Generation Y. What picture comes to your mind when I use that phrase? Do you have visions of skateboards and laptops dancing in your head? Do you have preconceived notions of what they want, who they are, and how they operate in the marketplace? Whatever your perception of Millennials, you can be sure that they will challenge it.

I’m a part of Generation X – and frankly, for the most part, I like Gen Y. Millennials exude confidence, they understand and demand the need for work-life balance, and they speak their minds. That being said, I decided to sit down with a Millennial, and get the story straight from the generation that has caused such a buzz recently.

This week I had the opportunity to talk with Alec Johns of Absolute Development, a real-estate development company founded by Johns and partner TJ Frank in early 2006. Alec is a great example of Generation Y. He is an entrepreneur, creating his own destiny rather than having dictated for him. He is intelligent, financially savvy, comfortable with technology and not one to be boxed in either intellectually or in business. Alec has his hands in several businesses including a food company, and another company that produces a clinical laser device. Not only that, but he consistently donates time and resources to the non-profit organizations that interest him. He makes ya wanna get off the couch, doesn’t he?

Tabitha: Alec, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. So, tell me a little bit about what you do and how you got into it.

Alec: Well, I am an entrepreneur. I went to college for about three semesters and decided that I would rather work. My dad had his own homebuilding company, and I went to work for him. He put me through all of the departments in the homebuilding company, (through warranty, accounting, all of them). . . and as I was going through them he said, “Pick the one you like and run with it.” So I did.

I chose land development. Eventually, I took over the Land Development Department for the company and started developing land for my dad. After a year and a half I started buying my own deals, and I ran both his company and my own.

Tabitha: Now, I know that you have other businesses…what made you decide to expand from land development into other things?

Alec: I am the kind of person who likes to have my hands in a lot of things – and I like opportunity. You know, when the real estate market slowed down, I was fortunate enough to be able to weather the storm. (I am still weathering the storm – it isn’t over for real estate.) When it slowed down, my income for real estate went down, so I had to find other things to keep me busy. That was the major thing – I had the free time, because people were not buying land. I had to find something to keep me busy – because I can’t just sit still.

Tabitha: I understand! So, let me ask you about this restlessness – A lot of people are saying that Millennials won’t stay in one position for very long – or that they are always looking for the “next thing”. Why do you think so many of the people in your generation exhibit that pattern? Do you think you all have a certain level of confidence or is there an open-mindedness in your generation that allows you to do that? I mean, what do you think brings that dynamic?

Alec: I would hope that we are confident. It’s true, I see my friends stay in a job for a year, and then they are on to something else. You know, though, I think that the workplace has changed in our generation. People used to learn a trade and stay in it for the rest of their lives. I mean, I know people who have been doing the same thing for 60 years….and they are still working. As for my generation, I hope this pattern is because of open-mindedness, and not short attention spans or some kind of generational ADD.

Tabitha: Whatever it is, Millennials are on the move, and they are moving to the companies and the positions that are able to attract them. There are companies out there that want to acquire them because they are tech savvy and innovative. Can you tell me a little bit about how your generation would innovate as opposed to how a boomer might innovate?

Alec: Well, yes. I think you are right about our relationship with technology. [I think that is a tool that we would use to innovate.] I know a hairdresser who is 27 years old, and built his entire business and clientele through Facebook and MySpace.

Tabitha: So, If I were a company that was seeking out new grads, or Gen Y employees what would I do to attract them? What would make a Millennial want to work for me? What kind of benefits would attract someone like you?

Alec: You know, I think strong leadership would attract me, personally – someone that is going to be innovative and at the cutting edge of their industry.

Tabitha: So, let’s say you accept a job with an organization. What kind of things would keep someone like you there?

Alec: A healthy work environment where thoughts and ideas can be exchanged freely… A company that is all about responsibility. A boss with a “buck stops here” policy, that doesn’t blame all mistakes on the rookies, and I think a financially sound company. I like to see a company that runs their business as debt-free as possible. Debt really bothers me.

Tabitha: Let me ask you about that. I am discovering that a lot of people in your generation are truly financially astute. Millennials are getting their first jobs, and signing up immediately for a 401K. What do you think makes your generation respond to their finances with such competence?

Alec: You know, I think there are resources out there that are really starting to wake people up. I think that people have seen their friends or family members who have struggled. And I know that Dave Ramsey is huge all over the States because people are starting to see that credit card debt is pointless and that you can live within your means.

Tabitha: Let me ask you this – you grew up in a generation where there was a lot of turbulence. I mean, if we look back, it probably started with the Challenger explosion, and then school shootings, the Lewinski scandal, and 9-11, then Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – I mean the list could go on and on… How do you think that has affected your generation? I mean, has it made you more cynical or more aware of things? And how do you think that affects your approach to work from day to day?

Alec: Well I noticed in my social circle, that a lot of us were getting out of high school and college right around September 11th. The country joined together, and put political preferences aside for a while. I think it has helped our generation. I think we kind of got thick-skinned coming out of college. I mean a lot of people spent $75,000 on a good college education, and came out to find that there were no jobs. We went through a tough time, but I think that we are getting through it, and I think my generation is coming along.

Tabitha: So, how do you think that has changed your perspective on work-life balance? Is your work your life or does your life take precedent over work – or is it a combination? Do your work and your life intertwine or is there a definitive line between your work and your life?

Alec: A lot of people that know me say that I am a workaholic. I like to work; I enjoy working. But I don’t lose sleep over work. I mean, I leave try my personal emotions at the door when I come into work and I leave my emotions from work at the door when I leave the office. I try not to mix the two, because in order for me to stay mentally healthy – I have to try to separate the two.

Tabitha: One of the reasons I chose you, Alec, is because of the kind of person you are, and because of your success as an entrepreneur. Is there anything else that you would like to say about your own generation?

Alec: Well, truthfully, there are a few things that frustrate me about my own generation. We have all of this relationship with technology – and I think that sometimes that my generation abuses it. I think that sometimes between texting and emails, we are losing some of the English language. I think that people start to become slaves to their email box, but I think that as long as people in my generation have a purpose, and stay anxiously engaged in good causes, I think that we are on the right track.

I enjoyed talking with Alec. It was encouraging. His generation has truly grown up in a new age. A turbulent age that has made them tough. Now, I won’t deny that there are Millennials that are late for work, dress poorly, are selfish or argumentative, but every generation has a few of those, right? (I can feel a few Gen X’ers looking away.“Come as you are” – wasn’t just a song, right?) The truth is, that if the multi-generational workforce that exists today has been presented with a challenge in Generation Y. If we are going to focus on the future with this generation or even the generation after them – we will have to know them well enough to do business with them, to work with them, and to innovate with them.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or twoods@deltadallas.com.

Corporate America has shifted. We arise every day to a rapidly changing economy. When the dust from this economic crisis settles, there is no question that business as usual will be over. We will be discovering and adjusting to a new normal. We no longer have the time or the money to absorb the costs of hiring mistakes. Every moment, and every dollar counts.

When I meet with my clients, recession or not, we focus on aligning their hiring goals with their overall company goals. If you want to be successful in hiring, it is essential that you are honest with the candidate at the front-end of the hiring process. Here is the best advice I can give to companies right now:

1. Strategize within your company on a clear job description.
2. Outline for all potential candidates the expectations of the job.
3. Clearly describe how those expectations will be measured.
4. Make sure they understand what they have to accomplish to keep their job.

Candidates who cannot fulfill the stated requirements of the job will generally take themselves out of the running during the interview process. Avoid the urge to “hard sell” your company to likeable candidates and let them know point blank that they will be expected to add value to your company. If you are looking for an A-player, you will need to focus on people who will enjoy the challenges of the role that you are offering them. If you do, you can look forward to developing core employees rather than the experiencing the deep costs of turnover. Here’s to a bright future.

Debbie Trevino, CPC, CTS is a Partner with Delta Dallas. Reach her at dtrevino@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.

You and I are living in a new corporate environment. This is a new year; we have begun a new decade; and we are definitely living in a new economy. We have changed.

Whenever there is rampant economic or political change, the requirements for staying relevant as an employee or employer shift. As we look forward, what will employers look for in new employees? The answer is simple. Employers will want employees that will bring value to their organizations. This is always the answer, but what defines that value has changed. Mere technical skill is no longer enough in this economy.

As I read Tabitha’s Woods’ interview with Dr. Beverly Kaye last month, many points resonated with me; the main point, however, was the fact that what we looked for seven years ago (coming out of the last recession) is much different than what we are looking for now. Employers and employees alike are looking for flexibility, creativity and vision. What do these three qualities have in common? They are all traits of “right-brain” thinking.

In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink details the importance of using both sides of the brain to move ahead into the future. He believes that we have come out of the “Information Age” and are entering the “Conceptual Age.”

Pink asserts that three major factors have caused the Conceptual Age: abundance, Asia and automation:

In Light of Abundance
Today, we have more material goods and higher standards of living than any other generation in time. Most families have multiple big screen HD TV’s in their McMansions, and TiVo that they can program with their iPhones. Yes, we live in abundance, and this has forced companies to design new and more exciting ways to keep consumer-interest growing. As a result, companies have been forced to find and hire more creative employees to meet the demands of abundance.

The Asia Factor
Every day we hear about companies outsourcing their work overseas – accounting, technology and engineering are the fastest growing professions in Asia. An accountant in the Philippines earns less than 10% of what an accountant in the United States earns, yet that wage is still multiple times the average income in the Philippines. In the US, these primarily “left-brained” professionals will have to expand their abilities in order to stay relevant in the United States – they’ll have to add visionary thinking to their analytical abilities.

Automation Nation
Automation is truly creating a large portion of this push into the Conceptual Age. We have created such sophisticated computer systems that most analytical work can be done much faster and more accurately by machines. Do you remember the series of chess matches between Garry Kasparov (arguably the greatest chess player of all time) and a supercomputer created by IBM? This series of six games ended in a draw – one win each for Kasparov and the computer, and four draws. Kasparov himself has said that in the future, computers will win every match and that humans will struggle to win even one game. Keep in mind, though, that computers do not have the ability to show emotion, see the big picture, empathize, or think creatively. This dynamic will continue to open doors for people who can. People who can bring this kind of thinking pattern to their roles will become increasingly valuable in the new economy.

Throughout his book, Pink focuses on right brain attributes, but he is clear that they cannot be effective without the left side attributes enhancing them. People should be prepared to use their analytical thought patterns in tandem with their creative thinking patterns to express the “new mind” that will be in demand.

What six senses are necessary to create the “Whole New Mind?”

1. Design: Think of the last cell phone you bought. Is it just a phone? Would you buy it if it were your least favorite color or if it were bulky? Probably not. Design concepts can distinguish one (phone) product from another making them more desirable in this abundant age. Employers will search for employees that can conceptualize design and merge form with function.

2. Story: Stories are essential to the formation of an effective argument. There is always research that can be done to rebut an argument. What makes an effective argument is the use of persuasion, communication and self-understanding. You can read a book on weight loss, or you can talk to a coach that has lost 80 pounds and traveled the road before you. Which sounds more interesting? The story, of course! Story has the power of inspiration and motivation.

3. Symphony: A symphony is defined as “anything characterized by a harmonious combination of elements.” People are not just looking for black and white – they are looking for shades of grey; they are not just looking for facts and figures – they are looking for the big picture; they are looking for the ability to take the same information they’ve always had and create a new result.

4. Empathy: The main sense that sets us apart from software and automation is empathy – the ability to use reason and logic to understand the feelings of another. We can analyze information on a computer screen all day long, but what makes us human is the fact that we can use that information to find out what drives others to do what they do, or feel the way they feel.

5. Play: What is the easiest way to relieve stress? Laughter! We have so much stress and gravity at work every day that we need a way to relieve tension. Stress is one of the top contributors to illness, and fatigue. Today, some companies are beginning to urge employees to take time out of their days to play games, relax and laugh. Ultimately, they feel, a 30 minute break from the tension can create hours of productivity.

6. Meaning: Today, people want their work to amount to something – not necessarily just monetarily, but emotionally as well. They want to connect emotionally with their profession, and have their work “mean” something. Whether the work has spiritual meaning, or emotional meaning, employees want to connect with their work. They want employers to understand that and support it.

Ultimately, success in the Conceptual Age will boil down to your answers to these three questions:

• Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
• Can a computer do it faster?
• Am I offering something that satisfies the non-material, transcendent desires of an abundant age?

If you answered yes to either of the first two questions, or no to the third, then you are not ready to move forward into the Conceptual Age. The six essential senses are imperative if you are going to be able to change your answers and move into the future successfully.

This is an exciting age. We are all being challenged to move past the drone-like cubicle minds of the technological age and press forward into creativity. This kind of thought used to be reserved only for the greatest minds among us. The best-known minds of our time took part in this kind of thought, and it inevitably set them apart. Albert Einstein said that two keys to his problem solving ability were that he could concentrate on one problem for an extended period of time, and the fact that when he was thinking about a problem, he would reach a state in which he was almost day-dreaming. He was able to combine the concentrated efforts of his analytical mind and marry them to his creative mind. Today, we are being asked and encouraged to think like the best and brightest minds of our time. All of us have the ability and the opportunity to expand the breadth and agility of our minds and excel in this economy. So, be adaptable. Go beyond making decisions based on analytical findings, and call upon your creative mind to understand and interpret information. Be open to seeing the big picture, and changing the way you do things to change results.

Dana Lee, CPC, CTS, is an Executive Recruiter with Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or dlee@deltadallas.com