[Note: This Q&A originally appeared in “Ask Rebecca,” a feature at the Accounting Tomorrow blog. See the original here. Submit your question about generational issues at work by emailing Rebecca: rr@nextgenerationconsulting.com.]

Question:

Rebecca,

Now that the economy has softened and a lot of employees at my firm have been sacked, have Millennials gotten the message that they should just be happy to have their jobs?

Signed,

A frustrated Gen X partner, Las Vegas, Nev.

Rebecca responds:

Dear FXP,

Yes, I think that Millennials (b. 1982-2001) have a sense that the days of generous signing bonuses and endless office pizza have ended.

But  while you’ve been focusing on keeping the lights on, Millennials have been amassing additional accounting experience which will put them in that ripe-for-the-picking “three to five years of experience” range.

Deloitte is predicting a “resume tsunami ” when the economy brightens, and although the red carpet will likely stay in storage for awhile, do yourself a favor and sit down mano-a-mano with all of your high potential Millennials and ask them what their career goals are, and devise a plan that will keep them adding value to your bottom line in 2010 and beyond.

Extra credit: read this week’s feature article “Stuck, Stalled or Stifled: How Baby Boomer Retirements Impact Up-and-Comers” here. Be the first to receive these longer articles by subscribing to the “What’s Next” newsletter here.

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