I have lost track. I think at least four companies have told me in the past two weeks that they have been trying to recruit teenagers / early twenties people for entry positions, and nobody is interested. As their business coach, what was my suggestions for launching them out of this mess?

Any common denominators these clients? Not really. We are talking about service providers, start ups, production lines, high tech. They are all in the Jerusalem area, but I know that this is a more generic problem.

“Generation Y” has been fascinating sociologists et al for some time. Shall we say, they are born in the 1980s and have been determined by all things ‘googleish and Facebook’. I prefer to call them the ‘WhataApp crowd’, where everything is immediate. These people often have high financial demands, while conversely claiming that money is not everything! Hmm….

So, how are employees supposed to recruit these people, when they themselves are usually only offering entry positions and / or unattractive starting wages? Here are four insights that should provide some hope for cash-strapped business owners.

• Wake up! Times have changed. New workers do not see themselves as having a commitment to their place of employment. That is now the responsibility of the employee to foster, a.s.a.p. Previously, the onus was on the other side. So, before anything, the employer has to be prepared to think differently.
• When greeting potential recruits, be positive. Smile! Show a willingness to engage. Naturally, this should be true with anyone, but particularly with new people you hope will get on with you. Dr. Robert Brooks describes this as the ‘culture of joy’, where people are motivated to work for you.

Consider the story of one company last week that recruited a teenager to work on tasks a, b, and c. On the first day, there was a staff shortage. So the new person was sent to train on tasks c, d, and e. He questioned and objected. He was told to take it or leave. No attempt was made to compromise, and so he decided to walk. The company lost out every which way and will probably have to up it s financial package now.

• Try to offer incentives that are not financial based. A present for the birthday. Release everyone an hour early, as an end-of-week surprise bonus. A small personalized gift for all, as made by those with special needs. The list of possibilities is near endless, but it shows workers – especially younger employees – that the top guys care about them.
• Finally, maybe most crucial of all, allow the youngsters to be creative and to innovate. After all, that is what they are doing every spare moment of their day via their apps! Do not curtail what they see as a basic right of expression.