Pic: IMAGESBAZAAR

Social media access or decision-making power? Work-life balance or personal brand value? The aspirations of Gen Y have undergone a major transformation and a fat pay cheque may not necessarily be the sole parameter influencing the youth's career decisions

For good measure

Weighing one's option has been one of the most generic occurrences. So, what are the parameters that Gen Y considers to decide between two job offers?

View 1: "Career growth opportunities; pay package; clarity on job profile; proximity to work, etc are some of the factors Gen Y considers during job search," claims, Sanjay Sarda, executive VP, HR and admin dept, Krishidhan Group of Companies.

View 2: P Dwarakanath, group human capital director, Max India Ltd says, "Gen Y bases their decision on the following parameters -  brand image; work culture; job role; an empathetic superior and equitable pay."

Branding with the best

Today, it's all about the brand game. Organisational branding has become a culture of commercial positioning and is one such factor that lures Gen Y job seekers into zeroing on their preferred workplace.

View 1:  "Brand plays an important role as one likes to associate with the positive aspects of the brand. Gen Y is also strongly driven by the need to make a personal difference. Pursuits like honing their entrepreneurial skills and breaking away from traditional stereotypical jobs, allow them to do just that," says Rajesh Ramanathan, director HR, Cadbury India.

View 2:  "Brand visibility is at the helm of all the associations for Gen Y.  Working for a top brand is now perceived as a factor that drives one's social status and therefore, there is enough reason to believe that Gen Y truly does aspire for brand identity," points out, Sharad Sharma, director and chief of HR, Vertex Customer Services India Pvt Ltd.

Solo player or team player?

We're all a part of the rat race, no doubt. But, are we contending individually or as a team? Do the millennials pay more heed to individual or team performance?

View 1:  "A strong sense of competition and rush to climb up the ladder is affecting the spirit of teamwork for the generation of today. They believe more in individual achievement and self-growth, as opposed to propagating teamwork and achieving organisational goals. This transformation can also be attributed to the current lifestyle, wherein most teenagers spend most of their time using gadgets and electronic devices," opines Syed Raza, head recruitments, Fiserv India.

View 2:  "While they enjoy working together with others, they prefer individual reward and recognition," points out Sudakshina Bhattacharya, HR head- IL&FS Financial Services.

Marked by conformity?

Changing times call for changing business tactics and norms. So, how does Gen Y play its cards in the corporate world? Are they an orthodox breed thriving on the learnings derived from the past or creatively driven by more contemporary policies?

View 1:  "Gen Y leans towards a creative business approach. They tend to challenge straitjacketed norms of thinking. Moreover, this generation is technology-savvy and leverages the same to bring about innovative approaches in the domain of the business," feels Ravi Shankar, senior VP, HR, HCL Technologies.

View 2:  "Gen Y thrives on new ideas. They have a learning curve, which keeps them updated with the new trends. They want to understand the fundamentals of past success theories, but they also choose to derive those lessons and translate them into real-time application keeping the current demands and needs in perspective," explains Bhawana Pandey, head HR practices, Protiviti India.

Gen Y is a cluster of ambition-driven people. So, what are some of their driving forces? A sympathetic supervisor? Work-life balance? Sound company policies? Virtual work flexibilities or equitable pay?

View 1: "Generation Y or as they are often called, the millennial generation, seeks a wired office where they are allowed to check social media sites during the work day and permitted to respond to emails via their smart phones over the weekend. They want to work for socially-aware companies that allow them to make a difference and value their ideas. Yet, they want to work from their preferred choice of location without restrictions such as number of hours swiped, etc. Money will always be important, but this generation is keen on exploring other facets of life (besides just work) and aren't hesitant to give up a high-paying job for that," believes Janet Cinelli, director – smiles & dreams [HR], Nivio.

View 2: As per Anil Sharma, GM, Raheja Developers Limited, there are many factors that drive today's youth and they are constantly trying to strike a balance between these driving factors. "While every aspect plays its own specific role in influencing Gen Y, work-life balance, virtual work flexibility and equitable pay, according to me, are some of the factors that help drive them the most," he believes.

- Lynn Lobo and Arshie Chevalwala