Point n clickers (20-25)

Point'n'clickers (20-25)

This category has already invaded our workspace. And to meet their requirements we have to be very, very flexible. Many of the best and brightest will quite happily quit a job and go hiking for 12 months just for the hell of it. The way to reach them is to understand them and make it easy for them to do their job. Also realise that, more than ever, this 20-25-and-over age- group (at least the bright ones that we want) are migrating to major centres of population. I'll talk more about the ˜importance of place' later, but there are key locations emerging where the younger talent wants to hang out with each other. London, New York, LA, Brussels, Zurich, Milan and Barcelona all fall into this ˜ magnet ' category. This age group is not daunted by travel or crossing borders, in fact to them it is normal (they'll happily go from London to Paris to a club for a Saturday night). Countries don't really exist for them, national borders don't have any real resonance ( especially true in an ever-enlarging European Union).

In fact, if you can engage them. by being ultra -flexible in the way you employ them, they will reward you in return. They are immensely flexible themselves in their outlook, unfazed by new experience and very often multi-lingual and with a love of challenge. What you will find is that whether they began life in Moscow or Madrid, Lubliana or London, the best and brightest think and talk in the same way, and share the same expectations.

My view is that you badly need these people - far more badly than they need you - in your business. How you find and keep them is up to you. Personally, I'd start by making someone responsible for locating them, establishing the kind of offers you would want to put on the table and researching - for your industry - the kind of work conditions you would need to maintain.