The AGA Weblog

Whether You're Ready or Not, We're Millennial-Bound: Recruiting and Motivating Today's Millennial Generation

By: Andrew C. Lewis, CGFM, CPA 

Andrew C. Lewis, CGFM, CPA, is the former primary campus recruiter for the audit and tax practices of KPMG’s Washington, D.C., area offices, and is a senior manager with KPMG LLP’s government audit practice. In addition, he is an adjunct professor in the Masters of Accountancy program at The George Washington University.

RU ready 4 us? (“Are you ready for us?”) 

As the title of this article says, the Millennial generation (commonly defined as those born after 1980) is an active and growing portion of today’s work force. With the Baby Boomer generation rapidly facing retirement, today’s workplace is facing new challenges in adjusting recruiting, retention and morale programs to appeal to the new generation of professionals.

KPMG makes it a strategic business priority to attract the best and the brightest and the firm recognizes the importance of the Millennial generation. That’s why it has developed several highly effective recruiting and career development initiatives aimed directly at attracting and retaining this generation of workers. For example, KPMG has:

• expanded global assignments, so that many younger professionals can gain international experience earlier in their careers;
• created a culture of flexibility, so people can fulfill their job responsibilities and address personal obligations in ways that achieve work/life balance; and
• launched an Employee Career Architecture website where professionals can get online information and advice on the best steps they can take to advance their careers.

In light of this, what can your agency do to recruit and motivate today’s Millennial generation? Some ideas include:

• Emphasize public service—The draw to be part of something bigger and more meaningful is a chord that runs deep in the Millennial generation. Does your agency have ways to position itself as having a broad impact on the country, or affects deeper social or societal issues? At a recent college career fair, one federal agency had done a superb job of using a tag line that focused on global travel and global impact. I was amazed to see how many college students lined up for that booth.
• Provide meaning to assignments—When asking a new professional to take on a new responsibility, do your supervisors describe the role in terms of how it will support the agency’s mission or the overall project’s objective? In addition, does your agency allow new professionals to take charge of their assignment and show autonomy in determining the task’s outcomes and objectives?
• Offer rotational opportunities—A common urge of the Millennial generation is to ‘see it all and do it all.’ Does your agency’s human resources office and other program officials have a rotational program with other offices? Such a rotation program could provide exposure and a deeper understanding of your agency among your new professionals, and could help to develop leadership and professional skills. I’m aware of one federal agency that offers its new professionals a position in its accounting office, but promises extended rotations in the budget and contracting offices, and the opportunity to work directly for program officials in an analyst capacity. At the end of the rotation, the new professionals can ‘declare’ a career track for permanent placement.
• Promote workplace flexibility—Federal agencies offer a benefit that’s rare in the public sector: the opportunity to work alternative schedules early in one’s career. What are some ways that your agency emphasizes its flexibility associated with hours and work location? Also, Millennials are generally looking for recognition from their employers that there is more to life than working. Are there any additional programs can you offer to your new professionals?
• Provide opportunities to network with all levels—The expectation to interact and be mentored by upper management is a common one among Millennials. What ways does your agency allow your employees to network with one another? Have you created opportunities for your new professionals to meet and interact with the head of your agency or your agency’s senior management? I’m aware of one federal agency that has a routine “brown bag” luncheon series that focuses on current topics facing the agency. But, more important, the luncheon series is sponsored by the agency’s senior management and offers a great chance for new professionals to sit down with senior management and learn from their careers. In addition, it’s not just about interacting with senior management. New professionals want to meet each other! Does your agency have programs in place to identify and sponsor ways for your new professionals to interact and network with one another? 
• Integrate technology into the workplace (or ask them for ideas how!)—The Millennial generation has routinely used technology to learn, study, socialize and relax. When preparing a workplace for a generation that’s so inter-connected with technology, what ways does your agency make technology available in your workplace? For those agencies that aren’t sure how to further integrate technology into your processes, have you considered asking your new professionals to help find automated solutions? 

Recruiting and motivating the Millennial generation is going to cause some drastic shifts in how our workplaces interact. But, it’s important for us to share those ideas as we face them as a government accounting community.

So, I ask again, what can or does your agency do to recruit and motivate today’s Millennial generation?

This essay represents the views of the author only, and does not necessarily represent the views or professional advice of KPMG LLP. 

Baby Boomers (BBs) and Accountability

By: Thad Juszczak

Thad Juszczak, a member of AGA’s Washington, D.C. Chapter, is a senior manager with Grant Thornton LLP, a retired federal budget officer and AGA National Treasurer-Elect

A lot is being written and discussed these days about the differences between generations. At the AGA National Leadership Conference in February, we had a luncheon speaker discuss the subject. Last month in this blog, Kelly Stefanko discussed the need to get younger generations involved in AGA.

I am a BB and am interested in what is happening with my generation. Recently, I came to the conclusion that, while BBs talk a lot about accountability, they don’t always walk the talk. Here is my thinking.

BBs are generally thought to be those born between 1946 and 1964. Their parents lived through the Great Depression and WWII, which clearly shaped their lives. As a result, BBs’ parents tried hard to give their children many of the things that they did not have when they were growing up. The parents were not always successful, but BB children were used to getting much of what they wanted.

Now BBs have been on their own for some time. They still want/expect everything, but they also have to deal with the reality of limited resources. However, BBs are creative, and they created tools that were not available to their parents. Today, credit cards and home equity loans mean that BBs do not have to choose between vacation and car repairs; they can have both!

Are BBs concerned about taking care of their now retired parents? Are they concerned about their own retirement or health care? Not if it is going to cost them! Rather, they need to ensure that Social Security and Medicare keep pumping out the benefits, with the costs for those benefits to be settled at a later date (i.e., when the BBs are no longer around).

Look at the growth in the national debt and the increasing influence of BBs as the primary voting block. Even with current economic problems, we do not see our politicians (of either party) dealing with the root causes of the problems. To get re-elected, you have to meet the needs of your electorate, and politicians understand what BBs want. AGA has rightfully focused on accountability as the issue. The first step to recovery is recognizing that there is a problem.

I see organizations like AARP (and, yes, I am a dues-paying member) making it their primary goal to protect the existing benefits of older Americans. They don’t seem to be too concerned about paying for these benefits, only ensuring that the bill does not come due until after they are gone.

Somewhere in the not-to-distant future, the BBs’ children—Generation Xers and Millennials—will have to deal with the bill for all these benefits. I call what the BBs are doing to their children “Fiscal Child Abuse.” How long will it take these next generations to become the dominant voting block and refuse to pay for benefits that they will never receive themselves? BBs are aware that their children will not enjoy the same standards of living that they do/did, but still they are not willing to take action. Isn’t it time that the BBs become accountable?

TOMORROW: Jeff Steinhoff, CGFM, CPA, CFE, retired Managing Director, Financial Management and Assurance, U.S. Government Accountability Office and AGA Past National President, on "Forensic Auditing: A Window to Identifying and Combating Fraud, Waste and Abuse"

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