to captivate the person. “How to improve the commitment to the company: be transparent and bring the purpose closer to them from the beginning, make them participate in the vision so that they fall in love with the team and the company,” continued. Marieta Ramos also proposed to organize activities outside the company to generate pride of belonging.

Everyone also agreed that another key point in human resources is the figure of the mentor. Andrés Spitzer explained that the figure of the manager “has been transformed into a figure of supervision, but above all of help.”

Regarding the situation caused by the pandemic, the participants asked how the companies had adapted to it. Álvaro Moya highlighted the importance of putting the person at the center and showing genuine concern for them, a relationship that only arises if work has been done previously. “Working remotely is a huge opportunity, it means that we are going to globalize, that we can recruit talent anywhere, although the great challenge is to transform all human interactions,” added Andres Spitzer. Marieta Ramos also highlighted this new global scenario and the need to be competitive, and Gianluca Rosania pointed out the importance of communication and even over-communication in times of crisis such as this.