Gen Y has a different emotional set point. Can you find it?

I just finished reading a newsletter from another Gen Y expert with three examples of organizations that have promising programs aimed at engaging college grads, and boy, do these organizations not get it!

Why do I say this?

Not because they’re bad ideas, or poorly planned. Not because they don’t address the issues that matter, either. And not for lack of leadership… I can’t speak to that given the limited information I have. No, they’re going to fail because the way in which they are structured presupposes an emotional attachment to the people putting them into place rather than the intended recipients.

Here’s what I mean:

One company highlighted in the newsletter is working to attract talent from a select group of core colleges that seem to turn out graduates with the right skills and a cultural match for the organization. So far, so good. The problem is, the program should end right there, but it doesn’t. The program is formalized, with a snappy name and catch phrase. It has a mission: to allow young professionals to express themselves. And all of this is communicated to the graduates themselves.

First of all, formalizing and naming programs is the antithesis of what this generation is about. (And also bad practice, as per Jim Collins!) Have you not seen Office Space, in which Peter becomes a hero for coming into work and ripping down a big banner that reads, “Is this good for the company?” One of the defining features of this generation is that they reject formal programs in favor of self-defined, networked solutions. Monikers come after the group has formed, not before. Marketing what you have to offer by pushing it out there is a waste of breath… instead of telling me what you’re going to do for me (I’m savvy enough to expect the catch), demonstrate how you support others, ask how you can tailor your support system to meet my needs, and then invite me to try it out.

Secondly, if you need to tell me that you are going to allow me to express myself, we have a problem. In an organization that really allows for self-expression, special programs to promote self-expression are not necessary! This is kind of like asking mom and dad if you’d get in trouble for breaking the vase… the communication signals a deeper issue.

In short, if you’re going to build a program to attract younger talent, it’s not enough to do the studies and address the issues: you are going to also match the emotional quality of the program to the emotional receptors of the intended recipients. If you are having trouble connecting with Gen Y, and you build a program that you understand perfectly, then chances are that your program will have trouble connecting with Gen Y, too. The program’s emotional connection is with you and not them.

We’ve all been confronted with messages that don’t match the delivery mechanisms… the backhanded compliment, the leading question, the offer to help that really is about earning a personal favor… and each time, we’ve eventually had to reconcile the disconnect. If you want to connect with someone across a communication gap, then YOU own the mismatch… YOU take on the discomfort of not understanding exactly how the message is coming across… so that your guests don’t have to. In fact, if you own the discomfort, don’t be surprised if the person you’re reaching out to reaches back and works with you to clear things up. (Think of it as visiting a foreign country: speak in your native tongue and they’ll turn their backs on you. Make the effort to speak the local language, and they’ll not only help you find your destination, but they’ll teach you a few new words, too.)

Jason Seiden is Co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, a training company that shows professionals how use social media to work more effectively.