by: Amy Liz Martin
Original Post on Gen Y Networking

Each Friday, its my goal to bring you an interview with someone who has walked many miles in your shoes: other employers. To kick off this new segment, we’re going to feature Melanie Spring, principal and project director for Sisarina. Her company is a unique website design, marketing and business branding “one-stop-shop” and has grown tremendously in it’s first year. You can also follow her on Twitter: @sisarina

While she’s been in the game for a while, Melanie is always on top of the latest digital trends and brings the best strategies to her clients. On top of it all, she is the queen of networking with Gen Y – one of the many reasons I wanted to interview her. Here are the highlights:

What stands out in your experience of working with Gen Y employees?
Motivation isn’t like it used to be. It used to be that people would want a raise, a bonus or time off. Now people just want reason to be working — purpose. Money is a little motivator but if you have collaborative space, a great company culture and dedicated people, motivation isn’t needed.

How do you adjust your communication style when talking to Gen Y employees or students you mentor?
I realize that it’s more about the impact we have, not the things we do that causes Gen Y people to grow. Being that I’m not too far ahead of that generation, I tend to identify as a ‘been there, done that’ mentor to my employees and interns. Too many people talk down to the younger crowd just because they’re younger. Allowing them to have an opinion is key since they have more resources at their fingertips earlier than even I did. They know a lot more than my generation did at their age.

You’re famous for your #DCTweetups (Twitter meetups) and they tend to pull in a significant Gen Y crowd. How do you best reach out to Gen Y and get them involved?
The old style of networking just doesn’t work anymore. Chamber of Commerce meetings are boring and just a ‘card-passing’ event. To keep up with the younger networkers, my events have become a social happy hour event with a friend-making and business connections component. People work with people they like, not people who sell them.

What do you feel motivates Gen Y to network in the ways they do?
The motivation for doing something that’s purposeful is the key. Paid or not, Gen Y is resourceful and understands they need to grow quickly to make it in the economy we’re in. Gen X is more of a social media generation right now but I believe Gen Y is growing in it and will just keep it at a steady growing pace as they get older. Being able to share what they know will only propel them forward.

What advice would you give employers in communicating/networking/mentoring Gen Y’ers?
Don’t talk down to them. Realize they probably know more than you and could mentor you in a lot of ways. Allow them to be heard but also give them the space to listen to you without feeling ‘young’.

Any other insights?
A lot of people say that Gen Y is a class of lazy slackers who just want more vacation time. In reality, they just want to work harder so they can play harder. I’ve rarely seen someone 10 years older who will work as hard at something. Congratulate them after they’ve done a great job instead of incentivizing them with money beforehand — they’ll work a lot harder if they get the recognition rather than the raise.

Melanie’s recommended reading: Dan Pink’s “Drive”

What insights would you add about motivating Gen Y to connect and perform to the best of their ability? Let’s keep the conversation going! And if there is anyone you would like to see interviewed for this feature, please let me know.