The Road to Retention

Youth perspectives on transforming organizations into choice employers The Road to Retention Public Policy Forum Building Better Government The Public Policy Forum is an independent, not-for-profit organization aimed at improving the quality of government in Canada through enhanced dialogue among the public, private and voluntary sectors. The Forum’s members, drawn from business, federal and provincial governments, the voluntary sector and organized labour, share a belief that an efficient and effective public service is important in ensuring Canada’s competitiveness abroad and quality of life at home. Established in 1987, the Forum has earned a reputation as a trusted, non-partisan facilitator, capable of bringing together a wide range of stakeholders in productive dialogue. Its research program provides a neutral base to inform collective decision making. By promoting information sharing and greater links between governments and other sectors, the Forum helps ensure public policy in this country is dynamic, coordinated and responsive to future challenges and opportunities. PPX was launched by the Public Policy Forum in January of 2009 with a mission to increase youth engagement in mainstream public policy discourse by making conversations about Canada’s public policy challenges accessible, meaningful, and relevant to young people. ISBN 978-0-9782281-4-9 © Public Policy Forum, 2010 Public Policy Forum 1405 - 130 Albert Street Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 5G4 Phone: 613 238 7160 Fax: 613 238 7990 Twitter: @ppxventure / @ppforumca Web: www.ppforum.ca Author: Vinod Rajasekaran, Research Associate, Public Policy Forum The views expressed in this report are those of the author. Design by Utopia Communications Inc. www.ppforum.ca The Road to Retention About the Author Acknowledgements Vinod Rajasekaran is a Research Associate with the Public The Public Policy Forum wishes to thank Matt LeBlanc, Project Policy Forum. Since joining the team in 2007, he primarily Administrator for his hard work and dedication in managing all focuses on projects related to Canada’s competitiveness, of the project-related logistics and administration. economic development, and youth engagement. Vinod holds a BEng in Aerospace Engineering from Carleton University We wish to thank FUSION Saint John, The Institute of Public and an MSc in Public Policy from the University of Bristol Administration of Canada (IPAC), the HR Council for the in England. Voluntary & Non-Profit Sector, Regional Federal Councils, Tomorrow’s Ontario Public Service (TOPS), 21inc., Calgary You can follow PPX on Twitter: @ppxventure. Economic Development, Propel ICT, National Association of Friendship Centres, East Coast Connected, Génération d’idées, Apathy is Boring, Enterprise Saint John, United Way of Regina, and the Québec Community Groups Network for their outreach support. We also thank all of the speakers and facilitators for their time, for sharing their ideas and insights on retention, for challenging the participants, and for helping to create thought-provoking and stimulating discussions. PROJECT PARTNERS THE PUBLIC POLICY FORUM WISHES TO THANK THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT: The Road to Retention Table of Contents Executive Summary . .2 Introduction . .6 Why is retention a hot topic? . 10 Overview of the Process . 14 What we heard loud and clear . 18 Mentoring is an essential component of professional development . 21 Think beyond profit . .22 Flexibility – It’s part of the modern work world . .23 A winding career path helps us grow . .24 Managers, develop a relationship with your employees . .25 Imagine an organizational culture that recognizes and cultivates creative ideas . .26 Young employees want to be a part of the organization’s vision . 28 Youth outmigration is a multi-stakeholder issue . .29 Generation Y workplace values remain unaffected by the recession . 30 Union movement needs to engage youth in renewal . 31 Conclusion . .32 Annexes . 38 Annex 1 — Speaker Profiles . 40 Annex 2 — Workshop Agenda . 44 Annex 3 — Participant List . 45 ➡ THE ROAD TO RETENTION 1 Youth are not inherently nomadic – they can be retained . But we need to build bridges between young people and the organizational cultures they encounter at work . ➡ PUBLIC POLICY FORUM 2 Executive Summary Youth are not inherently nomadic – they can be retained . But we need to build bridges between young people and the organizational cultures they encounter at work . ➡ THE ROAD TO RETENTION 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The workshops explored The Public Policy Forum, through its PPX initiative, convened a series of six in-person, cross-country questions like: What are the workshops between February and December 2009. Bringing together approximately 300 young Canadians, attributes of a choice employer? these youth-designed and youth-driven workshops took place in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Saint John, What are Generation Y’s values Regina, and Montreal. A cross-section of young people were convened, roughly between the ages of 18 and and expectations when it comes 30, from a wide range of regional, linguistic, sectoral, cultural, academic, and socio-economic backgrounds. to work and the workplace? What Taking part in the discussions were select employers, who participated in exploring and generating practical is the impact of these values in an ideas on how to curb youth outmigration, enhance intergenerational dialogue, and transform organizations organizational setting? How has into choice employers. the conception of work evolved? How can employers attract and retain young workers? Recognize Understand Maintain a real and nurture new ideas and that the boundaries of the open-door policy . creative thinking . office have shifted . (SEE PAGE 25) (SEE PAGE 26) (SEE PAGE 23) Put yourself Stimulate Be a in the shoes intergenerational conversation . corporate citizen . of young people when thinking (SEE PAGE 21) (SEE PAGE 22) about benefits . (SEE PAGE 24) ➡ PUBLIC POLICY FORUM 4 Each workshop convened approximately 40 young which is an argument substantiated by the workshop people, and sessions were facilitated by the Public discussions.1 The good news is that youth are not Policy Forum. To stimulate discussions, guest speakers inherently nomadic – they can be retained. were drawn from different sectors and included inspiring leaders such as: His Honour the Honourable Gordon L. While the road to retention is not long and hard, it Barnhart, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan; Peter is, however, a two-way street. A happy and effective Kruselnicki, Vice President, TransCanada Corporation; workplace is not only about transforming organizations Andrew Potter, Columnist, Maclean’s; Ilona Dougherty, so that they attract and retain young people, but young Executive Director of Apathy is Boring; Cassie Doyle, people must also understand workplace expectations Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada; and and adjust to the values and ethics of an organization. Tim Coates, Executive Director, 21inc. An intergenerational conversation is, therefore, central to achieving this balance. It is clear that retention is a top organizational and public policy priority for most organizations today. With Workshop participants agreed that meaningful cross- the knowledge economy, an aging workforce, youth generational interaction is lacking in most organizations, outmigration, and increased global competition for and that this is an important first step to organizational talent, there is growing pressure on organizations to change, succession planning, learning, and shaping the reevaluate how they conduct their business and manage next generation of leaders. Young people came away their human resources. Against a shifting backdrop of committed to discussing key recommendations with values, demographics, and social trends, there often their employers, and employers who participated in and appears to be a disconnect between young people and supported the workshops have committed to engage the organizational cultures they encounter at work, young people in a discussion about how to implement the following recommendations. Show Shift the focus young employees how they from the bottom-line can grow . (SEE PAGE 24) to people . (SEE PAGE 28) Reevaluate Eliminate and renew labour unions . gender and culture-related (SEE PAGE 31) inequities . (SEE PAGE 22) 1 Gillinson, S. and D. O’Leary (2006). “Working Progress: How to reconnect young people and organisations”, DEMOS, pp. 10. ➡ THE ROAD TO RETENTION 5 Canadian employers, in the private, public and non-profit sectors, are struggling to retain younger employees .“Job hopping” is a common practice among Generation Y – a practice that hurts the bottom line and the effectiveness of organizations . ➡ PUBLIC POLICY FORUM 6 Introduction Canadian employers, in the private, public and non-profit sectors, are struggling to retain younger employees .“Job hopping” is a common practice among Generation Y – a practice that hurts the bottom line and the effectiveness of organizations . ➡ THE ROAD TO RETENTION 7 INTRODUCTION Canadian employers in the This report is the result of a series of six in-person cross-country workshops that took place from February private, public and non-profit to December 2009. Organized by PPX, a youth-led initiative of the Public Policy Forum, these youth- sectors are struggling to retain designed and youth-driven workshops were the first of their kind in Canada and took place in Ottawa, younger employees . “Job hopping” Toronto, Calgary, Saint John, Regina,

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