Generation Y Meets CCA
Keys to retaining Generation Y corrections professionals
A new generation is making its mark in the workforce – and, in some ways, changing the game.
Generation Y employees - those born in the 1980s and ‘90s - bring both assets and challenges to the workforce. In the corrections industry, CCA experts say, Generation Y employees tend to either sink or swim because of their collective values and mentality.
“By 2020, Generation Y will represent nearly half of the workforce,” says Ben Elrod, CCA managing director, Compensation and Employee Benefits. “Generally speaking, their motto is ‘I work on my own terms’ and for that reason, there’s an increase in the number of employees who are working as contractors or on a project basis as opposed to full-time employees. They might be working for several companies doing the same thing.”
According to Amy Lynch – Generation Y specialist who writes for BizJournals - some of the values that often define Generation Y employees are:
Work-life balance appears to be important to them. It’s not that they don’t want to work hard, but, unlike prior generations, this group wants to have a life outside of work.
Their work needs to be fulfilling. September 11, 2001 was a defining moment for this generation. They witnessed both the tragedy and the huge groundswell of community-minded citizens who stepped up to help. As a result, Generation Y employees want to be involved in community-oriented initiatives, and they want to feel like they’re making an impact on their lives and the lives of others.
Learning is essential. They use the Internet to find solutions fast. They would rather search for information online than sit through a class. They need challenges and opportunities to grow in the workplace; doing the same thing day after day is less appealing to them.
They need to have dialogue with authority. They want to have a relationship with their supervisor or their supervisor’s supervisor early on in their job. They’re accustomed to a flat hierarchical structure in which everybody on the team is seen as an equal, and leaders are simply providing direction.
Some of the challenges Generation Y employees bring to the corrections industry include:
They want to be involved in decisions. They want to provide their input, and they can do through channels like suggestion boxes and warden roundtables.
They have difficulty handling criticism and failure. Supervisors should be sensitive to the fact that they’ve grown up with lots of pats on the back and encouragement, but have not been exposed to as much constructive criticism as previous generations have. Supervisors should also help Generation Y employees understand that constructive criticism is not an attack on their personal value as an employee.
The demands of correctional positions are a challenge for work-life balance. It’s important to communicate up front what the demands of the job will be. Since not everyone in Generation Y wants to sign up for that type of work, at least managers will know on the front end before investing considerable time and resources into the employee.
Elrod adds that Generation Y brings plenty the table: they’re tech-savvy and team-oriented; they have positive attitudes and can multi-task at a fast pace. But according to Susan Poindexter, business manager at Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility, supervisors may have to shift their approach in order to help these employees reach their full potential.
“Generation Y employees often require more motivation, coaching, feedback and reward,” Poindexter says. “Supervisors agree that Generation Y asks, ‘Why?’ when given an assignment. Management styles may have to be adjusted in order for Generation Y employees to perform optimally; supervisors should give explanations to achieve buy-in and publicly reward a job well done.”
Vance Laughlin, warden at Adams County Correctional Center, says Generation Y exhibits behavior similar to that of Generation X workers when they were new to the workforce.
“Some of my best employees are young; some are older,” Laughlin says. “What I see with a lot of younger employees now is very similar to what I have seen with younger employees 20 years ago when I was just starting my corrections career: they’re still trying to figure out what they want to do and can be a little unstable, jumping quickly to the next best thing. Employees who are over 40 are more focused on a career and stability.”
Unlike some other Generation Y workers, Stanley Searcy, assistant shift supervisor at Adams, joined CCA to find a stable career.
“My generation tends to be energetic and eager to learn,” Searcy says. “The management style we like to see is someone who doesn’t manage from the hilltop but from the trenches – someone who won’t just tell us what to do but can show us what to do and work along with us.”
On the flipside, Searcy adds, Generation Y employees commonly neglect values like integrity, respect, trust and loyalty, which are key parts of The CCA Way - the company’s mission, vision and guiding principles.
“Generation Y can walk away from a job without giving two week’s notice, which doesn’t show good character,” he says. “Oftentimes, they fail to see that they can build a long-term career in corrections, versus just getting a paycheck. Once they discover it can be a career – not just a job – they become more valuable to the team.”
Bobby Simon, senior correctional officer at Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility, who’s also a member of Generation Y, says many younger corrections professionals are go-getters - and Simon is a prime example; he works in many different areas of his facility and serves as a maximizer in CCA’s Samberg leadership training program.
“I feel that Generation Y workers are often more eager to learn, more outgoing and more focused,” he says. “We have a destination we want to reach. Since I’ve worked here, I see where I want to go with my job. It’s a busy job, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”
By DeAndra Mack
Sound Out
Lieutenant Gary M. Smith at Dawson State Jail:
The trick is to be able to blend them in successfully with the older staff. I entered the system in 1990 during Texas' federal court ordered population cap which backed up county jails and made the early 1990s very violent. We managed more by force and threats than by other means. Times have changed. Officers are younger and have higher education. Unlike my generation,Generation Y wants life outside of work, seeks to make an impact and expects a relationship with supervision beyond the old "We tell / you obey" way of management. We old hands have to remember that we were young once and entered the system with "new fangled ideas" that bucked the tried and true order.