Comments on: Trying to keep young employees from quitting? It's not about money.

By: How to Keep Your Gen Y Nonprofit Employee | Rosetta Thurman

How to Keep Your Gen Y Nonprofit Employee | Rosetta Thurman — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:18:25 +0000

[...] Penelope Trunk has some thoughts on this issue as well, with a few key suggestions for supervisors on what to offer younger employees to keep them in your organization: [...]

By: How to assess if your job is right for you in the long run « internSHARE Blog

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:25:46 +0000

[...] you still learn and grow from this position even though it isn't your dream job? If yes, then it makes the job a perfect resumé-building [...]

By: How to assess if your job is right for you | TalentEgg Career Incubator

How to assess if your job is right for you | TalentEgg Career Incubator — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:02:41 +0000

[...] you still learn and grow from this position even though it isn't your dream job? If yes, then it makes the job a perfect resumé-building [...]

By: Modite - Look beyond millennial-washing benefits for happiness at work

Modite - Look beyond millennial-washing benefits for happiness at work — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:49:30 +0000

[...] I left, the company has since experienced a similar turnover. Yes, millennials are known to be job-hoppers, but only because we are searching for the right position. Companies with the lowest turnover are [...]

By: Jeremy Salter

Jeremy Salter — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 17:42:25 +0000

I'm playing catch up on reading some blogs, so someone may have already said this, but I definitely feel like Ryan's article about 'Traveling the World on Your Company’s Dime' over at Employee Evolution is a good one regarding a subject like this. He talks about using travel (somewhat vacation like, but in addition to your normal vacation time) as an incentive. The company will then partially fund the travel expenses and urge the involvement of volunteer work wherever the destination is. This could be very beneficial on many different levels and it's appeal would be high to most of us millennials! The article can be found here:

http://www.employeeevolution.com/archives/2007/06/24/traveling-the-world-on-your-companys-dime/

By: Can'tStopLaughing

Can'tStopLaughing — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 17:47:49 +0000

hmmmm…. I think what makes me stay is the need for me at work. I handle so many things at work that if one day I'm not there, it can really put things in disarray. However, what would make me not want to stay is if I'm not appreciated for the things I do at work. If I'm being treated like everything I do is not enough, then I won't be happy and will probably plan an escape.

By: Fran

Fran — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:08:28 +0000

I agree that unrelated tasks in an opportunity for us to develop new skills. But what if the task given to us is meant for a different position with a higher pay than what we get? I think it's only necessary to complain.

By: Jillian

Jillian — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:36:56 +0000

For me, at 25, it's a matter of both mentorship and trust. I am currently in a position that is not in my desired career but I love my job because my boss truly, genuinely trusts me and gives me all sorts of opportunities to work independently. And she gives great feedback. It doesn't matter that I'm making an extremely small amount of money (well, for now), it matters that I'm in a position of responsibility – and the thing is, no one hires you based on how much you made at your last job, but they do hire you based on what you accomplished.

By: Alexis

Alexis — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:27:15 +0000

This is a great area of discussion. I am 26 years old and have been a serial job hopper since graduating from college when I was 23. I have had three different jobs over those three years but I am still looking for what I want to keep me in a position. Like most everyone else who has posted here I am looking for respect and challenging work. I am looking for a solid mentor to provide good feedback and criticism and clear communication between all parties. I need a laid back, team oriented environment that is also supportive of new training and educational opportunities.
I have…so far not found any of the above mentioned things in the three jobs I have held which I know have helped lead me to hop to the next job. These jobs have also all had the word secretary/assistant in them, which is fine, but when I am not given the opportunity to do more than secretarial work regularly I get bored, frustrated and restless. I know I have a lot to offer but it seems that no matter how I try no one wants to take me seriously. The position I am in now, doesn’t offer anything that tempts me to stay, so why will I? Right now I am just between a rock and a hard place because my resume is growing longer every time and I have not stayed at a job in the last three years for more than a year. I have wondered if there are other people who get frustrated with the limitations of the corporate world, and now I don’t feel so alone. I just wish most employers would listen.

By: Balanced Life Spa

Balanced Life Spa — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:03:12 +0000

Hi Penelope, I enjoy your blog.

Regarding your statement on employees not sticking around long enough to climb the corporate ladder: Part of the problem for lawyers, specifically, is once a law firm figures out that you are not going to climb their corporate ladder, they often want you out – right then. In my practice, I heard more than a few partners say, "If you are here, you should want to become an equity partner. If you don't plan to become an equity partner, make sure I don't find out about it."

Law firms have always been behind the corporate world. Too frequently, they are unwilling to assist their associates in personal and professional development, losing sight of the fact that a Gen X or Gen Y associate who leaves will be more likely to go out and praise the firm if they had valuable growth opportunities, rather than say nothing about the firm or that experience, because they have nothing nice to say. Firms often have a "sink or swim" mentality on everything, and partners often do not care whether associates develop professionally, as long as they keep billing and keep up with the work at hand.

I think your points (today and generally) are a great start for firms and corporations who are trying to keep younger employees, but law firms are way behind on accepting the fact that forward thinking management (1) would contribute to greater retention of younger workers, and (2) are valuable regardless of whether they result in greater retention.