THEEDGE MMALAYSIAALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013 S9 special focus special report S10 THEEDGE MMALAYSIAALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013 THE MALAYSIA

thr bas em WHEN WORK pe pa an ley

the BECOMES PLAY are cause they don’t know what rules are Since MindValley is home to a di- ed Vishen Lakhiani’s personal philosophy on life has and their minds are not tainted, they verse pool of cultures, other activities wi tend to believe they can do the impos- at the workplace include celebrating iso helped him found MindValley, an online publishing sible, and therefore they do.” each unique culture on a certain day mu company where work is fun and exciting Apart from its quirky offi ce space once every two weeks. Culture Day cel- you and a culture to match its style, Mind- ebrations have included Malaysia Day, Sm Valley employees receive added ben- Ukrainian Day, Polish Day, and even a tha by Emily Chow efi ts, such as 10% of the company’s Hollywood and a LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, rat profi ts. Book expenses on Amazon. Bisexual, Transexual and Queer) Day. lot of people can start an online publishing com are covered by the company, as “We also have a Female Apprecia- Va company and make it grow. But it is tougher to We care personal growth is an integral part tion Day, where women are showered ove foster in the company a work culture so spe- of MindValley. Their “45/5” rule rec- with fl owers, chocolates and massages, tal cial that it obliterates the line between work about people ommends that employees spend fi ve and a Male Appreciation Day, where the pri and play. MindValley founder and CEO Vishen leading epic lives, hours of their 45-hour work week on women cook the men a breakfast of ha Lakhiani seems to have achieved this. In fact, self development, be it through reading bacon and eggs,” describes Vishen. Mo for him, work has become play. and that’s why or meditating. They are encouraged to “One thing unique about the com- yea “It’s actually part of our business process to we use the word pursue their own interests, ventures pany is that the management team is blur the line between work and play, and it’s or projects, either within or outside primarily women,” Vishen says. “About do all done to create the Gen Y workplace,” he ‘awesome’ of the company. 60% to 70% of MindValley is managed get explains. “My philosophy is that work should so much. “If you do it outside MindValley, by women and I think that greatly pe be fun and exciting, and our offi ces always we’re cool with that as well because contributes towards our work culture. un have to be stunningly beautiful.” it gives us new opportunities to in- I think women are an incredible force a p MindValley’s offi ce is vibrant — full vest in,” says Vishen. and that’s why you’ll notice that our bel of colour and life. Its open-offi ce con- He has invested in seven em- offi cial mascot is Wonder Woman, and rea cept allows for it to function like a ployee businesses since, and all not Superman.” the home while a versatile range of fur- of them have been profi table thus When it comes to recruitment, ne niture allows employees to work at far. MindValley opts to go creative by dow a desk or on a beanbag. MindValley Like most Gen Y workplaces, build- screening their applicants via a three- employees are made to feel at home with the setup of the sofas and kitchen, ing relationships are an essential minute video on top of their curricu- son and the souvenir magnets on the fridge door are indicative of the 30 diff erent part of the MindValley cul- lum vitae or resume. It also believes scr countries they hail from. A tree house fi lls the corner of one room to provide ture. Once a year, Vishen in hiring through networking, albeit an an unexpected but cosy work space, while those seeking quiet time for con- fl ies his team to a para- in a less traditional method. sio templation can utilise a hidden meditation room, decorated with spiritual dise location for a team “Smart people know smart peo- and religious icons from around the world. The Diner is a space with a long retreat. “Studies have ple, and they aren’t the ones looking lie table to accommodate meetings and brainstorming sessions, while the Rocks shown that if you are for jobs because they already know he off er meeting rooms in private spaces. friends with the people what they’re doing. So when we look con The given names of each offi ce space add to the MindValley lingo; it’s the you work with, you are to hire, we get our employees to bring to Hall of Awesomeness instead of a conference hall, and think scrums instead seven times more en- their friends [in],” explains Vishen. tim of morning meetings, which help to establish the company’s work culture gaged at work,” he says. “At a certain point, we decided to stop Vis and appeal to Gen Y employees who make up the bulk of the 110-strong work- “So we do all these ac- focusing on advertising on websites ha force. The average age of a MindValley employee is 27. tivities to create friend- and Jobstreet because we were getting lik “I think if young, smart people are given the right tools, guidance and ships among MindValley mediocre applicants. tha growth opportunities, they’ll pull off amazing things,” Vishen opines. “Be- people.” “Instead, we put that money into tre

that is, paid time off , or at the end of one quarter, encash it.” cre But fairness is not everything. Art- as ists are restless by nature and some- an THE DRAW OF times they want to leave to work on an diff erent types of projects. “In Malaysia, eve there are over 200 creative companies at doing over 200 creative projects. And ba the thing about artists is, they not only be want to be part of an organisation that RHYTHM AND HUES respects them, they also want to be wh challenged in diff erent ways.” Life by Jennifer Jacobs The company is doing world-class it’s work that requires it to be very global na hythm and Hues Sdn Bhd is a studio that Both the company and the indus- want. We treat them as adults and tell in nature. “We talk to them as equals car does Hollywood-style visual eff ects. Head- try itself — visual eff ects — are new them that at the end of the day, they rather than ‘manager to artist’. In fact, wi quartered in Los Angeles, the Cyberjaya in Malaysia. “You have animation and will be judged on output. even the way we name our groups branch opened its doors in 2009. Sen- the rest but we’re the fi rst company “If they don’t give us the output we has a bearing. There’s ‘production’

ior manager Hasnul Hadi Samsuddin doing Hollywood-level feature fi lm expect, it will be detrimental to their and there’s ‘support’. So all manag- SUH says the company has no problems in visual eff ects in Malaysia.” career and growth in the company,” ers like myself are ‘support’. Our job either attracting or retaining its Gen Y The company appeals to the Gen Y Hasnul points out. is to support production, support the employees. because no matter what they do, their Have too many restrictions and em- artists, so that in itself is a mindset To him, it’s a matter of giving them world- job is never boring; it’s a new thing ployees — artists especially — tend to change already.” class challenging work to do, pushing them to every day. “You’re talking about Holly- walk. “They’ll say, I’ve had enough, this the limits of their creativity, always treat- wood-level work and Hollywood-level feels like a factory, I’m leaving.” We had 44 ing them with respect, and of course, giv- expectations. Our guys are diff erent And it’s not like they have a lot of ing them proper credit for their work. to the other guys locally because they time to simply hang loose. “The work guys who got So far, four-year-old Rhythm & Hues have been trained to look at things at a is very intensive and it’s sometimes credits for Life of Pi. Malaysia has worked on nearly 20 Hol- diff erent level. If it’s not good enough, very stressful. Sometimes they have to lywood fi lms, including The Bourne Legacy, Snow White and the Huntsman, Alvin we’ll say it’s not good enough. So they work extra hours and weekends. For And now it’s been and the Chipmunks, X-Men, Yogi Bear and Life of Pi. work really, really hard and they’re Life of Pi, for instance, they had to work nominated for an In fact, the studio was responsible for both the computer-generated im- doing things they never thought they four months straight, Saturdays and agery (CGI) tiger as well as the background in Life of Pi. And the movie has been would be able to.” Sundays included because that was a Oscar | HASNUL nominated for an Oscar for visual eff ects, as has Snow White and the Huntsman And what is a conducive environ- requirement of production and they (the Malaysian team worked on the enchanted forest sequence). ment for artists? “One that is as least needed to fi nish it. But if they work The team is very young, with an average age of 25. “They’re straight out of restrictive as possible. Here, we have weekends or public holidays, they get university and we prefer them that way because they’re fresh, passionate and open Internet usage. So, they can Fa- comp-off , which is 1½ days of compen- not tied to a particular type of software or a certain process,” says Hasnul. cebook or Youtube as much as they sation. You can use those as holidays, MALAYSIA 013 THEEDGE MMALAYSIAALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013 S11 special report

throwing Halloween parties at the base of the KL Tower and we tell all our employees to invite the two smartest people they know,” he says. Yet, Vishen doesn’t credit his com- ‘I JUST CALL pany’s success to his hiring methods and selectivity; rather, it is in MindVal- ley being a curated community. “There are lots of smart people out there, but what makes them special are the people they are now connect- THEM YOUNG’ di- ed to,” he opines. “You don’t connect ies with other brainpower when you are To really understand Gen Y, you have to interact with them, says Ahmad Izham ing, ‘how’s your wife doing?’, ‘how’s ng isolated and lonely, but when you have your kid doing?’ and trying to re- day multiple smart people in one offi ce, Omar, chief operating offi cer of television networks for Media Prima Bhd member who’s who. They feel happy el- you multiply each other’s brain power. and like they’re part of a family,” ay, Smart people inspire each other, and by Jennifer Jacobs Izham observes. n a that’s what accelerated the growth The other way to keep employ- ay, rate here at MindValley.” hmad Izham Omar, the chief operating offi cer of television networks for Media ees loyal, he says, is to ensure they ay. Ten years into operations and Mind- Prima Bhd, doesn’t understand what all the fuss about Gen Y is about. The know what the company’s vision ia- Valley is now generating revenues of world has always spun forward. There have always been generation gaps. is. “Currently I’m running four TV red over RM50 million per year with a to- Why should this generation gap be any diff erent from the ones before it? stations and Primeworks, which ges, tal hit of 1.3 million subscribers so far, “In every generation, there’s a Gen Y. Our parents, who grew up in the is a production company. All fi ve the primarily from the US. The company Sixties, were the Gen Y of their generation. There will always be people who companies have diff erent visions. of has also been on the WorldBlu List of rebel against the establishment. That’s how the world changes. If you put So you’ve got to tell them, this is . Most Democratic Workplaces every those people who grew up in the Sixties into today’s context, they would what the vision is and this is what m- year since 2008. be doing exactly the same things as the young people today.” we’re going to do. And we tell them m is “It’s about fl ow in everything we Why? Because young people are being bombarded with stories of how their own dreams and ambi- out do; all of our work culture here is to people who became billionaires in their 20s. “This would never have tions could be fulfi lled by helping ged get people to think big and to make happened before. But because of the way the world now works and the the company along.” tly people happy,” says Vishen. “What’s youth orientation of products and services, younger people are get- Some of them are not willing to ure. unique about MindValley is that it’s ting rich more quickly.” get onboard which is fi ne by Izham. rce a philosophy. Ours is a very spiritual So why all the furore about the Gen Y? “In fact, why do we even “If this is not what you want to do, our belief that people have infl uence over call them Gen Y? Because they seem so distant from us. And who don’t do it. It’s very weird, me telling nd reality, that luck can be controlled but are they? The young people. I don’t think they call themselves Gen Y. my staff to go away, but most of the there’s an optimal state of mind you They just call themselves the youth. When they reach our age, they time, they’re onboard with us. After nt, need to be in to allow luck to shine will say, ‘oh these young whippersnappers, I don’t understand what they are all, they come here because they by down on you.” doing, I don’t understand their music.’ And that will happen because every- want to work in broadcasting.” ee- All this stems from one man’s per- one is stuck in their own zone. Izham tells other CEOs who are cu- sonal philosophy of life, which he de- “Your whole world revolves around the time you were 15 to 22. Your whole intent on managing this genera- ves scribes as somewhat metaphysical, culture comes from there and you will bring it with you until you’re in your tion that it’s not enough to read eit and turned into his company’s vi- 60s and 70s. So right now, what’s happening with the Gen Y (if you want to call reports about them. To really un- sion as well. them that, I just call them the young) is that they’re bombarded with stories derstand Gen Y, you have to interact eo- “From an early age, I’ve always be- of Mark Zuckerberg, the guys at Google and the cool things that are happen- with them. “Jump into the mosh ng lieved in this, so everything designed Creative people ing, made by young people. So they all want to be in on it,” he says. pit, hang out with them, fi gure out ow here at MindValley is to get people to And maybe, Izham says, the young are more impatient because everything what they like. ok continuously think about big visions are not driven is instant. Random thoughts get shared instantly on Facebook or Twitter. “Once you fi nd out what they like ng to pull them forward and at the same by money alone. Photos are shared via Instagram. and don’t like, it’s not just a mat- en. time keep them happy in the now,” He has only one objection to this need for instant gratifi cation. And that ter of giving them what they want op Vishen says. “When you do that, things And they’re not is that they are not prepared to pay their dues to hone their skills and build because that’s too easy; it’s about tes happen as if you’re blessed with luck, driven by love something. “People get distracted by quick money and that’s not just Gen Y giving them what they don’t know ng like the universe has your back. And but Gen Everybody.” they want. That requires you to be that to me is the grand secret of en- either. Th ey’re Case in point: “I had a friend and we both fi nished college at the same time. one heart with them. nto trepreneurship.” E driven by He was into trading. He also sold everything from unit trusts to insurance “It’s the same thing with our TV to nasi lemak to Hari Raya cookies. So it was RM100 here and RM200 there. and radio programmes. We’ve got to recognition. And at the end of the month he was getting RM3,000 to RM4,000, which was make sure it’s close enough to what | IZHAM great because he was taking us out all the time. they like, but we always push the “I, on the other hand, started out as a guy in a struggling record company. boundaries. If you don’t push the of And the crowning value is, of course, I didn’t pay myself much, only about RM1,800 a month. But what happened boundaries you stay still and die credit. “Some companies use Malaysia was that four years of me struggling and suff ering were spent building a very fast,” says Izham. rt- as a nameless hub to get the work done skill,” he says. He learned this from the music me- and nobody gets credit. But Rhythm His friend, on the other hand, didn’t build a skill, unless one industry: “If you’re an artist and your on and Hues is a distributed studio and counted trading or looking for the next opportunity to make a second album sounds exactly the same sia, everyone is treated equally. We look quick buck. “I call it the side income syndrome.” as the fi rst, you won’t last long. Cold- ies at how much work you’ve done and The fi rst four years of any job, Izham maintains, should involve play will never make the same kind nd based on that, you will sacrifi ce and suff ering. “Don’t go after the quick buck but work on of album twice. The Beatles never did. nly be credited. EDGE your skill. Because after four years, it will be so honed that you’re Radiohead, obviously, never did. Every hat “We had 44 guys no longer expendable. After that you’ll fi nd yourself moving really album needs to evolve.” be who got credits for fast. You will make manager, you will make director, you will make The music industry is manned Life of Pi. And now HARIS HASSAN/THE vice-president. But the guy who’s always looking for the side income by crazy people who know how to ass it’s been nomi- will forever be looking for side income, even when he’s 50.” do this. Although sometimes it’s bal nated for an Os- His advice to the Gen Y? “Focus on your long-term goal. If you’re manned by MBAs. “There’s noth- als car,” Hasnul says always working on short-term goals, you will be really tired by the ing wrong with an MBA. I have one. act, with pride. E time you’re 35.” But some MBAs don’t have any soul. ps GE While job-hopping seems to be the norm rather than the They think, we’ve got one kind of on’ SUF/THE ED exception these days, Izham claims he does not face the same band and it’s successful, so let’s make ag- SUHAIMI YU problem with the TV stations or production companies under his the same kind of band again. ob care: “People like coming to work here and most of them are the “Those are short-term strategies. he creative types. So if you give them a chance to fulfi ll their own You will make money fast but that’s set personal creative goals, you’ve got them in the family.” it. When what you should want to Creative people, he points out, are not driven by do is to build a Michael Jackson, a money alone. “And they’re not driven by love either. long-term star. And for that you’ve They’re driven by recognition. You’ve got to recognise got to break every norm.” them so they feel like their work means something To underline his point, Izham or they have value in this society or the world. And compares big business to the enter- you must have ways to make sure that their work is tainment industry: “In big business, recognised, not just by you but by society.” if something is successful, you keep For the most part, Izham “manages by walking doing more of the same. But in the around”. “I call it MBWA. You have got to go and talk entertainment industry, you have to to people, hang out with them, fi nd out what they’re keep breaking the norm because you like. It may sound New Agey, Los Angeles even, but if are selling to young people.. you just hang out with them and be interested in their “There will always be an element lives, they will bend over backwards for you. But you’ve of the ‘I don’t understand this Gen Y got to be sincere, honest and really caring as they can thing’. We have a generation gap and spot a fake right off . we will always have a generation gap. “So 90% of my time is spent walking around, go- And that’s OK,” Izham concludes. E special report S12 THEEDGE MALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013 THE MALAYSIA

TAKING THE WHEEL by Emily Chow

RADUAN operates from a modest offi ce in Y employees in order to successfully When it Ampang with a total of 11 permanent staff perform this task. comes members. Yet, the organisation has been play- “We get Gen Y to attract Gen Y, so ing a vital role in aiding thousands of fresh most of my staff members are of that to working with graduates when it comes to career choices. age group. They know what the gradu- Gen Y, it’s about Last year, GRADUAN reached an estimated 30,000 ates want, so we always sit down togeth- trusting and A youths through the circulation of its annual er and discuss our ideas without ever career guides, and over 23,000 more via job knocking any of them down.” believing in “We get the university students A fairs held both locally and abroad. Despite today’s corporate grumbles them. | ELIA to be ambassadors, and I’m glad that ge Its outreach today is a stark contrast to on the diffi culties of working with Gen many of them have ownership of it when the organisation was established in 1994. Y, Elia challenges the notion that they achieve it and by what means. [the fair],” says Elia, who usually re- GRADUAN founder and managing director Elia are hard to manage, instead, describ- “Some people may be in a hurry mains behind the scenes to let the Talib realised at that time how inaccessible the ing them as technologically savvy and some want to take their time, so youths run the show. “We want to JA job market was to fresh graduates. “This was go-getters who know what they want. it goes back to an individual basis,” get the students involved so we can ma before the Internet era, where nobody could really fi nd out what was “They’ve got fresh ideas and think Elia continues. “With Gen Y, everyone showcase them to the employers that Jas going on [in the job market], or how to write résumés or application let- about things diff erently, but people is an individual that you have to han- could potentially hire them. Th ters,” she recalls. “Nobody knew much about these things but there were forget that they grew up in a diff erent dle diff erently.” “The students are usually happy 6½ thousands and thousands of graduates. era. It took a while for my generation Elia approaches her employees the and proud to be part of this, and I think “Getting a company to hire a fresh graduate was also very diffi cult at that to fi nd what we wanted, but with tech- same way, giving them room to explore that’s how we attract them,” she ob- of time,” Elia continues. “Most of them were looking for experienced people, nology today, you get everything you their individual interests. One of her serves. “However, the challenge lies in the so you had to target companies well.” want, and that’s how fast and easy it is employees is pursuing a PhD, and she keeping the crowd interested all the ne GRADUAN released its fi rst career resource publication in December for Gen Y to obtain information. is open to having people work part- time because it’s a diff erent group of en 1994, with graduates of the following year as its target market. Featuring In understanding the speed at time as well. “You can’t have it rigid,” people we target every year. We have tio a combination of employer and company profi les, articles and interviews which Gen Y works and thinks, Elia she says in regards to working hours. to be creative in attracting them and to with people of various industries, the publication provided job seekers has taken on the challenge of working “We have a lot of women working here, a few steps ahead of them in giving with a better understanding of the industries while linking them to each at their pace, thus demanding more so I understand their concerns about them what they want, and fast.” an organisation through company profi les. Elia describes its initial release from her team in getting things done schedules if they have children.” As someone who manages them pa as a big hit. “The publication was sent to both local and overseas univer- quickly and eff ectively. “The beauty of While she feels that communicat- on a daily and tight-knit basis, Elia val sities, and it has been given out for free ever since,” she says. “It has not [working with] Gen Y is that you have ing with employer fi gures are still more fi nds joy in working with her Gen Y res been easy to sustain it this way for so long, and it has been 19 years since to always keep challenging them,” she of her forte than theirs, Elia lets her employees, recognising that the bold our beginnings.” opines. “They keep asking what’s next, team of Gen Y take the wheel when and daring ideas on their part refl ect ab Today, GRADUAN continues distributing its publication annually for so you have to be ahead of them and it comes to approaching the students the passion they have for their job. “I ho free. The set of four books covers employers’ profi les, careers in fi nance, keep yourself on your toes.” and graduates when it comes to career give them a lot of empowerment here, defi postgraduate study programmes and an issue on special features. GRADU- Since GRADUAN’s beginnings, Elia fairs. “In terms of outreach, my team they can share their ideas and do what an AN’s role has also diversifi ed to more than just publications and organis- observes that today’s youth still want knows better as their thinking skills they want.” ing career fairs — its website engages students with potential employers the same things as they did nearly two are diff erent, so I rely on them in com- Pushing aside the typecast of a Gen is through job postings and a database for résumé uploads, and the organisa- decades ago. The only things that diff er ing up with new ways of engaging Y employee, Elia identifi es the impor- my tion’s recruitment arm off ers graduate training as well as headhunting on are the speed and methods in which with the youth.” tance of an employee’s passion for a cam behalf of companies seeking GRADUAN’s help. Outreach eff orts to students they obtain information. At the recent GRADUAN ASPIRE job, citing it as a quality that should div studying abroad include regular career fairs in the UK and Australia since “Gen Y today emphasise on getting 2012 local career fair, for example, the be valued above all others. “To me, the do 2005, and on occasion, the US. opportunities, they are spot on in want- organisation worked with a total of 120 best things are done not because you As GRADUAN’s scope entails engaging with thousands of Malaysian ing it,” she says. “But they still value a local and foreign university students know the subject well, but because you wi Gen Y across the nation and the globe, Elia’s team comprises largely Gen successful career; it’s just how fast they to pull the event together. are passionate about it,” she says. E en Go An fro up their hands and if their track record also provides an opportunity for them to supports it, we will grant them the ex- to network, which they love.” it w GROWING IN TANDEM posure,” she says. Anticipating the future, Hami- The company is expanding its re- dah has made sure that when CIMB sh by Jennifer Jacobs gional presence so aggressively that moves into its new corporate offi ces I w there are plenty of opportunities for in KL Sentral, the look and feel as well ing he CIMB Group is intent on creating jobs and an The programme was piloted ear- both short- and long-term movements as the layout will be very diff erent. tha environment that both challenges and stimu- ly last year at a career fair in the UK within the region. “So, we ride on this. “Where before we had desktops and ma lates Gen Y. Its head of group corporate resources and has kicked off with a group of 11. It’s one of the retention factors and it people tied to their desks, now they ver Hamidah Naziadin says the company has studied It is expected to be launched in Ma- will be given laptops. I am giving them the generation and tries to work with the grain to laysia soon. smaller workplaces but lots of areas th get the best out of them. Not that all challenges are as eas- Th e company for collaboration and even one room en “Gen Y are full of ideas and extremely impatient. They ily addressed. “Gen Y want a work-life has come for thinking. have grown up in this ‘iWorld’, where everything is just a balance. But since we’re growing so One rather endearing aspect of Gen “N touch away. But that’s only one way of looking at it. Because aggressively, it’s sometimes diffi cult in to make sure that Y that is seldom highlighted is their ask while they’re impatient, they’re also very fast. Mentally, to give them this. My attrition rate the Gen Y work in an need to contribute and make a dif- car they process things very quickly and if they’re passionate is about 9% and one of the main rea- environment that ference. Hamidah thinks that CIMB, you about something, they really deliver,” she says. sons I have lost Gen Y-ers is because which has a very active foundation, wa Already, some 40% of the company is staff ed by people of this.” understands them and has this covered. “Our employees have Do of this generation. So how does CIMB harness this potential? “We have a But one thing CIMB has come up is keeping up with them a chance to take part in the founda- Pe platform under the Blue Ocean programme to allow people to throw in with to address this problem is the tion and help out in the community for whatever ideas they have for improvements in the company. And so far, all Staff Rejuvenation Programme. “We in whatever way they want. In fact, we pro our winners have been Gen Y have a policy where we allow people actively encourage this and in a year, tho “They like the challenge, they get so excited and you cannot just confi ne to take an unpaid break from the com- if they have spent a certain number of mo them to their jobs because they have ideas about not just their own areas pany to rejuvenate themselves and days doing voluntary work, we actually I c of expertise. So as a company, we need to give them a platform to at least it won’t be counted against them in give them additional leave.” soc showcase their ideas. But that is not enough. They also want to see their terms of promotions or increments.” In fact, the CIMB Foundation and Be ideas translated into reality,” she points out. Another challenge CIMB faces is its its perceived role in society have actu- are CIMB, in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers, has come up with staff being poached by other compa- ally helped attract talent, says Hami- ma a programme called CIMB Fusion. “It’s one opportunity, two experiences. nies. “Many other companies actually dah. “People like working for an or- liv Basically, it’s a four-year programme that allows fresh graduates to work hunt down our graduate trainees ganisation that is associated with good with both PricewaterhouseCoopers and CIMB and then decide where they and off er them better and more works in the community, is an Asean NI want to start their careers. Either way, we will recognise the four years of visible roles. It’s not just about champion and provides competitive JO service, so they don’t lose out at all,” she says. more money,” she says. remuneration... the generation gap pr How would this programme appeal to this group? “Gen Y like to be as- How does it counter these used to be much more apparent be- pr sociated with good brands. And with CIMB Fusion, they get to work with off ers? “We have an Asean fore but it is not so stark any longer co two great brands straight off . It will really strengthen their résumé. And footprint and we can actually because the company has come in to gr whatever they learn at PricewaterhouseCoopers, they can come here and move people around. I have intervene and to make sure that Nic apply it. The learning is very instantaneous.” started the Global Mobility Gen Y work in an environment at A Hamidah says CIMB is scouting around for other partners from diff er- Employment Programme that understands them and is job ent industries for this programme. “It could be legal fi rms, it could even and if they’re interested keeping up with them. You can Sin be advertising or IT fi rms. It’s good for them to have exposure in all these to try and work in other say we are growing in tandem lay diff erent industries and come back and apply it.” countries, they can put with Gen Y.” E cam 013 THEEDGE MMALAYSIAALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013 S13 special report

PUSHING LIMITS AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE A common generalisation about the Gen Y is that they don’t stick to a company or a job for too long. nts Astro seems not to have such a problem, although a big part of its workforce comprises people from this hat generation. Jennifer Jacobs talks to three young ‘uns to fi nd out why. f it re- he to JASTINA RAJA ARSHAD, 31, head of Malay a few reasons. Firstly, they changed the management at ESPN, so only come from doing a good show, but from having an intern an marketing, Malay customer business the direction changed from football and tennis to cricket. I was learn so much from us. If in two years, he or she is producing, hat Jastina Raja Arshad is rare among the generality of the Gen Y. producing SportsCenter, the live news programme at 7.30pm and we’re like ‘wow!’. So it’s very much about teamwork and a com- They tend to hop. But she’s stayed with the same company for as the producer, I would want as many sports as possible. But they munal type of feeling.” py 6½ years. Yes, it’s her fi rst job. And no, she has no plans to leave. were cutting down on a lot of the rights, reducing the football But the thing he loves best about working at Astro is that the nk “Yes, I’ve stayed because I think at Astro, they give us a lot rights, NBA rights, so I had very few things to work with. best person for a job usually gets it. “Astro may be a huge com- ob- of opportunities. When I started, I was working in Astro Ceria, “Another reason was that I was getting married, so it was dif- pany but the one word my colleagues in other departments use in the fi rst Malaysian children’s channel and I was part of the pio- fi cult to keep travelling back and forth. And then I got the off er is ‘meritocracy’. It’s not a case of someone’s contact coming in he neer team. From there, I was given a chance to move to value when SuperSport was just starting the whole original program- and becoming a leader. of enhancement, where we developed strategic enhancing solu- ming team and they asked me if I wanted to head the team and “So, it’s very good motivation for the Gen Y if they know that ave tions for the Malay content. And then they asked if I would like start the whole production,” he says. the main measurement criteria for how we move up the corpo- nd to do something else.” Having never worked in Malaysia before, he was apprehensive. rate ladder is merit. It may take some time but if you’re the best ng Yes, in fact, she would. So, she was brought to the sales offi ce “The team was very small and I met all of them individually fi rst. at what you do, you’ll get there.” and given the task of championing Astro’s “Go Beyond” cam- I was very paranoid about working with Malaysians but after em paign. She loved being involved in Go Beyond as the campaign’s meeting them, I changed my mind. I think we are very blessed LIONEL HO, 29, head of business development, lia values really resonated with her own, and by extrapolation, the in that we have superb individuals in our team – all very young, customer division n Y rest of the Gen Y. enthusiastic, having the right frame of mind and on the same Lionel Ho has been with Astro for only 2½ years but he likes it. old “Go Beyond is Astro’s new mantra. It’s about possibilities; it’s page. That was probably the main reason I accepted the off er.” It’s the kind of crazy that gives him an adrenaline rush, keeps ect about pushing your limits. It’s making a diff erence, no matter His role was much bigger than his previous one. “I think him on his toes and seems to suit his temperament. . “I how small, in people’s lives or your own. There’s no common, they really trust the employees here. And now the team has “I’m currently heading a small department in the property ere, defi ned meaning. Rather, it’s a rallying cry. Let’s all get together grown to over 20 people. At fi rst, we had only had two original section and my responsibility is to keep our relationship with hat and go beyond!” she enthuses. shows, the rest were live football. Now, we have six magazine the property developers — whether it’s educating them about In fact, in all her time in Astro, Go Beyond is what Jastina shows throughout the week, and that’s just football. There are the newest cabling specs or doing bulk deals with them. I’m 29 en is proudest of. “I think one of the most defi ning moments in three more that are non-football. That’s a lot of hours of origi- and I love my job,” he says. or- my career was when I was entrusted to launch the Go Beyond nal programming.” It’s been an interesting journey. He was formerly with a r a campaign internally. That involved working with the various Things are very diff erent from Singapore: “Over here, people management consultancy but decided to quit when he realised uld divisions in Astro, understanding what works for them, what challenge decisions all the time. Over in Singapore, they did chal- he couldn’t sell what he didn’t believe in. “So I made a decision he doesn’t work and how we could improve. lenge too, but in vain. Maybe that’s because of the structure of the that I had to do something I really believed in and then I started ou “We had a 13-day programme for the over-5,000 employees company. There were so many layers and the person producing applying for jobs.” you with 300 people attending every day. And we had to live the diff er- is like eight levels below. So, as much as we had brainstorming Through a series of serendipities, Ho landed the job with As- E ent Go Beyond values – Go Beyond Trust, Go Beyond Enthusiasm, and production meetings, when decisions came down to us, it tro. “I interviewed with the head of strategy and he liked me. My Go Beyond Expectation, Go Beyond Today, Go Beyond Innovation. was all about execution.” scope of work was operational improvement and I was like, oh And I felt so proud after the whole experience to get feedback At Astro, however, things are diff erent. “Over here, the lines man, I’m not going to do well with this. But I did. And he kept from my peers that after 15 years in Astro, they had never been are so blurred that everybody gets a say. And I think that as much throwing more and more interesting challenges my way.” em to such a programme. It was something they really wanted and as I’m leading production, we really think it’s important that we In fact, his boss asked him to do everything but pull a rab- it was something so diff erent,” she says. hear from everybody — from the most junior intern or the PA. bit out of a hat: “He not only throws you in the deep end, he at- mi- When appraisal time came around, she was asked again, if We could hear 10 ideas and just use one. But still, it’s a matter taches ankle weights. For instance, the CEO asked him to set up MB she would like to do anything else. And again, she would. “I said of hearing them out.” a shop in Mont’Kiara in two weeks. He told me and said, ‘I want ces I wanted to be part of Malay content as it is the fastest-grow- He loves working in a team. “I think I speak for the people of it by this weekend”. I stay in Mont’Kiara, so I kind of know the well ing business in Astro, and marketing is an important part of my generation. We may be very individualistic, but we appreciate place, so I went around looking for a place, panicking. And then nt. that. And they said, OK, give it a try. So Malay common goals, working as a team. You can’t work as an indi- I recommended a particular place, the senior leadership team nd marketing was entrusted to me and it’s been vidual in TV, it’s more like a football than badminton.” came and looked it over, didn’t like it and pointed to another one hey very exciting. And that translates into training: “We’re not selfi sh about in the same vicinity, which they asked me to take. em “So, every two years there’s been some- knowledge because our sense of accomplishment does not “Then, it was a case of managing the designer, the architect, eas thing new for me. The possibilities are doing the scope of work, super deep-end lah,” he laughs. om endless,” she says. It was virgin territory, covering new ground, but in the mid- But would this be true for everybody? We may dle of his panic and running around like a head- en “Normally, when it’s appraisal time, they be very less chicken, Ho found it oddly exhilarating. eir ask you what you want to do and what your “I was the only one doing it and now I could if- career aspirations are. Ultimately, they give individualistic, but we tell everybody that the project was mine MB, you a platform but it is up to you whether you appreciate common and I owned it.” on, want to seize it.” goals, working as a Similarly, when Astro decided to collabo- ave Does she intend to stay? “Yes, I do. NICHOLAS rate with Time dotCom: “Astro has never da- People ask me if I intend to stay team | had to work with anyone else, so this was ity forever and I say, so far, the our fi rst infrastructure partner. My boss told we prospects are good. I’ve never me he wanted me to start a trial and recruit ear, thought that I would like to 100 customers in Mont’Kiara. So I had r of move to another place where to set up a TV in Mont’Kiara Pines lly I can give back more to and ask everybody to come down, society or make a diff erence. watch the HDTV, touch the thing nd Because I think where we and sign up, manually process the tu- are right now, Astro strives to orders. It was all very raw.” mi- make a diff erence in people’s He doesn’t think his is a com- or- lives. And I like that.” mon experience throughout the ood company though. “I don’t know an NICHOLAS ANDREW any other managers who are ive JOHN, 30, assistant vice- brave enough to push these ap president, senior sports things through like him, what- be- producer, sports business, ever the cost.” ger content management The other thing Ho likes about to group EDGE Astro is that it does things with hat Nicholas John is a senior producer panache. “Astro got style one. If it’s ent at Astro SuperSport. He took on the YAP/THE about acquiring a new market, they d is job at 28, after four years at ESPN From left: go all out. So, coming from a consult- an Singapore. It is his fi rst job in Ma- Lionel, Jastina KENNY ing background where you literally em laysia and so far, he’s loving it. “I and Nicholas had to bring your alcohol to parties, E came back [from Singapore] for I feel comfortable here.” E special report S14 THEEDGE MMALAYSIAALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013 THE MALAYSIA

C O FLEXIBILITY, FEEDBACK by AND THE FAST TRACK by Jennifer Jacobs rec or DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, attracting and working and social interactions. And doing some of the right things. When sib retaining Gen Y are about creating the right environ- they like the fact that the office is Gen Y see that there are a lot of things ing ment for them to thrive, and working with them to environmentally friendly, with nat- going on in the company, when they ind achieve their full potential within the company. ural light and other energy-saving see that they’re building the future, it cre “Gen Y are hungry to learn, excited about new chal- Th e Gen Y are initiatives.” excites them. And engagement comes Ma lenges and want to move up quickly in their career. She says the younger staff also ap- with ensuring they get feedback, en- at They’re not very patient and they appreciate recognition,” hungry to learn, preciate the fact that none of the senior suring they know where they stand, says DiGi’s head of human resource development Suriahni Ab- excited about managers have their own rooms. “They and seeing that they are recognised the dul Hamid. She adds that they now make up some 40% of DiGi’s describe us as a cool place to be in.” for their contribution.” E ing total workforce. new challenges Basically, Gen Y appreciate the fl ex- com So, how can the company attract and retain them? Firstly, there’s the chal- and want to move ibility provided by the company. The thr lenge of the job itself. “Because we are in such a dynamic industry, there are staff do not have desks. They can work ABDUL GHANI of l a lot of things going on all the time. While we continue business as usual, from wherever, as long as they clear ha we also have to transform for the future. So we have a lot of projects that in- up quickly it with their managers. There is no pa volve Gen Y.” dress code. As long as they are not in ISMAILP/THE Secondly, Gen Y like to know how they’re doing. And DiGi has very rigorous pyjamas or beachwear, HR is cool. And pro performance-management systems with regular reviews by managers. “And [customer relationship management] they don’t need to be in the offi ce at jus

part of performance management is to talk about their development plan. role, you need this competence. You specifi c times. ED do They get engaged when they know they’re not just doing their job today but want a product development role, this How does DiGi ensure that these GE me planning for the next six months. is what you need. This is a tool for us to privileges are not abused? “That’s “What else can they do? Expand their roles, take on diff erent projects, jump ensure that the engagement becomes where we need to ensure that our cia into a diff erent team? That dialogue or discussion happens in the perform- even more meaningful.” performance-management system ab ance-management process and there is continuous feedback as they move And then there are the DiGi ritu- is tight. You are given clear expecta- “If along with their assignments and their roles,” says Suriahni. als like D’Chills, the quarterly town tions and clear feedback. How you do I’m But how does this work, exactly? “If you’re a Gen Y and I’m a manager, we hall where the company announces your work and when you do it is up my can talk about your current role and what you are doing and goals you need to its results and updates staff on key to you. But if you abuse these privi- wo achieve for this year. Then I say, OK, for the next six months, based on these projects (after which they are treated leges, it will be refl ected in your rol goals, where do you think you need to develop further based on your present to free food and drinks), the yearly performance and there will be a competence? Then, we talk about competence building.” party (which is anything but a stuff y process to address it.” to A lot of the Gen Y are proactive and take their careers into their own hands. sit-down dinner in a hotel setting) How do these initiatives wh “So, they actually come up to you and say, ‘I’ve done this job for two years and and the Family Day. stack up? “Last year, our attri- int I’d like to go on to something else. How do I do this?’ And we will talk to the And then there is the offi ce. DiGi tion rate was 12%. For these wh manager of that area. If we can’t transfer them directly, we will do it in stages was one of the fi rst companies in Ma- very dynamic times, that’s with attachments, assignments and projects. We do have quite a few of our laysia to come up with an innovative quite good. Generally, we for Gen Y staff [who are] on the fast track,” says Suriahni. offi ce design. “Gen Ys like the fact that would hit an attrition rate sw Now the company has made the process even more structured. “We have we are in a fl uid, open environment. of 18% to 19%. I think it jus developed a competency framework for the company. If you want, say, a CRM The open space allows for a lot of net- went down because we’re to in ful

wa fi lm FOCUS ON THE SIMILARITIES wh the by Jennifer Jacobs an tio he diffi culties with regards to retaining Gen Y are exag- Gen Y, you have to live to the needs of bit of pressure and they cry and moan. on creating a company that is excit- em gerated as far as AirAsia Group’s head of people, Adzhar your organisation,” he adds. We don’t want those here.” ing, that cares for its people, is open Ibrahim, is concerned. “That’s not to say that they don’t Basically, Wan Ezrin says, it’s not And, so far, the retention rate has and encourages people to live their ba have to be handled diff erently, but I think they have a lot whether the organisation is good been pretty good. “One of the reasons dreams, regardless of age. aro more in common with everybody else.” enough for you but whether you are people why don’t leave is, ‘where can Isn’t there anything that some- pa He points out that everybody (and not just Gen Y) wants to good enough for it. “You don’t want to they go?’. Which place would provide one from this age group can off er the feel signifi cant, do a good job and be recognised. “The details give them too much attention. Oth- them the same kind of opportunity, company specifi cally? “If you really tio could vary in terms of how you manage them, how you excite erwise you have these ultra fragile the same kind of kick, the same kind are Gen Y, we would expect you to be the them, how you motivate them and how you retain them, but [people] walking around. Apply just a of freedom?” asks Wan Ezrin. computer-savvy, Internet-savvy and ex there’s a lot more similarities than there are diff erences. And social media-savvy. But those are not tha if you focus on the similarities, you’re going to be fi ne.” what being a productive worker is And how do you do this? “Make the job interesting, set challenging tar- all about. com gets, recognise and reward them when they do a good job and give them an [Gen Y] have “You have to deliver, you have to nit opportunity to grow. That’s it.” diff erent produce results, you have to take what’s ex He points out that AirAsia is a full-fl edged industrial company with given to you and make something are people of all ages (even into their late 60s) working there. The challenge expectations of work and useful for the company. And just be- ou is to create a congenial atmosphere for all, and not just Gen Y.” cause you’re Gen Y, it doesn’t mean tal Other CEOs or heads of human resource have stressed that for if you don’t give them you don’t care about that. You do care ma Gen Y, a key requirement is fl exibility. Adzhar doesn’t seem to think so. about recognition, you do care about NG “I wouldn’t say that as a rule Gen Y don’t like to be tied down to offi ces. what they’re looking for … being successful.” get I would say that they have diff erent expectations of work and if you The question is, says Adzhar, mi don’t give them what they’re looking for, such as excitement, care and they leave whether the company can provide tiv respect, they leave.” KENNY YAP them with a job that is interesting wh Excitement? “We are an exciting company, we are a growing company, /THE EDGE enough. “If you work behind a counter en we do things diff erently from other people. We take chances, we take risks Adzhar thinks there has been your whole life, chances are you won’t ha and we are always the fi rst to push boundaries. So, life here is always “reams and reams of rubbish” writ- stay. But if I give you a chance to work exciting. And along with growth comes great opportunities.” ten about Gen Y. “The whole thing is for a company where you can change sec His colleague, Wan Ezrin (group people strategy), chimes in: an over-generalisation. At the heart jobs, fl y around the world, meet cus- tip “Everyone asks what the company can do for Gen Ys. What about of it, they’re just the younger genera- tomers, say hello to the CEO and shake tha what they can do for the company? We have something called the tion, and the younger generation will hands with everybody without any an Next Generation Leader’s programme, which is especially targeted always be rebellious and diffi cult and barrier, no office, no cubicles, you the at Gen Ys. We consider 1,000 people, which is fi ltered down to 46, always fi nd it hard to live with the will love that. em and of this, usually only 19 make the cut. They are Gen Y, they older generation. It’s not a new phe- “And are we doing this in the name nis like the style, they like being cool but they have something ex- nomenon. And if we focus too much of being attractive to Gen Y? No. We’re tio tra. They can multitask and will not crack under pressure. They on it, we’re just creating unnecessary doing it because that’s who we are and can do lots of things and they are very resilient. problems.” that’s the kind of company that we “That’s what we want. It doesn’t matter if you’re Gen X or Instead, he says, AirAsia focuses want to create.” E MALAYSIA 013 THEEDGE MMALAYSIAALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013 S15 special report

CREATING A SENSE OF FULFILMENT STAYING RELEVANT by Jennifer Jacobs

ompanies that endeavour to have a positive impact on their communities, the environ- FOR TOMORROW ment and the world at large fi nd it easier to attract Gen Y. Asia Pacifi c Social Impact Leadership Cen- In a business where human capital is key, PricewaterhouseCoopers is tre director Dr Ian Williamson says several recent stories have shown that a company’s social respon- walking the extra mile to understand what Gen Y is all about and creating a en sibility is something that applicants are increasingly tak- work environment to attract them. ngs ing into account when they’re choosing an employer. “And hey indications suggest that this has increased rather than de- by Emily Chow e, it creased over time,” says Williamson, who is also the Helen mes Macpherson Smith Chair of Leadership for Social Impact ricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been spending an in- they still value face time and one-to- en- at the Melbourne Business School in Australia. creasing amount of time on creating a more mobile and one interactions in small groups,” nd, This, he says, has to do with a shift in how they regard agile workforce in their Gen Y employees. In a business Nair observes. “This is consistent ed themselves vis-à-vis their jobs. “You have this interest- where human capital is key, managing partner Sridha- with the way we work in guiding and E ing dynamics where people have lower organisational ran Nair says the time spent in increasing fl exibility at providing them with feedback.” commitment than they’ve ever had because we’ve been the workplace is far greater now than previously. In a high performance prac- through a global recession and there has been a history “More than 60% of the PwC workforce is Gen Y, so this tice such as PwC, integrating work of layoff s which has reduced the certainty that employees is something we cannot aff ord to ignore,” he says. life balance into the work culture have about employers. But simultaneously, they are more During the last quarter of 2011, PwC’s survey titled “Millennials has never been easy. As more Gen passionate about their profession.” at Work” revealed Gen Y’s high expectations of work-life balance but Y employees fi ll up the workforce, What does this mean? “When you talk about a person’s low levels of company loyalty. Of the 515 Malaysians below the age of 31 its importance has become more profession, that’s about who they are as a person and not surveyed, 70% expect to have between two and fi ve diff erent employers prevalent, and handling multiple ILP/THE EDGE just about what they do. It’s diff erent from saying, ‘Who throughout their working lives, a 16% increase from PwC’s 2009 survey. generations at work has become do you work for?’ It’s about what you do and what that About 97% of them stress the importance of work-life balance and look to challenging for the fi rm. means to you.” rewards and benefi ts as the main reason for selecting an employer. “What matters is striking the And, when people have a greater sense of identity asso- “Gen Y would also look for a career that off ers variety in the types of right balance to appeal to all,” says ciated with their profession, they become more concerned experiences they get in a short span of time,” Nair notes. “Unlike before, Nair. “But in terms of what Gen Y about how their work impacts the people around them. when an employee would be willing to serve for a lengthy period or even values, having the time to do things “If this is just a job and this is just a company I work for, spend their entire life (in a company), the current workforce doesn’t want they want to do is their priority.” I’m much more likely to disconnect my employer from that. They look for diff erent types of experiences dealing with diff erent In adding to its Gen Y appeal, my role in society. But if it’s a part of who I am, ideally I people. Along with that, they look for more instant gratifi cation in the PwC launched a “Flex Initiative” last would like to reinforce the ideas of how I should play a form of rewards and other benefi ts.” November to inject fl exibility into role in society as well. The past year has witnessed a change in the structure of PwC’s assur- their work culture. One of its initia- “That is why there’s a greater expectation for people ance division to resonate more with the young employees. “We’re giving tives is called “Flex Space,” where to say they would like for their job to be a means through them the opportunity to explore diff erent types of industries in their ini- employees are free to decide where which they can earn a living and satisfy their professional tial two years at the fi rm.” In the context of assurance, which is segmented they want to work when they don’t interests and curiosity but also to be a mechanism through into diff erent industry groups, Nair explains, an employee will typically have to be with their client. which they impact other aspects of society,” he says. specialise in a particular industry in the past. “We’re still in the early stages of Tenures of employment are decreasing. People stay “Now, in recognising that they look for variety, we give them the chance this, and I think our employees have for a shorter time with a company before they make that to experience diff erent types of industries before they make a decision on to get used to this as well because switch. Not that it’s impossible to retain employees; it’s where they would like to spend most of their time,” he continues. “For the you want people to deal with it re- just that you have to know how to do it. “It means you have fi rst six months or so, they may be working on fi nancial services fi rms be- sponsibility,” says Nair. “However, to live up to the psychological contract that’s promised fore going on to manufacturing or construction companies.” this is a change that I feel we must in the fi rst place, which is an issue of development and Another initiative is the recently launched CIMB Fusion, a programme embrace, so we are focusing on the fulfi lment,” says Williamson. tailored to suit the interests of the youth. “In this collaboration with CIMB, outcome of this direction.” He cites And some organisations have been innovative in the we jointly recruit a person who is given the option of working at both CIMB adapting to these changes as part way they approach this challenge. “They say, well, if ful- and PwC for two years each,” elaborates Nair. “After the four initial years, of the fi rm’s challenge in engaging fi lment and connection are things people are looking for, they can decide on either a career in accounting or banking. and also retaining Gen Y. S why don’t we partner with organisations that understand “Apart from that, we’ve also had a programme which allows non-ac- “This is an issue for traditional these things, that is, not-for-profi t organisations (NGOs) counting graduates to pursue a career in accounting, where we provide businesses, but what it forces us to and government agencies, and use that to craft innova- them with training and support for their exams,” he says. This diversifi es do as an organisation is to rethink tions in the fundamental mechanisms about how we the pool of employees at PwC’s workplace. our conventional methods of ap- it- employ people?” “There’s a diff erent type of diversity that Gen Y brings to the workforce, proach,” Nair says. “This also gives us en Williamson has seen examples of this in Australia where seen in their attitude towards work life and progression. The challenge is the chance to rejuvenate ourselves eir banks have partnered with community organisations for organisations to understand that, as most of them are still helmed by as an added benefi t. around refugee communities and developed interesting people of an older age group.” “Most organisations have very me- paths of employment for people from that community. Th ere’s a Other diff erences they bring, however, have evoked additional problems set structures on how they work he “They’re also allowing individuals in that organisa- at work. According to Nair, parental involvement in the career progression or deliver, and some of the things lly tion to engage in business development activities that diff erent type and development of Gen Y is greater today. (we do to engage Gen Y) require us be they would not normally have the opportunity to do. For of diversity “Sometimes we get comments from parents about the hours or the type to untangle those structures,” he nd example, developing microfi nance operations and using that Gen Y of work their children do at the fi rm, to the extent that employers view it continues. “The challenge is to be not that as a training ground for business development.” brings to the as interference,” he says. “Parents now are ‘life coaches’, mentors and a bit bold enough to try diff erent things is What’s important about these partnerships is that the workforce, of a friend to this generation, more so than the authoritative fi gure that and move the mindset away from companies realise that the understanding of commu- we had.” our rigid structures, and with this to nity and social issues does not reside with them. “That seen in their What PwC has done in catering to Gen Y, however, is understand the comes technology, work-life balance at’s expertise resides in the not-for-profi t organisations they attitude signifi cance of technology and connectivity in their lives. In maximising and a mobile workforce.” ng are partnering with. So the partnerships allow multiple towards the use of social media at the workplace, SPARK, an internal social net- For PwC, measures are taken be- outcomes to be achieved. You’re able to attract and retain work life and working site, was launched six months ago to serve as a global platform in hopes of establishing company an talent, potentially from sources you would not have nor- progression. for all company employees. Competitions and campaigns via social media loyalty with Gen Y employees. Al- are mally been able to achieve and from the perspective of the such as PwC’s internal Brand Week campaign and meme competition on though relatively higher turnover out NGO, this is a mechanism through which they are able to Th e challenge Facebook have also been launched to attract and fur- rates are constant in the account- get human resources to achieve their social is for ther engage the youth. ing profession as a whole, PwC in- ar, mission. From a government’s perspec- organisations Despite tapping heavily into social media for tends to create a more sustainable de tive, it’s a viable mechanism through to understand recruitment and branding eff orts, the fi rm has not workforce. Where the average du- ng which you are able to simultaneously that. neglected personal interaction in engaging with ration of stay at the fi rm used to ter engender business growth and en- Gen Y, with company leaders making campus be between four to fi ve years, Nair n’t hance community wellbeing. visits and attending career fairs to establish con- estimates that it’s not uncommon ork “I think these interesting cross- nections with the youth. The fi rm regularly part- for a Gen Y employee to leave just nge sector partnerships allow for mul- ners with TalentCorp for their recruitment after two or three years. us- tiple interests to be satisfi ed. I think drives, done both locally and abroad, “We hope what Gen Y seeks from ake that’s an interesting way of doing it, and has successfully retained the the variety of experiences in moving ny and what’s the nexus of this is top spot on Malaysia’s 100 leading jobs, they can fi nd here within the ou the use of advances around graduate employers for the past organisation, so their desire to move employment as a mecha- two years. won’t be as strong,” he says. “PwC me nism for social innova- “What I find interesting as an organisation needs to evolve E

’re tion,” he concludes. EDGE about Gen Y is despite the fact and change to adapt to this kind of

nd that they are adept at using workforce in the market if we want we YAP/THE technology and love commu- to remain relevant as an employer

E Dr Ian Williamson nication through social media, of tomorrow.” E KENNY KENNY special focus S16 THEEDGE MMALAYSIAALAYSIA | JANUARY 28, 2013