Fishing for reliable staff in Gen Y waters

They demand a more active role in the workplace, possess different indicators of success and consider communication via social media a way of life.

They are more confident and outspoken, in contrast to the middle managers from Generation X (born in the 1970s and early 1980s) and exhibit a sense of urgency for change and success.

"This is the change generation who bring a fresh way of looking at things. This talent will be the future leaders of our companies, but they operate at a much faster pace," said Thomas.

"Gen Ys are generally regarded as highly knowledgeable, digitally integrated, globally and socially aware, unconventional, motivated, and pack loads of confidence, which needs to be managed and developed accordingly. The difficulty is to get that balance between the knowledge and the experience. One of the words I will use is wisdom; to manage any business you need to have some amount of wisdom, and wisdom comes from experience and learning on the job.

"The Generation Y is collaborative and unconventional with confidence that compels them to engage in the workplace. Success is built on having a goal inspired by the enthusiasm and confidence that the Gen Y is bringing to meetings, committees, workshops and taskforces."

A 2011 study of almost 200,000 university students in China found that 32 percent of respondents listed foreign-invested enterprises as their first choice, up from 14 percent in 2010. The study also found that the top five desired employers for university students in China were China Mobile, Bank of China, Alibaba.com, Microsoft Corp and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

The Chinese Gen Y hasn't appeared to inherit the same work ethic of their parents, according to Michael Stanat, author of China's Generation Y.

Many aspire to the easy urban life but have maintained a desire for success, albeit with a different definition. The emphasis on a work-life balance coupled with a consumer appetite has meant that ideals of success, and what constitutes a good job, have changed. This has also led to Gen Y being more willing to change roles in search of their perception of success.

In a study conducted by Egon Zehnder International and IBM on 9,156 Chinese Generation Ys, fewer than 50 percent of the respondents said they would be happy working in the same role for more than two years. However, only 6 percent said they would leave the company, preferring to move within a company instead.

"The demand of Chinese Gen Y workers and their desire to not stay in the same role for long comes as no surprise. However, they also need to beware of an inconsistent career path and an erratic CV," said Thomas. "Meanwhile the job-hopping creates financial and logistical difficulties for companies employing the talent."

Cook wants to capitalize on Gen Ys desire to remain within a company by cultivating young talent.

It has created the Cook Young Leaders program, which identifies exceptional individuals and invests in them through upskilling, mentoring and opportunities to grow professionally and personally across the Asia-Pacific region.

From Hong Kong, Pia Warburton, a quintessential Gen Y member, works for Cook throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Warburton's ambition and excitement at her responsibility is palpable.

"There is a system here based on meritocracy which I think people of my generation really respond to. I think the opportunities that I have been given here are not even on the scope of what you think is possible in university."