Today’S Workforce
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WINTER 2007 T O D A Y The Changing Transition to Adulthood: Impact on Training and Development by Cathy Goodman, Ph.D. 3 Preparing Your Twenty-Something Employees for Career Success by Alexandra Levit 4 Defining, Nourishing, and Retaining the Multi-Generational Nurse Workforce: How WLP Professionals Can Help by Julie Lichtenberg, MA, RN 7 Diversity & Generations by Claire Raines 10 Adult Focused Training by Marianne Rowe-Dimas 11 CoPs for Cops: Connecting Communities of Practice Through a MBA Program Offered to Chicago Police Officers by Kathleen H. Watland, B.S.W., M.S., Ed.D, William J. Kresse, M.S., J.D., CFE, CPA, Stephen M. Hallenbeck, B.S., J.D. 12 A MAGAZINE FOR WORKPLACE LEARNING AND 1 PERFORMANCE PROFESSIONALS IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA Letter from the Editor Generational Differences in Today’s Workforce Do your new-hires seem to be getting In addition, the increased importance of In this issue, several of our members younger and younger? Relatively speaking, computers, software, and information provide their perspective on generational they are! Not only are they younger, but by technology in the workplace means that the differences and the ways that we can deal most accounts, they are also significantly experience hierarchy no longer corresponds with them. We also include an excerpt from different in personality, motivation, and to the talent hierarchy. Instead of building a book by Claire Raines, one of the most work style from those of us who have been worth over years of experience, today’s prolific writers on the topic. around a while. worker can find his or her education outdated in five to ten years. As a result, the Cathy Goodman What used to be called the “generation gap” new kid on the block may be worth more to The Final Draft has become a more complex generational the company than the experienced veteran. Ghost Writing and Editing Services divide. One reason for the increased [email protected] complexity is that people are staying in the These three factors create an unusual and workforce longer. This means that there are difficult situation for workers, and for more generations working together, in the those of us tasked with improving their same place, at the same time. performance. It’s not insurmountable, though. With proper foresight and Another factor is the increased rate understanding, new generations of workers of change in everything from family can bring energy, enthusiasm, and a link to structure to communication technology. the younger consumers of our goods and As each decade brings new norms and services. behaviors, each decade also brings different expectations into the workplace. The Graduate and Doctoral Programs in Organizational Behavior and Organization Development Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior Accelerated Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior Ph.D. in Organization Development In this competitive and complex era, leading-edge companies demand managers who can achieve financial results and effectively manage human resources. Benedictine University’s award-winning graduate programs in Organizational Behavior and Organization Development prepare working professionals with the practical skills, relevant coursework and theoretical expertise to effectively manage the human side of organizations. Seven certificate programs are also available. Benedictine University is conveniently located in Lisle near I-88, I-355 and the Metra station. 5700 College Road in Lisle, Illinois Ph.D. (630) 829-6208 ��M.O.B. (630) 829-6223 ��[email protected] ��www.ben.edu/training 2 Chicagoland Chapter • American Society for Training & Development The Changing Transition to Adulthood: Impact on Training and Development by Cathy Goodman, Ph.D. My five-year-old daughter came home the with these kids. Programs that allow for function in the corporate environment other day singing the familiar tune, “First socialization may be more effective than may substantially increase workforce comes love, then comes marriage, then monetary ones. productivity. comes baby in a baby carriage.” I laughed appreciatively, so she would feel clever at Second, young people have seen their I suspect that my daughter’s daughter will having remembered a silly song to bring parents lose jobs due to “re-structuring,” still be singing about love, marriage, and home to me. “reduction-in-force,” and other lay-offs a baby carriage in twenty years, but her disguised in glowing pseudonyms. As a transition to adulthood will be much more If she were to expand the song to include result, they will expect more churn in complicated. Training and development leaving home, completing higher education, their career (Farber 2006), and will be programs that take this into account will getting a job, falling in love, getting thinking about educating themselves for help her be more successful in the 21st married, and then baby in a baby carriage, the next job as much as for the current one. century. she would accurately describe the transition Training that focuses on developing broad to adulthood for many of the Veteran capabilities instead of specific skills may be Cathy Goodman is a writer and editor for generation, the Boomers, and Gen Xers. more popular with this generation. The Hired Pen in Chicago, Illinois. The Today’s young people, however, are mixing Third, flexible schedules and Hired Pen is an academic publishing service those milestones in a variety of ways, accommodation for the multiple roles for research, public policy, and non-profit and delaying “adulthood” until their late that young adults play today will help communities. The Network on Transitions twenties and early thirties (Furstenberg, corporations keep their newer employees. to Adulthood, funded by the MacArthur Rumbaut, and Settersten 2004). Even as young women enter the workforce Foundation, is one of The Hired Pen’s in increasing numbers, many still have clients, and research from members of The For many, the chain of events is closer to: traditional family obligations. Without Network is the basis for this article. More get a job, complete higher education, leave flexibility, they may quit a job in order to information about The Network can be home, fall in love through match.com, take care of children, husbands, and elderly found at http://www.transad.pop.upenn.edu. marry, and have babies. (The last two are parents (Kelly 2007). When developing increasingly being reversed, even for those programs to increase corporate retention, REFERENCES not as famous as Tom Cruise and Katie this can play an important factor. Furstenberg, Jr., F. F., Rumbaut, R. G., Settersten, Holmes.) Jr., R. A. 2004. “On the frontier of adulthood: Emerging themes and For young women and men, the new directions,” in On the Frontier The impact of the changing transition requirement for a higher education in order of Adulthood: Theory, Research, and to adulthood on corporate training and to get a job that pays a living wage may Public Policy, Edited by Richard A. development programs is varied. First, force more young adults to combine a job Settersten, Jr., Frank F. Furstengerg, since young people are more comfortable and college than ever before (Fitzpatrick Jr., and Ruben G. Rumbaut. Chicago: staying at home than previous generations and Turner 2006). Flexible schedules that University of Chicago Press. (Grossman 2005), they may not be allow them to attend classes, study, and take Grossman, L. 2005. “They Just Won’t Grow Up,” Time Magazine. January 24, 2005. as hungry for advancement as their exams may also help employee retention. Chiteji, N. 2006. “To Have and To Hold: An predecessors. In addition, despite media Analysis of Young Adult Debt,” in The hype about their materialism and high debt, Fourth, a growing portion of young America Price of Independence: The Economics careful data analysis shows that they aren’t is first generation from Central and South of Early Adulthood. New York: Russell bigger spenders than Americans in general American, Asia, and the Pacific Islands Sage Foundation Press, forthcoming. (Chiteji 2006). Human resources policies (Portes and Rumbaut). Corporate training Farber, H. 2006. “Is the Company Man an Anacronism? Trends in Long Term that treat status and financial reward as and development programs that embrace Employment, 1973-2005,” in The primary motivators may miss the mark this diversity and help these young adults Price of Independence: The Economics of Early Adulthood. New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press, forthcoming. Kelly, E. B. 2007. “Leaving and Losing Jobs,” Perspectives: The Newsletter of the Rural Poverty Research Center, forthcoming. Fitzpatrick, M. D., and Turner, S. E. 2006. “Blurring the Boundary: Changes in the Transition from College Participation to Adulthood,” in The Price of Independence: The Economics of Early Adulthood. New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press, forthcoming. Portes, A., Rumbaut, R. G., Immigrant America: A Portrait, 3rd edition. (University of California Press, 2006). Training Today • Winter 2007 3 Preparing Your Twenty-Something Employees for Career Success by Alexandra Levit When I connect with a Training and being told directly, it’s hard for young and posture. Without even thinking Development manager or an HR employees to understand the importance of about it, he’ll decide whether he professional, one of the first things I marketing themselves, getting to know the wants to get to know you better and hear is that this new crop of twenty- right people, adding tangible value to the whether you are worthy of being taken something employees is different. I’m organization, learning transferable skills, seriously. No matter what you say or told that, although they’re innovative, and charting their own career paths. do going forward, his opinion of you entrepreneurial, and devoted to changing will be heavily influenced by his initial business for the better, they also tend to Because of what they don’t learn in college, perception.