You don't have to look very far today to discover why Google is attracting the Gen Y worker in droves.  The superstar company has been trumpeted by the Great Places to Work Institute, Fortune Magazine and Fast Company for being innovative, smart and doing things the way they need to be done to get young talent in the door.

My daughter Ann (who is a sophomore at Duke University) and I were talking about Google recently, and she informed me that for a young Dukie, working for Google is one of the highest accomplishments a graduate can achieve.  When I asked "Why"?, she said "Because my friends who work there tell me that they feel empowered, inspired and as if their work truly has meaning."

After this conversation with my daugher, I went back and re-read the article in Fast Company which highlights a few of the top employees with Google.  One story that still has me thinking today is the one by Matt Glotzbach, Product Management Director For Google Enterprise.  He mentioned in his interview that on his first day at Google, he was assigned to "figure out how Google could launch Enterprise [applications for corporations] in Europe".   He was the new kid on the block without international experience, but a few months later, Google launched in Europe on the heels of his being empowered to take on this task.

This story ties back into what my daughter and the numerous Gen Y careerists tell me...that they are pulled in by a great salary and the perks but what really seals the deal is the culture of the company and the feeling of empowerment and doing great work.  It is evident from the many stories I am hearing and the research I am conducting that Google is getting it right.  They trust their young employees to take on big, meaningful, WOW! projects and as a result, the Gen Y's who work for Google feel like they are honestly making a difference in the world.

I would like to leave you with a question today "What are you doing and saying to empower your Gen Y employees, to show them that you trust them to do great work and to instill in them the knowing that they are truly making a difference in this world?"  If you cannot answer this question, then it's time to answer it!