As a highly competitive market, it is necessary for all companies to provide attractive products or services to the customer to survive in the market today. It is necessary to develop employees so that they can do their jobs well and deliver competitive products or services. Hiring new employees and training them to be as capable as the old ones is time-consuming and expensive for the company.
They are willing to work non-stop to show that they want to challenge themselves to get better. Both parents of Generation X children have to work hard, so they always stay home alone; that is why they are called "key children". They are sociable people and also have a high level of education and high technological skills (Eisner, 2005).
Gen Y are web-savvy individuals and are considered the center of wise, powerful networks (Mora and Balda, 2011). They are not ashamed to ask for help; therefore, they have a high demand for support. They tend to be goal-oriented and interested in how to improve themselves through self-development.
They are sociable, talented and cooperative; which makes Gen Y easier to adapt to new people, places and circumstances (Martin, 2005).
Thai Generation Y
This may cause them to have a higher turnover rate than other generations, moving from job to job to gain career advancement. Unlike Thai Gen Y, Western Gen Y prefers to start their own business and become more entrepreneurial (Aseanup, 2017). Being more self-reliant, Western Gen Y can take more risks and feel more confident in starting their own business than Gen X.
Before the actual purchase of products, Thai Gen Y always checked the previous experience of other users or the price of different purchase channels through many methods using technology. While Western Generation Y may have no parental support for finances; therefore becomes more careful with consumption and saves more. Regarding the financial aspect, Thai Gen Y is selective and likes to invest in high-risk financial instruments like stock market based on knowledge shared through the internet and social media (Aseanup, 2017).
No empirical research papers were found regarding Western Gen Y spending behaviors and other financial aspects.
Strategies to Work with Generation Y
With monetary support from parents (Gen X), they don't have to worry about how to spend money; therefore, it does not cause saving habits. They spend more than six hours a day in the online world instead of in the real world (Eisner, 2005). Additional strategies for Generation Y may include having fun and comfortable work environments, which may resemble flexible working hours or non-stressful and easy office environments.
Gen Y preferred learning and development opportunities, as well as immediate feedback on their actions on how to improve (Al-Asfour and Lettau, 2014). They must be treated fairly and professionally, which means that their voices and opinions must be treated with respect and importance. They should be given meaningful and fun intellectually challenging work rather than boring repetitive work.
They should be assigned responsible projects in the team and allowed to have the freedom to carry out the assigned work. Training should be done strategically through digital tools such as e-learning rather than the traditional classroom. In addition to the above strategies, the two-factor theory (also known as Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory) states that job satisfaction in the workplace will depend on many factors.
Hygiene factors are mostly extrinsic conditions that do not really give higher motivation, but if they are not available, they can be more job dissatisfaction. Herzberg suggested that hygiene factors may concern working conditions, compensation, rules and regulations, and relationships between peers and superiors. These are intrinsic conditions such as recognition, achievement or personal growth; which is more difficult to satisfy.
Ways to increase satisfaction through improving motivation factors can be such as providing opportunities to do challenging work such as major project responsibility, recognition for achievements, opportunities to do meaningful things, involvement in important decision making, and feelings of significant support for the organization (Robbins and Judge, 2015).
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Instrument
As a manager with more than 10 people working under, it is essential to realize how to make the job satisfaction better. With many experienced engineers resigning and getting new manpower, starting to train them is time-consuming and reduces work efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial to retain these Generation Y engineers by increasing their satisfaction levels and consequently work efficiency and quality can be improved along the way.
Participants and Procedures
In order to analyze whether the size of the family or responsibility for family obligations will in any way affect job satisfaction or not, we asked interviewees with different family sizes (single, married, married with children). Interviewees are questioned individually so that they can express their personal feelings without pressure or fear. Sentiments are expressed that show what and why needs to be done to make their working life better and more suitable for Generation Y.
Interview Structures and Topics
The classification also varies from newly applied engineers to 10 years experienced engineer with the position of assistant manager. They are also told first that these answers will not be disclosed to the company and will only be used in the research paper. Are there step-by-step instructions or did individuals have to learn to develop a way of working on their own.
Is the working hour too long and not enough to have time for personal life or not? And if they want to improve their work-life balance, what do they think about how it should be done? This part continues from the previous part and would like to know whether there is a need for flexible working hours to improve work-life balance or not.
With new model design confidentiality issues, working outside the office is still prohibited; does this matter to Generation Y or not. As Generation Y is attracted to the Internet and social media such as Facebook and LINE, they preferred to use these technologies in their work or not. In the same way as before, it is prohibited to share work information to outsiders in any way due to confidential details of the work.
Also, did they feel that they were adequate or not with systems and programs provided by the company. For "Feedback and recognition", the interviewees are asked about how and how often feedback and recognition is given. Does Generation Y feel like that feedback is just right or want more.
Through long and hard work, these compliments helped them feel stronger and support to work harder or not.
DATA ANALYSIS
- Overall Ranking Scores
- Communication
- Work Life Balance
- Work Flexibility
- Technology and Gadgets
- Feedbacks and Recognition
- Challenges, Growth, and Motivation
Both the communication and the technology and gadgets score can be rated with a “5”, they are very satisfied. After all, it is more difficult to share ideas and discuss details with Japan's Generation X than with Thailand's Generation Y. Experience shows that engineers sometimes feel that it is better to follow the path suggested by senior engineers.
With the company's location in Bang Bo District, Samutprakarn Province, it is quite far from Bangkok city. Some Gen Y engineers felt they would like to do more other activities outside of work. Some of them said that it is good to leave the office while the sun is still in the sky.
Normally they leave their office when it is already dark outside and there are only a few days when they have the chance to leave early. She says that if there are rules about working hours, she can easily deny her boss work because it is not working time. But because of all the secrets and confidential documents, that is virtually impossible; which most engineers understand.
As for social media technology such as Facebook and LINE, they are not preferred by most Generation Y engineers. Working with technical information, it is necessary to know the details of various shapes to design parts. It is considered as a chance for them to improve themselves to work better and faster.
There are no control tools to help them do this kind of jobs and it is not challenging in their idea. With future engineering requirements, it is absolutely impossible to lose many engineers, resulting in minimum rotations. They believe that it is already enough knowledge for them if they continue to work in this company.
Most Gen Y engineers in this company have little ambition to move into a higher position. In this topic, this is the most important point that causes low job satisfaction and is ranked as.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Regarding the recommendation to increase the job satisfaction level of Thai Generation Y engineers in the Top Japanese Automotive Body Design department; there may be some fields to change. The time frame of the work will not be set as a rule, but the result of the work on the date should be evaluated. Artificial intelligence, technologies or programming can support Gen Y to complete time-consuming repetitive tasks.
An Individual Development Plan (IDP) should be created for everyone to let Gen Y know the future of their career.
