Gen Y Challenges Employee Training

Take a look at your front-line call center or retail sales employees. Most of these entry level jobs are filled with people under 29 years of age. Nicknamed "Generation Y", this group of 60 million Americans is the most adaptable and computer literate generation the world has seen. But, they think and act differently than previous generations of employees.

Why is this generation different from "Boomer" and "Generation X" employees?

Eric Chester, the author who coined the term "Generation Why" says, "Generation Y won't automatically offer up their respect just because someone is older or has a title." They won't automatically accept what you teach in your training courses. Instead, you need to tap into the secret that drives them.

What is that secret? "They pledge their hearts and souls to causes that they believe in, which makes them very loyal employees." says Chester. "They are idealistic and yet cynical. They won't just follow orders."

So if you want to develop professional excellence in your call center or retail sales team, you need to customize your courses to appeal to Gen Y attitudes.

Here are 5 tips for training your Gen Y call center or retail sales employees:

1) Earn their loyalty. Give them training and an opportunity to excel. Tap into their idealism and desire to be loyal. Whatever you do, do not betray that trust or they will quit. They saw their parent, or parents (much of this generation was raised in single parent homes) sacrifice family time in pursuit of a career, only to be eventually downsized. So, Generation Y's are willing to sacrifice their careers in exchange for family and more downtime. They will be loyal to a cause but impatient if they feel betrayed.

2) Use facts to overcome their cynicism. These teenagers and young adults are the first generation to be deliberately targeted by mass marketers and TV commercials. They are cynical because they have been lied to before. You need to prove through facts and case histories why they should believe you.

3) Don't be surprised if they challenge you or dare to say, "Why should I believe you?" They are not being deliberately rude. But, they need to find out "Why?" before they will accept your advice. They are capable of being loyal but will not give that loyalty easily.

4) Get to the point! Raised with the Internet and cell phones, they are used to instant gratification. For example, if you are over 30 years old and wanted music, you probably bought a CD (or for those of us who are over 40, a vinyl record.) Generation Y downloads music instantly via the Internet. As a result, when you hold a call center or retail sales training session, you need to make your point quickly and directly.

5) Do not confuse impatience with indifference. If they believe your training session is unimportant, they will interrupt you or tune you out. But, if you can show why your training workshop is important, you will have their full attention.

Remember that your new call center or retail sales employees want an energetic training session that appeals to their idealism, answers their questions and shows how their contribution makes a difference. Treat your Gen Y employees with respect. They will reward you with their adaptability, computer savvy and yes, loyalty.

Related tips:
This article gives an additional 12 tips to improve your call center sales results. This related story gives 10 more tips to create a sales focused call center.