Social networking and recruitment of GenY?

I was asked over at the CPA Congress community:

Are you in the main, referring to Gen-Y/Z recruitment? Is it assumed that social networking sites are less relevant to the GenXers and boomers?

Also, i am of the view that it takes a multitude of factors to retain Gen-Y. Is it even possible to retain the bulk of Gen Y’s for a long stint?

If employers start allowing specific down-time for employees to surf the net etc, does this breed resentment in the workforce that do not utilise social networking websites? I.e. similar to employees that go for their hourly cigarette break.

My response?  The session on Thursday will be touching on recruitment and leveraging social networking sites.  The focus mostly tends to be on GenY, and leveraging with people you know (six degrees of Kevin Bacon if you know what you mean) to get ‘better’ staff. 

I think it is assumed that social networking sites are less relevant to GenXers and boomers.  There is a certain amount of truth to this in that they tend not to use it – but I think particularly LinkedIn does have impact amongst GenXers and some babyboomers.  I am really finding myself drawn to the Twitter community at the moment as it tends to be more active and has less ‘fluff’ and more potential for conversations.  But you can become addicted easily to it.

I understand incidentally that LinkedIn has become very active with people looking for new jobs in the current financial meltdown. 

I’m not an HR expert but those that I know would agree with you definitely that it takes a multitude of factors to retain GenY – just as it does for anyone.  I do ask myself whether you need to hoard every GenY you come across 🙂 – sometimes people moving on is constructive (i.e. functional turnover rather than dysfunctional turnover).  The way it seems to keep GenY is to offer them interesting roles, change and opportunities to learn.  As well as access to Facebook and plenty of money :).  The current economic crisis may change that. 

I might add that such humble approaches work for GenXers too :).  Regarding retaining ‘the bulk’ of GenY  – for some industries it is possible, but I’d ask whether it is actually a positive thing to do (i.e. keep the ‘bulk’ for a long stint).  I think we’ve always had this problem, but ‘churn and burn’ isn’t as effective, as there just aren’t as many GenY’s as there were GenXers when I graduated 17 years ago. 

Regarding specific down-time for employees to surf the net – I imagine it does breed resentment.  So, though, does asking people to work weekends and late nights at the expense of family life and friends – it’s quid pro quo I think on that one.  I wouldn’t advocate specific down-time – a Facebook-break – but I’m pretty old-fashioned. 

I would say that it is probably like getting a personal phone call at work – you don’t worry if it isn’t too much, but if a person spent hours on it to affect their effectiveness, you’d have to pull their horns in. 

Anyone else’s thoughts on this matter?  These are my grab-bag response to this issue – I may have missed something or get something wrong.  It’s been known to happen.

Thanks:  Micheal Axelsen