Editorial

Wise words

I’m tempted to throw a tantrum—not one of those red-faced, heels drumming on the floor, screaming and shouting productions that are popular with two year-olds, but a tanty all the same.

Of course my colleagues would be shocked and appalled. It’s just not the done thing for someone of my generation. Getting your own way, and being unequivocal about it, is the prerogative of Generation Y, the seemingly over-indulged, self-absorbed and lippy generation born between 1980 and 1994.

Gen Y are the media darlings of the moment. In fact, as Winston Churchill might have said, never in the field of human resources has so much been said by so many about so few. Just in the last couple of weeks I’ve read articles on the topic in Grocer’s Review, The Business, the Dominion Post and Andrea Stringfield’s article in this very issue of Employment Today, and perused Drake’s latest white paper on attracting, engaging and leading a new generation at work.

A Google news search finds a dozen articles posted in as many hours. Meanwhile Australian author and Gen Y expert Peter Sheahan was the keynote speaker at the recent ITF conference in Wellington, and he’ll be sharing his ideas on understanding Generation Y at next month’s HRINZ conference.

So what is it with Generation Y? Their attitude, it seems, gets right up the noses of many bosses. As one CEO says in Drake’s report: “They walk in the door and expect to own a Ferrari and be running the place in 12 months.”

As Andrea Stringfield explains in her article on page 27, the Ys are a product of an education system that encouraged them to talk about developmental goals and provided lots of positive feedback. It should come as no surprise that they want the same in the workplace, she says.

The rub is, they hold the future in their hands. They’re the emerging generation of workers and they will continue to be the main generation of workers for at least two decades. For organisations to remain competitive as the workforce shrinks and changes, people management practices need to meet their expectations.

But for those of us who grew up in a world where tantrums were dealt with swiftly and effectively, I have one querulous plea—in the rush to look after the Ys, let’s not forget the old and wise.

Lyndsey Swan
Editor

Contents

Old-fashioned values
Over half Mt Albert Pak ’n Save’s employees were not born in New Zealand. This ethnic diversity brings an array of different viewpoints to the workplace, but Miriam Bell discovers how the store’s employment policies help to create a happy workforce.

Making a case for wellness
A comprehensive workplace health and wellness programme that’s an integral part of an organisation’s strategy will achieve the best outcomes, says Jenny Bratty. She examines the evidence and finds there are proven benefits for both employers and employees.

Building resilience
Resilient people and resilient organizations are better equipped to steer through adversity, say Kirsten Barker and Sven Hansen. They explore the road to building individual and organisational resilience and provide guidelines to help fix many of the ailments of modern corporate life.

“Wanna dance?”
An adversarial approach to employer-union relations does not allow the parties to engage and come up with improved solutions, says Alex Twigg. Instead, partnership is the key to high-performing organisations and it’s time unions and employers got ready to dance.

Y all the fuss
With four distinct generations working side-by-side in today’s workplace, organisations are facing markedly different attitudes and expectations from their staff. Andrea Stringfield explains how to manage the expectations of Generation Y.

STRATEGIC HR: Simply the best
For Tina Turner, being simply the best may mean you’re better than all the rest, but David Knight doesn’t agree. When it comes to best practice, he believes HR can do better by setting new standards and leading rather than following.

LEADERSHIP: Nature or nurture?
Leaders are made not born, but even those with natural ability need help along the way, says Nichola Dale. That means organisations need to invest in developing their emerging leaders to get the best from them.

The burden of law
With labour law in the limelight as employers and unions debate Wayne Mapp’s 90-day bill, Employment Today asked Bill Hodge for his viewpoint on current legislation. He talks of the consequences of the ‘burden of law’ facing New Zealand businesses and outlines what he thinks should be done.

Risky business
Organisations that recognise risk and manage it proactively are the ones that survive, says Chris Peace. He looks at risk management in relation to HR and explains how the risk management process works to the advantage of organisations.

RECRUITMENT: The productivity equation
Attracting the right talent and retaining them will have a direct impact on productivity and profit, says Dave Stewart. Getting it wrong can see your competitors picking off the cream of the crop.

Taking the job share option
In this final article in our three-part series on flexible working practices, Chris Hogg looks at job sharing arrangements and outlines the key points for making them work.

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: Plotting a course
If you want to ensure a return on your investment in staff training, there are some key points to consider. Steve Punter provides six easy-to-follow rules that will help.

A matter of balance
Work-life balance is a loaded term and no one seems clear about what it means in practice, says Mike Ashby. He outlines what he says is an unfashionably commonsense approach to the issue and explains how to turn a vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle.

HEALTH & SAFETY: Massaging away stress
The effects of mental and physical stress in the workplace seem to be a growing problem these days. Jane Land explains how to kill these two birds with one stone.

CASE IN POINT: Bargaining on good faith
Two recent cases have a clear message for both employers and unions involved in bargaining, say Susan Hornsby-Geluk and Bridget Fleming. Both parties are being held to account when it comes to communication throughout the process.

LEGAL SOLUTIONS: Caught in the net
Even if your employees are only browsing appropriate websites, high personal use of the internet can affect productivity, says Rani Amaranathan. It’s important to have an effective policy in place to avoid problems.

WELLNESS: Homing into the wellness zone
Progressive initiatives seem to be all the rage at telecommunications giant Vodafone. First, there was the company’s innovative prize-winning new building. Then there was their web-based wellness programme. Miriam Bell explores the building and discusses wellness along the way.

PUBLIC SECTOR: Confronting staff
Raising employment issues with teachers can be difficult. Straight talking may ruffle feathers and lead to a personal grievance. Paul Robertson asks how far a principal can go?