Whys News

Are your young employees having a blast this summer? Not away from work; but rather, at work? If not, those Gen Whys may not be around come Labor Day.

With rare exception, most entry-level positions are advertised to potential job seekers as having 'a fun working environment.' Unfortunately, few jobs actually deliver on this promise. Work, by its nature, is not all the much fun. (If it were, it would be called play.) That doesn't mean work can't be fun; only that it takes work to make work fun. And if you want to recruit and to retain top-notch young talent, you better work overtime to make sure they're having fun at work.

There are a lot of good reasons to examine the FQ (Fun Quotient) in your workplace. Fun is the antidote to stress, anxiety, and boredom. Studies prove that workers who are having fun are more productive, their morale is higher, and they are less likely to complain about long hours, difficult or 'demeaning' job assignments, and perceived low compensation.

It's not too difficult to add an element of fun into the lifeguard's job at the Country Club pool, but how do you make certain the kid who's cleaning the pool or working the concession stand is also eagerly looking forward to coming to work? How do you infuse fun into the job description of a hospital orderly, an entry level data clerk, or an apprentice diesel mechanic? Obviously, not all jobs are created equal.

But there are steps you can take to 'fun-up' your working environment, no matter what the job entails. Here are three "shuns" (tions) of workplace fun.

Rotation - Boredom is the archenemy of Generation Why. Give 'em the exact same job today as they had yesterday, and they're one step closer to boredom, and checking out. They can have fun simply learning-or doing-something new or different that stimulates their creativity or imagination. It will work to your advantage to rotate routine job assignments, even if it means that you trade jobs with them for a day.

Competition - Appeal to the game-playing nature of Gen Why by seeing who's the fastest at this or the best at that. Create 'est' awards--even if they are silly--for the cleanest, the sharpest, the friendliest, etc. A restaurant manager recently told me her young crew members had great fun each week she presented the 'golden toilet seat' award to the employee who did the best job cleaning the bathrooms. The winner would get their photo pinned up inside a gold-painted toilet seat 'frame' hanging in the break room, and off-duty crew members got so into it, they'd come in on their off day just to see who the new winner was.

Interaction - When you were young and just coming into the workplace, your employers went out of their way to make certain they didn't hire your friends, as they didn't want you to be distracted from your duties or engage in 'horseplay.' But times have changed, and if you want them to be happy campers and look forward to coming to work, you've got to make every attempt to hire their friends. Where they spend more time than you did talking to friends electronically, they truly value 'face time' with them. Set high expectations for how and when they are to interact with co-workers, but give them ample opportunities to interact socially with peers at work and you'll be delighted with the results.

Whys Up -- It's not about the particular job a Gen Why is doing, but how they are approaching it that is important. If creating a fun and playful work environment is something your company is only paying lip service to, then Gen Why employees will not work up to their potential and they'll leave in droves (and worse, they will tell their friends). But try these simple-to-incorporate techniques, and you will increase the "Fun Quotient" in your working environment and earn the loyalty of Generation Why.

Do you promise Gen Why applicants a fun work environment? Well, put your best practice where your mouth is!

I am compiling a new special report about this topic and am turning to you, America’s Whys-est employers, for 50 Great Ways to "Fun Up" Your Workplace for Generation Why Employees.

Help Me Help You! If you submit an idea that makes the Top 50 list, you will not only receive a free copy of the special report, but you’ll also receive it before the general public has access to it. Also, unless you choose to remain anonymous, you/your company will receive full credit for the submission in the report.

Don’t patiently wait to read this…help write it! Simply send an email with the words “50 Fun-Up Ideas” in the subject line to eric@generationwhy.com. In the body of your email write out one or more of your best practices that make your workplace fun for Gen Whys! Include your name, position, and company, and whether you’d like to be sourced in the report if your best practice is used. (You’ll be able to see the submission before going to press.)

Whys Cracks

TEACHING KIDS ABOUT ABSENTEEISM: The Kanawha County (W.Va.) School Board has voted to give teachers a bonus if they'll simply show up for work. Teacher absence has grown so much the district pays $4.9 million per year for substitute teachers. "Don't get me wrong, our substitutes do a good job," Board president Jim Crawford said. "But this gives people an opportunity to come to school on a regular basis and be rewarded for it." Teachers would get a maximum of a $1,050 bonus if they used none of their 15 allotted sick days each year. The school system treasurer said that if more than half of the eligible employees qualified for the bonus, the scheme would cost more than it saves. (Charleston Daily Mail)
What's next? Paying students to show up for class?

Whys Blog

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