Generation Y at work

What defines a company as one of America’s best to work for? Is it the perks? What about the salary potential? Maybe it is the fact that a company is in a high growth industry or has low layoff rates. These were all viable answers for the Baby Boomers and Generation X, but what about the new breed of employees in  Generation Y?

A 2009 Deloitte survey showed that Generation Y employees had far different motivations for evaluating their potential employers.  While nearly 50% of those surveyed confirmed that salary and benefits package was a major influence, 63.5% stated that opportunities for growth and development was the differentiating factor. 47% also indicated that company culture and reputation was a primary factor.

Could there be a connection?

Generation Y spends more time online (and these days on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube) than ever before, and that trend is growing – fast.  As of 2008, it is approximated that 62.8 million adults (18+) in the United States use online social networks at least once a month. eMarketer.com predicts that this number will grow to 93.9 million by 2013, a 50% increase.

Generation Y is seeking engagement, and that engagement happens to come into fruition on Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin and on the latest platform, Twitter. Generation Y wants to know what a company’s culture is like in order to determine if they would make a good fit at a particular company or not. Smart companies understand that they need to engage with their younger generation and that this blend of work and home life is not just a trend but a part of the package which Generation Y brings to the table. This means that they need to lift their “Iron Veil” and expose their company culture to potential employees in order to show why their particular company would be a better place to work than another. So it only makes sense that the “best companies to work for,” are also the companies who are attempting to attract the best and brightest talent by establishing a strong presence on social networking sites.

So just how many of America’s best companies to work for (as according to Fortune Magazine) have a presence on Twitter? Take a look for yourself. 70% of the Top 10 list have established a strong presence on Twitter, and 58% of the  entire Top 100 have Twitter accounts.

Top 50 Companies to Work for on Twitter

1. NetApp on Twitter
2. Edward Jones is currently not on Twitter
3. Boston Consulting Group on Twitter
4. Google on Twitter
5. Wegmans Food Markets on Twiitter
6. Cisco Systems on Twitter
7. Genentech on Twitter
8. Methodist Hospital System on Twitter
9. Goldman Sachs is currently not on Twitter
10. Nugget Market is currently not on Twitter
11. Adobe Systems on Twitter
12. Recreational Equipment (REI) on Twitter
13. Devon Energy is currently not on Twitter
14. Robert W. Baird is currently not on Twitter
15. W. L. Gore & Associates is currently not on Twitter
16. Qualcomm is currently not on Twitter
17. Principal Financial Group is currently not on Twitter
18. Shared Technologies is currently not on Twitter
19. OhioHealth on Twitter
20. SAS is currently not on Twitter
21. Arnold & Porter on Twitter
22. Whole Foods Market on Twitter
23. Zappos.com on Twitter
24. Starbucks on Twitter
25. Johnson Financial Group is currently not on Twitter
26. Aflac on Twitter
27. QuikTrip on Twitter
28. PCL Construction Enterprises is currently not on Twitter
29. Quicken Loans on Twitter
30. Bingham McCutchen is currently not on Twitter
31. CarMax on Twitter
32. Container Store is currently not on Twitter
33. JM Family Enterprises on Twitter
34. Umpqua Bank on Twitter
35. Kimley-Horn & Associates on Twitter
36. Alston & Bird is currently not on Twitter
37. TDIndustries is currently not on Twitter
38. Microsoft on Twitter
39. Paychex on Twitter
40. EOG Resources is currently not on Twitter
41. Camden Property Trust is currently not on Twitter
42. Plante & Moran is currently not on Twitter
43. Rackspace Hosting on Twitter
44. NuStar Energy on Twitter
45. King’s Daughters Medical Center on Twitter
46. American Fidelity Assurance is currently not on Twitter
47. DreamWorks Animation on Twitter
48. Mattel on Twitter
    • Barbie on Twitter
49. Intuit on Twitter
50. Burns & McDonnell is currently not on Twitter

Be sure to follow SuppliesGuys on Twitter for product give-a-ways, contests, discounts and for all of our business advice!