Job perks galore for twentysomethings

Deloitte held its first ever online film festival as a way to recruit Gen Y talent, and employees and interns were asked to participate. The theme of the festival was "What’s Your Deloitte?" and about 370 short candid videos were submitted, with the winning entries posted on YouTube.

"They sent us a camera and told us we could do what ever we wanted. It just had to be under three minutes," says Caudill, who along with three other interns made a rap video called "WTBCTB" that ended up a finalist. (See the YouTube video here.)

"I was impressed with their willingness to go outside the box. It was a shocker, but I think it’s perfect. These firms need to change their image and show us that they’re hip and are adapting to change," he explains. "We want to work hard, but we also want to have that other side of us at work, the technology, which is how we express ourselves."

Cathy Benko, managing principal of talent at Deloitte, says, "It was a way for Gen Y workers to talk to Gen Y workers. We were looking to be connected with the means and medium of their generation."

It looks like it paid off. Caudill recently accepted a full-time job with Deloitte, but he’s not being naive.

"There is a concern that once you sign and they have you that all the fun stuff goes away," he notes. But he’s hopeful that won’t happen based on what he’s heard from other employees. Also, he was just invited to a dodgeball tournament at Deloitte, which he takes as a great sign.

"They recognized that there’s more to life than bottom line and balance sheet," he adds.

The reason Jeremy Burton, the CEO of Serena Software, added his profile to Facebook a few months ago is so he can show potential employees that there’s more to his life than work. "If you’re going to attract Gen Y grads you have to understand their world," he says.

Burton, an avid racecar driver, decided to post videos of his racing antics on his Facebook page.

"These guys are from a different generation that thinks a different way, " says Burton, 40.  "The electronic word has replaced the spoken word. You’ve got to embrace that and go with it. This is a revolution. People who fight against the revolution end up pressed against the wall."

Even old-line manufacturers are getting in on Gen-Y mania.

General Motors — which recently endured a two-day strike as it struggles with declining demand — has put a lot of energy into attracting the younger set to its design team.

Bryan Nesbitt, vice president of design for GM in North America, says it’s all about appealing to Gen Y consumers. By hiring younger workers GM hopes to understand what inspires and is relevant to this group.

As part of this effort, GM told 18 of its summer design interns to "create an iconic Chevrolet concept that will appeal to Gen Y."

Michael Weaker, who as a GM intern who participated in the challenge, says, "I was surprised at how excited I was."

"I never imagined myself at a corporation that size, but I was pleasantly surprised at the heavy emphasis GM is putting on aesthetics," says Weaker, who hasn’t decided what job he’ll take when he finishes his masters in design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. "I would consider the auto industry now."

Many recruiters say Gen Yers don’t take time to look at a broad range of industries and firms, and that’s why smaller companies such as technology firm Endeca are focusing on getting college kids to help spread the word. "People learn about cool companies less based on research but more on who people are talking about on campus," says Michael White, director of the company.

To get students talking, the company sends candy and pizza to study groups on campus, and sometimes backpacks or comfort food during finals. Last year they sent care packages, including information about Endeca, to candidates’ parents.

They’ve also given out a handful of flat-screen TVs to college students who have accepted offers after they graduate and recommended friends to join the company.

With all the goodies to be had, Gen Yers need to get a reality check.

These companies might promise you the world, but the old-fashioned things, like a good salary and making sure there is room for advancement, should still apply. "Look for companies that invest in their people, training and development," advises Karlin Sloan, CEO of Karlin Sloan & Company, a consulting and executive coaching firm.

So, bottom line: Enjoy the perks, but make sure you take a job you’ll enjoy, that is fulfilling and you’re able to pay the rent. Mom and Dad can’t bankroll you forever.

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