Q and A: Exclusive Interview with Yuri Kruman

Boomers, millennials, and Gen Z – oh my! When it comes to recruitment and retention efforts, appealing to individuals in each age group is a big part of today’s talent landscape. However, any HR or TA professional knows that traversing the different needs of the generations is a hard aspect of the job. 

In Season 2, Episode 10 of our HR at the Table webinar series, we hosted Yuri Kruman, CEO & Head of Remote at HR, Talent, & Systems in a chat titled Navigating Generational Shifts in the Workplace. In this event, Yuri shared wisdom garnered from his extensive experience and research into the roles that the generations play in the workplace. 

Specifically, he answered three questions that helped our audience understand how they can be successful in recruiting and retaining employees across the generations.

• How do members of the “older” generation view being a professional?
• How do members of the “younger” generation view being a professional?
• What trends in the workplace appeal to the generations across the board?

How do members of the older generation view being a professional?

What it means to be a professional can vary from person to person, and this is true across generations. “Older millennials are middle-aged now,” Yuri said. “They have more of a conservative view of addressing what’s going on in the workplace. That’s transferred over to their view of professionalism.”

Their view of professionalism boils down to two aspects.

• Seniority - “Senior workers want to be respected for their history. They want to be seen and used as a wise person in their field.”
• Further learning - “Baby boomers are staying around longer these days. A lot of them know they need to keep up with technology in order to be useful. They want to learn about these opportunities alongside the younger generations.” 

For HR professionals, it’s important to leverage these two wants when it comes to attracting and retaining senior professionals. When they feel respected and invested in, they'll be more likely to feel valued as professionals. 

How do members of the younger generation view being a professional?

Like the older generation, the younger generation takes being a professional in today’s workplace seriously. Yuri remarked how younger generations are motivated to take their career growth into their own hands. “[The younger generation] sees that corporations don’t really care about them specifically. They know their worth, so they’re motivated by their own development.”

Specifically, the younger generation wants to see results. Yuri mentioned how important succession planning is when it comes to retaining the younger generation. “Some organizations can be very top-heavy, meaning the majority of those in mid-to-senior level positions are much older than those below them. When younger talent isn’t brought into the loop, they stop seeing how they can succeed in the long run for the company. So if you’re top-heavy and not investing in your younger talent, they're not going to sit at your knees forever. They’ll move on to somewhere that values their future.” 

What trends in the workplace appeal to the generations across the board?

When it comes to finding common ground between the generations in the workplace, Yuri said that it’s not as impossible as it may seem. 

“There are a lot of parts made by the media when it comes to the differences among the generations. More or less, it looks at conflict — like Boomers are afraid of everything or millennials are always to blame. We know that this is nonsense and just used to sell copies.”

Based on Yuri’s own research, he’s identified two stand-out ways that professionals are the same across the board no matter the generation. When it comes to the workplace, people look mainly for two things:

1. Culture - “Let’s cut the nonsense about family culture and all that kumbaya. People see work as a transaction, and that their boundaries are respected."
2. Growth - “Money isn’t everything. People want opportunities to grow from a company more than anything.”

When HR focuses their recruiting efforts on showcasing the organization’s company culture and how they invest in their employees’ careers, it appeals to everyone. Utilizing these two aspects can help candidates of all generations see how they could fit into and benefit from an organization. 

In conclusion

For more insight from Yuri Kruman, check out Season 2, Episode 10 of our HR at the Table webinar series on-demand. Next month, we’re hosting Stacie Baird, Chief People Officer at Community Medical Services, in a chat titled HR to HX: The People-centric Strategy.