How to work better with Gen Y
Not all members of any generation are alike, writes Fortune’s Anne Fisher in her April 28 Ask Annie column. Still, “there are broad trends and patterns of behavior that can be useful in understanding what makes someone in a given age group tick,” says Bruce Tulgan, a consultant who’s made a career out of counseling companies on how to attract, motivate, and keep young employees.
If you manage Gen Y employees, do you think they differ from other generations? What do you like and dislike about their work? Any tips on communicating effectively with them? Gen Yers, what do you like or dislike about the way your boss deals with you? What motivates you (or doesn’t) to do your best work?
The best way to manage our generation is to do work too! Our generation knows that we will have several careers/employers so want to get as much and move up as fast as possible to make it easier to get the next job and sustain our income. Many of our managers are in their position because of tenure, which we do not expect to be available. They operate on the assumption that once they reach this prestige they no longer have to do work. They pass it down to us or most of the time we have no idea what their daily tasks involve. I work the hardest for a manager that shares the same work ethic they are expecting from me. Managers need to stop taking advantage of their position and lead by example. They need to realize that their employees learn what behaviors are acceptable by looking at them as an example…monkey see monkey do!
I’m a generation Y employee. Great article, laughed at each of the 5 points as they were somewhat applicable if not for myself for others that work around me.
The biggest hurdle in working with the baby boomer generation is the lack of communication. In layman’s terms their communication style is ‘old school’. They don’t communicate well verbally. We’ve grown up on cell phones, live video chat, text messaging that is instant, all things that increase our ability to communicate exactly what the other is thinking or needs done. Our boomer generation bosses seem to expect jobs, requirements, standards without verbalizing. They grunt, roll eyes, cuss, and often times appear flustered without communicating exactly what they would have wanted done differently. Our generation is used to addressing needs immediately and efficiently if told exactly what is required.
Barring entreprenuerial endeavors, most cases of career development are working cooperatively with different generations. Gen Y is used to multitasking, working quickly, and using efficiencies to do things only once (with proper guildlines and verbal instruction) and in order to do that do not want to waste time trying to interpret and redo work that will not be acceptable to the older generation if not communicated properly.
All in all fantastic article. Thanks
I slip into Generation Y at ‘81 and have worked in two places and have two master degrees to my credit.
- The working late in the office idea is so dated anyone who thinks of as a general indicator should start thinking about retirement. I hardly ever am here past six, yet whenever anyone (dad, colleague, boss) asks what I am doing they are floored by the volume. Technology breeds efficiency and we know how to leverage it. Also we work outside of the office gladly. Why on earth would I want to work in my cubicle on the dated equipment provided by the company when I relax on a couch in my loft on an up to date computer and do the same work?
- To my fellow Gen Yers, whatever work you are given the product (even if it doesn’t matter) should wow. Making copies then they should be collated, neat and done instantly. If you wow you will get more work, if you say well it doesn’t matter and just do it, then you are ensuring you will only get things that don’t matter.
-Our baby boomer parents provided most of us with top flight education, extracurriculars, etc. We are primed to do important, meaningful work and contribute right away. If you don’t offer that then don’t expect to get the best of our generation. There are employers who do and we saw companies break the idea of loyalty with our parents. Think about your own kids and what you expect them to be able to do once they are on there own. Certainly there are plenty of Gen Yers who aren’t ready because lessons (formal and informal) didn’t sink in. However, expecting this is the case and requiring putting in the time and working your way up is a great way to guarantee that you get the middle of the pack.
I disagree that my generation needs counseling. I am a Marine Corps Veteran and in the military you grow up a lot faster for the most part. I do see some people of my generation that are like that and it annoys me as well as it annoys the baby boomer generation. I don’t think you should label the whole generation though since it is not everyone of us. I’ve met several baby boomers who are hard headed, do their 40 and hit the door, put in the bare minimum at work and expect everyone else to pick up the slack. Half the time I have to explain to them how to do something because they’re so against technology or listening to direction until it comes time to use it or lose their job then they turn to me to do the job for them, I was a leader of Marines so my teaching methods are a little different then most and if you don’t take notes when I tell you the first time I’m not telling you again. That’s why we make SOP’s and turnovers binders. I think a lot of the individuals of my generation would be better off if they had gone into the military and learned the discipline and the work ethic the military has to offer.
Rule #1 in management is that you need to consider that you may be the root cause of any failure on your team. I’m not saying you need to shoulder all blame, but it is mandatory to make an honest evaluation.
All of the symptoms described in the column which are ascribed to “Generation Y” are the warning signs of weak leadership. In particular, it seems like management here may be inflexible and top down as opposed to embracing an agile, consensus driven approach. Positive communication seems to be lacking. Newsflash– you have to communicate goals and expectations constantly if you want to be successful in a changing business environment– no matter who you are managing.
As a generation “Yer” I wanted to respond to this notion that we need a strict schedule and guidelines to perform. I have found that the reason we seek these guidelines is because our managers require things to be done a certain way, but often neglect to tell us. So we may have spent a lot of quality time and work on something, but once we deliver it to our manager, they reject because it doesn’t fit their personal bias. We don’t strict guidance because we don’t know how to do something or don’t want to work hard enough, but because we are tired of feeling like we are constantly failing or screwing something up when we really haven’t. We just want to get it right the first time and move on.
What a great article. I mentor and coach new teachers and currently have two first-year Gen Y’rs who think they know everything. One is fairly bright but arrogant and the other is just plain stupid with comments such as, “I can’t spell Wednesday, so why should they?” I know you cannot fix stupid but I will take your advice to heart when dealing with the know-it-all.
I’m beginning to understand something after reading the comments about what some of us have faced. I’m genuinely starting to believe that employers are making up false stories about the majority of us due to the fact that our work ethics are so high, and due to the fact that we can accomplish so much in the 8 hours a day that we have at the office compared to others in the same line of work. Our employers in the baby boomer generation as well as others, are beginning to feel threatened due to our advancement.
Our generation shows personality, and acceptance to unconventional thinking, we have clear yet open minds but, are criticized for that and perceived to be something that we infact are not. Eventually one day this will get better, but I believe that we are going to have to wait until the next generation comes into the work force…nothing you know can be easy in life unless your just born either rich or exceptionally lucky!
I belong to the Gen Y club and I work at one of Fortune’s “Top 50 Most Admired Companies”.
I agree with a lot of things mentioned by the author, most importantly, the personal approach and constant attention aspect of it.
Lastly, I must confess, I am surprised to see managers and senior managers who have taken 20+ years to reach their position and I believe Gen Y will take less time to do the same…
I don’t see “Gen Y” or “Gen X.” I see “youth.”
I thought I knew it all when I was that age too. It takes a bit of arrogance and “can do” attitude to succeed, hopefully tempered with a bit of common sense. I’d rather see youth with ambition than youth without it.
I spent many years in management at a “Fortune 100″ firm, and we recruited “top 5%” college graduates from top universities every year. I really don’t see any difference now than I did ten or fifteen years ago.
You’ll always find something that plays to stereotypes if that’s what you’re looking for. If you instead seek to see talented individuals, that’s what you just might find.
Sure, I’ve had to tell some young staff members that club clothes belong at the club. On the other hand, I used to wear a leather jacket and biker boots to work. Sometimes I still do. Leadership and conformity don’t always mesh, and you need to be able to see beyond the nose ring.
The author of the book was not able to find a clear common trait that might describe workers of the generation and this speaks poorly of him. I will give it a good try.
All though an over used term “no nonsense” applies beautifuly. I enjoy clear straigh forward ideas. Bold honesty, and solid strategic direction. No office politics. No power distance issues. I like results, and will work negatively with a a manager that fails to prove himself a natural leader.
There are many different views expressed in this article and many comments. I believe each individual is a product of their environment, how they where raised, and a lot has to do with their own personal goals. If one chooses not to demonstrate initiative in the workplace it is not a generation factor but a personal downfall. I am definitely apart of the “Y” generation I am 21years old yet I have accomplished a lot more then a lot of those I know who are much older. I have been working in a professional environment since the age of 16 when others got jobs at fast food restaurants, malls, or movie theaters like most my age at the time, I chose to work in a professional setting within a sales environment. Every job I have obtained since then has been better then the last, some I may quit in order to pursue better opportunities, not a matter of loyalty to a company but… Why would I stay with a company if a better or more lucrative opportunity arose? Although some corporations I worked for went down due to the economy and I was laid off, I never settled for less then I knew what I was capable of. I now own my own home that I financed with NO help from my parents since the age of 20. I own 2 cars that I purchased also on my own with no co-signer and I continue to work in stable job in a difficult economy where many are unemployed. We are not all lazy and we do not all need hand holding or extra “coaching every day” to know what is expected. Frankly I would find everyday mentoring annoying if I know my job already. I go to work with an ambitious attitude and strive to move up within the company and many times I have mentored others in all age groups. It is not a matter of arrogance of wanting to move up too quickly but a matter of not settling for mediocrity and trying to go above and beyond expectations.
To answer this main column…just like you have expectations, this generation has them too, so find out what they are and try to meet in the middle. Some maybe a little too forward with theirs (ive sat in group meetings where the managers wanted to know what makes us tick (trying to improve thier attrition rates) and the majority ask for some absolute nutter butter stuff; it was like they missed the point.) but some of us in this generation has a little bit of common sense. And I agree with another poster, its not really a generational thing but you just going through your motions with youth. Our generation needs to learn that we cannot get our way all the time (that came from parenting, however not everyone was reared that way). Both just needs to learn how to meet in the middle and get along thats all.
I hear alot about so-called hand holding that managers have to deal with…you just have to do a better job screening and also maybe look at your training program and how effective it is (that is if you have one). What kills me here is reading comments about people who do not want to deal with our so-called generation (like you can pick what generation you want to work with)…I think you just have to bite the bullet here because we are the next wave and after 10 yrs or so (once all the boomers retire)…you have absolutely no choice but to deal so managers should be looking for effective solutions instead of carrying on about it…I am not trying to be arrogant im just stating reality here
Well, Lelia, if you really feel you can’t just tell your boss what you need, then why not print out the column, hand it to him or her with the parts you agree with highlighted, and say, “I think we should talk about this”? It’s worth a try! He or she would probably welcome the chance to discuss your work, so don’t be shy!
I’m about to break one of my cardinal life rules: Never get into an argument on the internet. Nevertheless, I couldn’t leave this one alone.
As a “Gen-Y’er” who is gainfully employed and has worked as a hiring manager in the past, I find these juvenile posts regarding how to ‘handle’ my peers to be both ridiculous and in bad taste. In the 5 years I worked as a sales manager before moving to my current position, I had the opportunity to interview and hire dozens of new employees, across all age groups and many walks of life. In that time, the folks I had the most trouble with were not from my generation, but from the ‘boomers’.
Everytime I turned around there was some new excuse for why things weren’t getting done! “I can’t learn a new computer system, I just learned the old one.” “I am just so bad with computers.” “I forgot how to email this list again, can you show me (for the 4th time this week)?” Do you know what that tells me about baby boomers? Not a thing. What it tells me is that those particular people made poor excuses for their own lack of flexibility.
Similarly, if you think you are having a problem with ‘Gen-Y’, look at your management practices. Do you have expectations of your employees that you don’t specify? Do you expect your employees to put in hours of unpaid overtime every week? Let me tell you the one massive generalization that I believe has the most truth to it regarding my generation: we have no respect for hypocrites. If your company policy is that employees should balance work and home life, but only people who put in 10-15 hours of unpaid overtime a week get promoted, then you are a hypocrite, and no one else has bothered to tell you.
Here’s a simple formula for ensuring you are helping your employees become as successful as possible:
Step 1: In plain terms, define your workplace expectations and requirements.
Step 2: Reward those employees who are fulfilling their obligations to the company in the best/most efficient ways possible.
Step 3: Discipline employees who are not fulfilling their obligations to the company.
Step 4: Profit.
I’m def. a GenYer, I completely agree with all the highlights. I want to perform at work, but how do I bring that up to my manager and tell them that this is what I need?
Considering the economic times, I suspect that the characteristics — self center, lazy, unrealistic exceptions — will change. This is in fact the worst economic downturn since the great depression.
Already, we are seeing the demand for college and master degree graduates. Increasingly, young people are facing challenges that the “won’t happen to me” generation never anticipated. They will be humbled and will learn to be grateful for the things the opportunities they earn; rather than simply feeling entitled to rewards devoid of the handwork associated with it.
I agree with most of what was said about Gen Y. Though im not sure if its “lazy” or a need of a different type of motivation. However, from the standpoint of a fresh college grad working in an environment with not a lot of direction how would I let the concerned parties know that I need rigid schedule and hard guidelines. Feel free to e mail me comments dmdelind@gmail.com
To Eric who thinks that Gen Y habits can be blamed on Gen X habits, try some basic math. Gen Y are people born 1978-1990, a Gen Xer such as myself born in 1971 would be unlikely to be parenting most of them. Also, do you blame your bad habits on your parents?
Gen Yers for the most part are undisciplined and lazy toddlers who can be divided into two groups: the underachievers and the rock stars. I should know, I am one and I’m embarrassed to be associated with them. The underachievers are the ones that require constant hand holding and can barely manage their own lives let alone their jobs. They spent so much time having a good time in college that they forgot to grow up. Then you have the rock stars, they think they’re going to be either a vice president before they’re 30 or leave after a couple years and start the next Google since this joint is holding them back. These guys are bigger morons than the underachievers. They’re completely result-oriented instead of solution-oriented and think they’re going to do it all, all at once. They have total disregard for process and don’t know that it took Google eight years to go public AND they actually had a unique idea.
Obviously, neither of these types of new employees are ones you want to deal with, and if I ever start my own business I’m going to spend time looking for quality new employees instead of planning on dealing with employees who’ll require constant handholding and/or make numerous demands and take up more of my time that I could use being productive. These guys take up way too much energy and resources, and with the disloyal landscape of the corporate world, it’s just not worth it to put too much effort into these guys. You’re either better off spending time vetting a new quality employees or spending the money for an experienced employee. A mix of both will probably yield optimal results.
But overall, don’t plan on dealing with toddlers. You’re running a business, not a daycare center. Eventually, Gen Yers have to come down to Earth.
I’m a 42 year old engineering manager, and as I read the article I was saying “yes, yes and yes”. Right or wrong, my “generation” of engineers starting out in the sink or swim world. You had to find your way on your own and start participating right away, not as a leader, but respecting our elders as having the experience.
I find new recruits to be intelligent but with overblown expectations of “moving up quickly” which just isn’t possible for everyone. Also, gen “Y” is not so advanced that every idea they have is better and they can catapult much faster to the top. That isn’t sour grapes, its just thoughts from someone from the old school of “paying dues”.
Not all young folks fit into this category, but I do see the overall trend and have to deal with it regularly – mainly managing expectations of engineers who expect to move up the ladder rapidly and feel they have the more efficient answers and solutions than more experienced folks, which turns out often to not be the case.
I currently work for a “Good Old Boy” company that tries to portray itself as GenY friendly and it pisses me off. Being a Gen Yer(millenial or whatever you guys call us), I’ve noticed that it doesn’t matter how much work you do or how much you accomplish, it’s how much you suck up to your boss. Some of the older crowd put in about 70 hrs of work, but I get the same amount of work and then some, done in half the time. Maybe if they didn’t take so many smoking breaks they could actually get their stuff done on time instead of “milking” the system. One of my biggest complaints is how close minded the older guys are. I have a CRT monitor at my workstation!!! It’s frickin 2009! I don’t understand how this billion dollar company can be so cheap.
Anyways, I believe that if you just sit down with us and give us a plan and list of expectations, we will make you happy. It also helps to reward progress. Just because you guys are always miserable doesn’t mean we have to be too!!!
Its funny, I showed up at 7:45 every morning thinking I was early the first week I started. Come to find out the work day started at 7. I wish that was written somewhere, lol.
I too spend many days making copies, coloring, and sending emails. Not what I expected to do as an engineer. Oh, I’m 23 btw.
Getting by the piercings, tattoos, and club wear at work is a bit tough for us boomers. As is the constant drama in the lives of our Gen “Y ers”.
Yes, many make demands based on nothing but having a big mouth. And, they get what they want. But I fear the Peter Principle is at work here and the company will ultimately suffer.
I’ve noticed a lack of ethics and moral with this crowd also. Come to think of it, maybe they will fit in nicely.
I’m wartime generation and I can remember feeling the exact same way about the Boomers when they came into my company. They were cocky, arrogant, lazy, didn’t listen, and required constant hand-holding. They all wanted to “start out at the top and work their way sideways” (as we used to say).
Of course, as I got older and wiser I realized that this wasn’t a generational thing, but a youth thing. I’m sure my father’s generation thought the same thing of me once too.
I would be curious to know what these older generations looked like on their first days of work. My guess is they forget their own initial level of ineptitude. And the real concern here might be GenXers’ lack of ability to lead and set an example for the next generation. In my opinion, the quality of their parenting supports this idea.
I completely disagree that this new generation requires so much hand holding. As fairly new member of the working world, I find myself much more ambitious then many of my older peers. In my current position I am 5 years younger than anyone else and I’m not content to expect little to no career development, even in the current state of the economy. This doesn’t mean that I expect things to just be handed to me; I work hard in order to distinguish myself from my peers. I think we bring new point of view to the working world. Just because you stay later doesn’t mean that you are able to accomplish more than the individual who leaves right on time. We are about efficiency, finding creative ways to decrease the amount of time required to complete a task. If anything we are a refreshing change to workforce that has become set in its ways and unwilling to change their outdated tactics.
Please.
So what this article should really be called, is how to scapegoat “Y” and excuse “Boomers” from the personal responsibility of failing to do their own jobs.
Every one of these tactics is basic common sense and MGMT 101. They are unilateral solutions any decent manager applies to teams composed of any groups as concepts of decency and integrity.
Show me a team of employees that doesn’t need constant coaching or evaluation and I’ll show you a manager that doesn’t serve a purpose.
Furthermore, if my work day ends at 5, I leave at 5. Since when has it become OK for the work environment to demand precedence over one’s personal life? Getting the job is one thing, monopolizing an employee’s time without proactive and clearly-defined expectations is another. That’s called stealing.
The connection between effort and advancement goes far beyond the subjective perception of one’s boss regarding the time you arrive and leave every day. If you’re working hard and they can’t see that – you’re in the wrong place. Employment is a contract between two individuals or entities. If one side cannot meet it’s end of the bargain, renegotiate.
Gen Y, stand up for yourselves.
Very impressive study of behavior patterns and expectations of Gen-Y. I am a 26 year old employee working in the corporate world. When I started my career my manager then did share his experience with us and helped us understand the expectations the corporate world might have as we grow. I have tired to implement some of his suggestions in my work pattern and the results have helped me achieve more as against my peers and certainly in less TIME. Some things that took him around 10 years to understand , sharing that experience with us helped me understand that quicker and puttin those tips to test made me a smart worker.
Not all Gen Y-er’s (oh how I hate that term) are the same. I was born in 1984 and I have a stronger work ethic that most of my older co-workers. If you are having trouble with people that age, maybe you need to screen your applicants better.
Oh, come off it. Nobody thinks all members of any generation are alike (as both the question AND the answer in that column clearly stated). And when you say “us” and “we”, referring to Gen Y, aren’t you painting everyone in your age group with a broad brush?
First of all, I would like to thank you for completely stereotyping our age group and failing to give young people a chance. While many of the young people out might struggle in the corporate workplace, the comments made (in my opinion) were mind-numbingly descriminatory. And most of the “problems” we have were created by the people who raised us. So let me address a few things as a “gen-y”-er.
1. Yes, many young people dare micromanaged. But you also have to give them opportunities to do it themselves. Tell them to do something before showing them. If I dont know something I ask, and I do not expect my boss to get up from his desk and walk me down to the copier and show me what buttons to press.
2. Company Loyalty? This concept is a complete joke in this day and age. When we have been in the workplace for 6 months, and half the department gets fired, you dont have to be very bright to notice they were all the eldest and lest productive people. They cost too much. You can get rid of one 50+ worker and hire 3 25 year olds, not to mention insurance, benefits, retirement, etc. and we all know this is a big factor in letting people go. You expect us to literally dedicate our lives to a company for 20+ years to get a kick in the butt out the door when we are looking at retirement? I have been at my job for 1.5 years and I am already looking to move on, I just have to wait for my retirement account to be vested.
3. Please, please, please, give us more work. Give us more than we can do! More than you think is reasonable. We are the age group that can talk on IM, talk on the phone, watch tv, and play a game a the same time. Those might be “fun” things, but the same concepts apply to work.
4. We are goal oriented. If you tell us at the end of this project, if we can hit x% approval rate (or whatever) we all get a fat bonus, you better believe that most of us will be there late into the night to complete it.
5. National debt is not the fault of our Gen-Xers and we (should) know that. It is the fault of our government leaders who cannot balance an account book to prevent water boarding. If this country was a company, we would have been bankrupt A LONG time ago. Unfortunately, Gen-Y will bear the brunt of these previous mistakes. We will (literally) be taxed to death to pay for misappropriated social insecurity, these bailouts, and the face that we spend more than we make.
So Annie, while I enjoy your column, please dont sterotype us. And next time you cant figure out how to do something on that “damn computer” dont come asking a Gen-Yer you’ve identified as a failure without YOUR generation’s help…..
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The most important point here is the fact that Gen-Y bring to light a lot of innovation that during previous years would not exist. Moreover, their passion for results and open-minded behaviour is just a sight that these generation is not as complex as it seems.
Finally, the biggest problem here is not the Gen-Y itself but the way Gen-X manage them. Gen-X were used to behave as if everything has a script, as if everything can be predicted and can be under their control.
It is not like that and Gen-Y are likely to deal better with CHANGE.
They own a high level of adaptability and this is crucial to the “long-life” of an enterprise.
Ah, Yolanda, the reason so many newspapers are in trouble now is that fewer and fewer people these days get their information from print on paper (in any form; plenty of magazines aren’t doing so well either…) I’d suggest putting your info on video if at all possible. More and more companies have caught on to this, in all kinds of surprising contexts. I’ll give you an example: A few weeks ago I asked my doctor about a genetic test I was considering having done, and he reached into a cabinet and pulled out a brochure and a video. He said, “You probably want to read about it, but I have this video if you want it.” Apparently the pharmaceutical company that makes the test produced the video for people who — even though their health may be stake — can’t be bothered to read a brochure. !!! I was kind of amazed. Anyway — you might try that approach. Readers, any other suggestions on how to reach employees or candidates (Gen Y or not) who don’t read?
Hi Annie!
I have been a college recruiter for 13 years and one thing I have recently noticed about Gen Y is that they don’t read! Any advice on how to communicate important information to these Gen Yer’s who at times behave as if hooked on phonics didn’t work for them?
I am a 46 year old manager of many Gen Y employees. They can’t all be lumped together just like no group of people should be lumped together. That being said, I am now coaching, on a daily basis, an employee who has worked here almost 9 months. He is 23, educated and bright. However, he needs constant guidance on even where to find the corporate stationery! I had to walk him down to the mail room and show him. Now this is someone who has been doing our billing for 9 months! A little too much hand holding. We are so regulated in the way that we can treat employees these days that they barely know how to use the bathroom without direction.
I have found my experiences match up with the article pretty well. I’m an older Gen Y by this article’s benchmark (1980).
I’ve worked for one company for over 5 years, and I personally consider myself fairly corporately loyal – I like my fortune 500 employer, and hope to work my entire career here. That doesn’t mean I am content to stay in one job for the whole career.
My dad has a title of VP at a Fortune 500 company, and I was raised believing (expecting?) that I could (would) attain the same rank before retirement.
In 5 years I’m on my 3rd job within my current company. My second role was facilitated by my mentor, who said this boss (Gen-Xer) would ‘take me under his wing and show me the ropes’ to prepare for management. As the article articulates, I was looking forward to this personalized attention as a means to help advance my career and my value to the company. I had to schedule meetings to have any conversation or even ask a question of my boss – outside of the semi-annual review, where he would explain my shortcomings that I had asked to address previously. I lasted in that role 2 years, and moved on.
My new boss (also Gen-Xer) takes his professional enjoyment in developing young talent, and has 15+ managers and directors within our company among his list of developed individuals.
In a non-structured way, he takes the time to work with each of his 15 employees (Boomers through GenY), and encourage opportunity and personal development. In 2 years with this boss, I’ve earned one promotion, and my next job will be a management (or at least team-lead in title) role. Based on candid conversations, this is expected to be around the next 2 years.
I’m driven, smart, willing to work hard and long hours, just need a little more guidance than Gen Xers remember getting a generation ago.
-A Random Gen Y man
(And don’t preach to me about not understanding responsibility or expectation – I’m married with 2 kids, have 2 diplomas, and a mortgage – I’m not some kid going out drinking every weekend)
It’s amusing that the generation that ushered in liberalism and free-thinking ideals are now complaining that their offspring’s generation lacks… er… conservative work values.
Be careful what you wish for.
Just to stir the pot a little…
Aren’t the Gen X’ers that are complaining about the Gen Y crowd our parents?
Was there no responsibility on them to help get us ready for the ‘real world’ in terms of expectation and achievement?
Apparently babysitting skills are now a prerequisite for effective managers and leaders. I thought Gen Y’ers were encouraged to color outside the lines to foster creativity and innovation. It seems as though the lack of structure in their formative years has provided them with an inability to find there own way.
I am barely a Gen Xer (1977), and while I tend to agree with much of the observations about the very newly minted workers, I have equal amounts of contempt for the boomers who somehow manage to gloss over the fact that todays issues are the ones they created and that their “success” has proven largely cosmetic and the result of some enormous front-loading of benefits from Uncle Sam! Frankly, I’m not convinced their formative environment was so “sink or swim”…for the better part of the last 30 years they’ve known ever lower interest rates, ever lower taxes, ever increasing asset prices and ever increasing government spending – tough to see how this soon to retire generation (the decision makers that created today’s environment) have a leg to stand on when the ascribe all of their success to “hard work”. Tough sell.
Gen Y will either quickly learn to assimilate or they won’t get the raises, bonuses, and promotions they expect. Because who approves those raises, bonuses, and promotions? Boomers and Xers, of course.
I am 28, an MBA and manager at one of the top 500 companies in the US. I agree with my cohorts that our generation has little, if any, loyalty to our companies. I’ve always been regarded by my employers as one of the top performers. I must mention that I don’t work past 5pm. I make an effort to work as effectively and effiently as possible to minimize my work. I do things in a systematic way that allows me to budget my time and finish everything in 8 hours or less. Like the rest of my peers I expect to work and get paid for it. We are all just a number. During the current quarter I’ve see countless good people get laid-off because the company needed to cut costs.
Belive it or not I gained my perspective on life from my father. A man who spent countless hours at the office. Our lifestyle came as a result of what our parents tought us. Baby boomers were the first to see what corporate america had become. My father, much like any parent, wanted me to live a better life than he did. He taught me that as long I did my work and the company paid me we were both recieving the benefits.
We used to call all of this “spoon feeding.” Frankly, I’m pretty offended that they need spoon feeding, and if they need that much direction and instruction then they aren’t as competent as they think they are.
I’m a tweener – I was born in 1980, so depending on who you ask I’m either late gen-X or early gen-Y. In any case, I think there is a HUGE generational gap between boomers, Xers, and Yers. Boomers grew up in the era after WWII where people rarely hopped jobs, companies employed people for 30+ years, and people climbed the corporate ladder through seniority rather than capability. How long you’d been there and how many hours you put in were the measurement criteria, not necessarily how productive you were in that time or if there was a better way to do things. Gen Xers grew up in the fallout of the 1970’s and the yuppy greed of the 1980’s. There was some residual loyalty complex carried over from the Boomers, but most of the focus was on money and wealth – screw everything else. Gen Y tends to care more about balance – do what needs to be done at work, but make sure that you’re home life is in order too. In all cases, these generations are a product of their environment and how they were raised. The parents of boomers were survivors of the Great Depression and 2 World Wars. The parents of Xers were early boomers who were a product of the 50’s and 60’s – Rock & Roll and Flower Power, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights – basically anti-establishment (and yes, my grandparents thought my parents were ungrateful slackers when they were teens and early 20s). Is it any wonder that the Xers grew up to care less about the “establishment” (ie – large corporations) and more about themselves and their personal careers? Gen Y merely continues that tradition from Gen X – there is no sense of loyalty to companies who have absolutely no loyalty to their employees. Companies look at employees not as people but as statistics. They even refer to people using terms like “headcount” rather than as human beings. Layoffs, salaries as low as they can get away with, fewer benefits (both actual and fringe), and the constant risk of outsourcing have completely eroded trust in employers. I’ve watched people at every level and from every demographic treated like garbage in the name of short-term profits and protecting the stock price, mostly by boomers with MBAs who’ve forgotten that companies exist for more than just maximizing shareholder returns or boosting short-term profits to hit bonus targets. It’s no wonder that Gen-Y (and a lot of Gen-X) is no longer enamored with sacrificing large portions of their lives for companies that view them as disposable.
I challenge all of the managers of Gen-Y folks who have called them undisciplined or lazy to take a good hard look at the work product put out. I notice that most of the complaints have little or nothing to do with the actual work, merely with how Gen-Y goes about it. If the Gen-Yers are getting everything done that is being asked of them at an acceptable quality level, then is the complaint really valid? Is the problem more from a cultural standpoint in that you, as managers, had to put in more time when you were their age? If so, challenge your own assumptions – the technology and productivity tools available today SHOULD be making these Gen Y workers more efficient. Rather than resenting that, embrace it and challenge these Gen-Y folks to give you more and better products. Hand off work that you would normally do, but that they can handle – it will show that you trust them with higher level work, and it will give you another opportunity to evaluate their true capability. Universities today focus on leadership and and real-life experiences as part of the curriculum. Is it any wonder that in many ways the Gen-Y folks are bored with entry-level roles and find the work to be extremely easy? I know that several of my 400 level business school courses were more difficult and required more out of me than anything I’ve faced in my first decade in the workplace.
My current role is the first time I’ve been really challenged by both the depth and breadth of my assignments, and it’s no coincidence that I’m putting out the best work I’ve ever done. I think you’ll find that the same is true of everybody regardless of generation. “The hottest forge produces the hardest steel.”
As a gen Y’er, I have to agree about the constant coaching and structure. It took my first boss about 4 months to figure that out, and after he did we became the go to team.
The idea that we need to hear “no” is a VERY bad idea. It’s also a really great way to hurt the company. The author hits the nail on the head that our generation is open to new ideas and continuous improvement. We don’t handle menial tasks well (data entry). Our knowledge and understanding of technology has built an expectation and desire for instant gratification. We don’t want to waste time entering data, we want to get past that and get into the meat of the problem we were hired to solve. The very best at our company in continuous improvement are the gen y’ers. They question everything and don’t waste time on “the way it’s always been done.”
Every performance review I have I beg for ways to improve. The last thing I want to hear is “keep up the good work.” Why even waste my time with a review? I knew I was meeting expectations by the fact that I haven’t been disciplined. Tell me how I can get better! Anything I come up with on my own is going to be selfish (as we are heavily accused of being) simply because I am being told that I don’t have to do anything different to help the company. If that’s true, fine. I will improve my own situation.
I am a boomer and a college professor. Perhaps, the root of the problem for young professionals is the high grading, student evaluations, etc.–that lead to entitlement. Students expect A’s and B’s and profs and slammed if they give a C. So, when the Y’s enter the workforce they expect the equivalent A’s and B’s with minimal efforts. Plus, they often have a sour attitude: “Why work hard; they might lay me off anyway”–which, of course, can become self-fulfilling!!
Gen Y–if you want to get ahead, go to a tough college and major in engineering or the sciences (not “social science”..) The required discipline will do you well–and don’t expect something for nothing.
Obiviously, I am generalizing–but I really see it as a trend.
I’m 38 and workers just 10 years younger than me are a real problem here. Sure, they know all the technology, which is great since I don’t have to train them on that. But the biggest problem I have is that when they’ve completed a task, they don’t bother coming to ask me if there’s anything else that needs to be done… They just assume the rest of the day is ‘playtime’ to surf the Web, watch YouTube, text their BF or GF, walk down the hall multiple times to take cell calls, etc. Annoying!
I am a GenX’r and although my experience with GenY’rs has been mixed (some positive experiences), my overall experience has been negative.
Generally speaking, I find GenY’rs to be highly demanding, selfish, and self-centered to the point they do not mind taking advantage of anyone perceived to be in their way of getting what they want and desire. When those same tactics are used in their direction, they scream bloody-murder. Nothing terrible is ever supposed to happen to them. Apparently, they never learned the concept that sometimes bad things happen to good people … or said another way, sh*t happens sometimes.
In addition, I find GenY to be part of the so-called “entitlement generation” … “I am entitled to this just because I am who I am”. And all this crap about them being energetic and all their enthusiam, I remember being like that 20 years ago, too. I imagine my older boomer counterparts sighed at me and thought “he’ll eventually learn”. Then realities set in over time, and those same realities will set in for the GenY’rs as well.
Again, I have had some real good experiences with some GenY’rs … mature, confident but not overly so, etc … but by far and large I find GenY to be a generation that says “Look at me world … look at me … aren’t I just so impressive?” Group hugs for everyone!
I would suggest reading the book “Generation Me”, where the author argues that the children of the 70s, 80s, and 90s have one thing in common: self at the center.
In a misguided attempt to cultivate self-esteem (and this goes on in our schools today), the children of Generation Me have often been given an important dose of narcissism and a sense of self-worth which is disconnected from their actual abilities and accomplishments.
I’m not far in the book to know if it offers practical solutions for the workplace, but it’s definitely a fascinating study on the young people of today (that I’m part of).
I think most of what I’ve noticed my short time in the post-college workplace has been stated. Whom are the later generations to say how things should be done–your sense of entitlement was just the same out of the 1950s and 1960s–I dare you to talk to your parents about it. It was you who were the “spoiled” generation to begin with and you showed it as time progressed just the same. Someone already mentioned the deficit and building a financial structure that quite frankly cannot support itself. You elected perhaps one of the worst presidents of the United States when we couldn’t even vote yet. Really?
Anyway…
My post undergrad, pre-law days (presently) have brought me through a large corporation and had no problem leaving and a large public university. The corporation was a joke. It treated us fresh graduates like it was 1960 and we’d be with the company for 30 years. Even with stock options, at 21 it’s not something I was ready to take seriously. Secondly, managers didn’t question anything and really didn’t know anything outside of their curriculum. Seriously, use your heads–buh bye. Was that move just me, or my generation?
The following job actually has allowed me to make technological and process changes. My boss, a baby boomer, although one who tries to maintain a certain tech-savviness, has completely handed me the reigns on many projects and will only check in time to time. I don’t always come in exactly on time, I stay late for a few minutes when necessary but not always. We all seem to get along fine. I think the issue might be with the boomer micromanagers. My gut tells me that’s not for us nor is it the future.
Generation Yers as corporate CEOs. Yes, only we may actually have some accountability…
http://www.theoldpeoplescrewedus.com – coming soon. No, seriously.
Generation Y “Over parented” Ha, what a joke! The Baby boomers were the first generation to popularize the daycare, and generation Y is a product of you baby boomers. You reap what you sow, if you have a problem with us, you should point your finger back at yourself and realize you created this problem by paying someone $5.00 an hour to take care of your child. Instead of taking time away from work you plugged your child into a TV, Video game, or a computer to eliminate having to do any parenting at all. Excuse generation Y from not wanting to stay at work past 5 in order to have an actual relationship with their child. After seeing the error of your ways we have learned something, we suggest you do the same.
As a new employee fresh out of college, I blambe the baby boomers for the entitlement attitude of our generation. Baby boomers were so sucessful, they spoiled their children with vacations, clothes and video games. Now it’s harder for kids to move out of their parents’”nice” house and easy lifestyle and work for $30K a year.
I don’t condone the lazy attitudes, but it is a much harder adjustment for us.
I work in public accounting, so I never leave at 5pm, 60-70 hours a week are standard. However, I know this is a fasttrack to success- and not very many people my age would ever work that hard. However, the older employees at my client seem more bitter and lazy- no one ever stays past five.
Basically I feel it boils down to proper leadership skills that are required to be adapted based on a given situation to manage Gen Y (or even Gen X). You need to learn the art of changing your leadership style for each individual (not significantly) by indentifying each behavioral characteristics and ideate a workable & manageable leadership approach to motivate and make an employee perform in her/ his tasks. I also agree that you need to spend time with them constantly, however in the mean time you need to show and guiding them to be more independent in making decisions, if not they would limit them selfs to take risks and learn from the outcome.
Young and Tired of the Same ol BS Washington, DC you’re spot on there. I guess they forgot the hippie era and all of those shenanigans that followed. They have bankrupted public companies (and America), destroyed the environment, caused half the world to hate us (due to their exploitation of the rest of the world) and even allowed our industries to fall behind and be overtaken by international competitors (due to their short-sided dividend / profit / shareholder driven attitude). All in the name of satisfying their thirst for the no longer mighty dollar; thanks for that too. My favorite was their yearning to move to the ridiculously outer burbs and abandon our cities. So while everyone else in the world is moving into metro cities for efficiency and convenience, this genius generation know as gen x decided to move entire cities to the burbs. Just another problem our generation is left to fix from these soon to be geriatrics. Way to go geniuses. But hey, at least you guys are loyal and motivated. That is all that counts. If anything, the faster we can push them out of work the better chance we have of returning America to the glory and period of innovation, that they inherited from their parents.
Yes, we are a generation who has no job loyalty as we have not received it in return. Why? Because we recognize that within a heart beat our positions can and are exported. We have learned from the tribulations and mistakes of the previous generation who put so much into companies, only to be exploited and kicked to the curb; all in the names of dividends for shareholders. So why should we be foolish and loyal? But anyway, loyalty is a two way street. If you cannot guarantee it, I will not bother providing it. My attitude towards work is that I provide a service and am paid for it accordingly, nothing more nothing less. I have learned from my parents and older siblings that devotion is a facade and should be treated as such. I am contracted to work until 5, therefore I only work until 5.
PS Thanks for the 10 trillion in debt. Great job guys.
As a “Gen X”er I find this entire article and commentary pointless and lame. In the long run, we all end up dead.
-rufusmcbufus
Back when wages were lower, companies were able to hire a few more people giving eveyone a little freedom in their day to add value in their own personal way. Those days are gone. I’m 41, and despite a long track record of strong independent accomplishments, it has reached a state where there is no longer wiggle room for me to make those value added accomplishments. If I were a new employee, I would view mundane tasks negatively if I didn’t have an opportunity to add value in a way that draws upon my person skills. Let them make accomplishments and they will be an excellent resource to your company, just like the older employees.
Agreed, it’s not a generational issue its a management issue. The statements made about Gen Y’ers are stereotypes – oversimplified, exaggerated, and demeaning assumptions. Same goes for the statements regarding the boomers. Fresh out of college I started my first engineering job expecting to be put on challenging projects and work alongside senior engineeers who could show me the ropes. Instead I was assigned a mentor who wanted nothing to do with me and was more interested in getting his own work done without wasting his time on me. Management was busy doing their own thing so I sat idling at my desk until I quit 1 year later. I was learning nothing and knew this was not good for my career so I left. Now in my second job I face the same issue. I mainly spend my time doing data entry and attending useless meetings. I’ve heard several times that new engineers typically last 1-3 years here and it doesn’t seem management is interested in doing much about it. Realizing I cannot continue to jump from job to job especially in this economy, I’ve decided I will attend grad school on the company’s dime earn a masters and be back out looking for a job within a couple years. Hopefully with the advanced degree there will be oppurtunities that lead to something a little more exciting, challenging, and interesting.
As a senior level manager (and 40 year old Gen X’er) at a publicly traded company the thing I notice most about the entry level age group is that 6 months is a REALLY long time, a year an eternity and anything past that is often out the question in terms of waiting for a promotion. We’ve actually been very successful by inserting 2 and sometimes 3 artificial “levels” into the lower part of our organization that are nothing more than progressively fancier titles with token bumps in pay and other sleeves out of our vest perks including more exposure to upper management. Another thing we’ve done well is have everyone understand in a very objective way what they cost and what our ROI is on them individually. Makes coaching and terminations real easy discussions when you can show them the numbers and ask, “if this were your money would you keep spending it on you?”
I do think they get a way worse rap than they deserve, quite a lot of them get it and they will only get better in the workplace like I did. I say let’s revisit them when they’re 40 and see how they’re doing!
Gen Yers need a lesson on NO and FAILURE. Many wh “Y” ners have never had those lessons instilled upon them. For all those complaining of idle or mundane tasks at work, show initiative and perform. Lastly, prove you’re not scatter brained aka sample a bunch of things lack of focused individuals by leaving Ipods and other gizmos at home. Whomever said Gen Yers will run corporate Amercia, I don’t think so. You leave early. You need hand holding. You need positive reinforcement. At the top who does that for you? If you keep these attitudes up, the next generation will pass you by.
I love the writer who asks this question qualifies himself as a boomer. Pardon me, but weren’t you the generation who ran up the national deficit, turned your back on our country when it asked for a draft, and glorified a culture of no responsibility through out the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s? You inherited a gem from the greatest generation and have in turn passed the bill for your follies onto us. Forgive me if I am less than thrilled to march to your drum beat. Forgive me if I find your leadership less than inspiring. Tell me, what exactly have you done which I should emulate?
As a “generation Y-er”, in addition to being a gross generalization, I think this article misses something fundamental. Employees are different because employers are different. This isn’t the 1950s. We can no longer expect to be rewarded for our efforts on the job, via money or long-term stability. We’re expected to generate ever-increasing profits for our managers, without increases in compensation, recognition, or respect. We won’t ever get to retire. But most of all, we know that it’s all a big game, one that consists largely of making money for those above us – a game that many of us are only willing to play long enough to get our bills paid until next month. The world the boomers created isn’t a world many of us can appreciate – it is, for the most part unsustainable, manipulative, self-serving, materialistic and shallow. It’s a world where even if you win, you lose – while we work our lives away for a raise that’s never coming, we wonder why we never have any time. Corporate America is no longer viewed as an object of unquestionable respect, but rather a toppling monolith of greed. So it should come as no surprise that my time is the most valuable commodity. I take pride in my work and I’m regularly praised (despite seeing anything of substance to back word with deed on the part of my management) – but first and foremost I work to live instead of live to work – I’m sorry but I won’t be staying past 5. I’ve seen what happens to those people… and it rarely ends well… at least around this particular company. Here, putting in that extra effort just singles us out to be taken advantage of. We all know this because we’ve all seen it happen, over and over again.
I’m generation X and I’ve heard several times from the boomer generation that Gen X and Y employees don’t work hard because they leave at 5pm. The two aren’t even related. I leave at 5pm most days and guess what, I get my work done too! Why sit up at the office to “look” busy in hopes that someone might notice and give me something for it. Why do today, what can be done tomorrow? Nobody’s going to award a trophy for the guy that turns the lights off at the end of the day. Even if they did, is it really more important to be that guy, then the guy that spends a few extra hours with his kids. I think both Gen X and Y have seen the boomer generation toil away for long hours in return for lack of time with their families, poor health, lost pensions and missing out on life in general. One boomer manager I spoke with even mentioned after two stress related heart attacks, “the younger generation might be on to something.” Like Jonathan from St. Louis says, we are results driven. We get our work done and go, period.
I was born in 1984, am currently a Software Engineer, and have a couple of comments (as there’s some good and some bad in this article):
1. Set clear ground rules at the outset:
I couldn’t agree more. If you have expectations for an employee that you aren’t communicating, is it any wonder if they can’t meet those expectations? Be direct. Obviously there will be a certain unexpected developments, but it’s best to address them immediately and directly (if you don’t want an employee texting during work hours and hadn’t thought of that, let them know as soon as you notice it).
2. Establish a regular time and place for one-on-one meetings:
I don’t agree with this in regards to a manager scheduling meetings with me (don’t micro-manage me, don’t look over my shoulder, let me do my job). If a Tech Lead or Senior Software Engineer were giving me “personalized attention” to review my work and point out how I could do it better, I’d be much more comfortable with the idea (in practice this doesn’t really happen). As far as management goes, if I’m not behind on my tasks (and I haven’t done something wrong), why the do you need to talk to me one on one?
3. Focus on solutions, not problems:
No argument here. Just don’t forget that if there is a problem to make sure your employee is aware of it (see #1).
4. Keep track of their performance:
As one Gen Yer told Tulgan, “I’d rather have a manager who is keeping really close track of what I’m doing than one who doesn’t know who I am or what I’m doing and doesn’t care.”
I personally disagree (see #2), however to ignore someone is to say “You’re not important.” Obviously these are guidelines for managing my generation, just keep in mind the guidelines won’t necessarily fit everyone.
5. Teach them how to get what they need from you:
Agree. I need information about a task I’ve been given. On what conditions do I just have to ask for it (clarification)? If I need help from a Tech Lead, do I just go bug them endlessly (and get them to do my work) or do I have to demonstrate I’ve come up with a solution (that might be subpar or not complete) to the problem beforehand? What do I have to do to get a raise? Etc, etc.
As far as Bosses go, the best have been the ones that are open, direct, and don’t need to be over my shoulder. As far as motivation goes, my manhours are a product I’m trying to auction to the highest bidder while satisfying the constraint of not becoming frustrated or stressed due to the job I’m working (I’ve worked 70 hour work-weeks at a start-up in SoCal, I’m not doing that again).
Being born in 1978, I am technically a Gen Yer, but have been told that I am not one. I never thought I would say this, but there is a generational gap between myself and those born in the mid 80’s. There is an air of entitlement with the Gen Yers.
I am a lawyer and have a problem with my Gen Y co-workers who think because they have a J.D. degree they are special. This country is raising multiple generations of children who are told they are special. Nothing is ever their fault, it is the teacher’s fault, the bosses fault, the opposing coach’s fault…when does it end? I worry for the future…when will these children grow up and realize that not everything is easy and they are not the next Mark Zuckerberg.
Wear a suit and act accordingly when you are in the office.
As a Gen Yer with a few years of work experience under my belt, I think I can safely say that much of what Annie discusses in her column is very true. Gen Yers as a rule are not one thing or another;however, we definitely have different view points on work and what we expect from it from Boomers or Xers. I think Courtney from Elmira provided several valuable points in her comments as to how we feel about work.
We’ve grown up in the era of layoffs, corporate reorganizations, Enron, sub-prime loans, etc, etc. Is it any wonder that we only trust our employers as far as our next paycheck and want to know what an employer can do for us? I’ve been lucky to never have been downsized or reorganized out of a job, but plenty of my friends and colleagues have (many of them boomers by the way). The valuable lesson I’ve learned from that, is that it’s every man for himself these days. Unless you have a vested interest in the success of the company (i.e. profit sharing, stock options, equity stake), why would a gen Yer be totally dedicated to a company that could turn around and drop him the next day? Based on that, I expect a lot from my employer and know that it really only works for us as long as we both profit from the deal. That could take the form of training or education reimbursement, incentive pay, etc. In the end, it’s all about motivation.
And, as to the complaint about working hours…frankly, I’m sorry for you if it takes you more than 7 hours to do a day’s work. I don’t mind staying around once and a while to fix a problem or attend an important meeting, but to expect that on a regular basis? No thanks…maybe it hasn’t been a problem for me because I accomplish as much in my 7 hours as my boomer peers do in several days (or at least that’s why I theorize I survived all those layoffs). Face time is going the way of the dodo…I don’t mind delivering results, but don’t expect me to be sitting in the office smiling every morning at 8:30 and waving good-bye to you at 7 at night. I have a life to live and so do you!
This article is pretty bad.
I’m born 1983 – successful marketing manager, profitable company.
We leave at 5, because there is a different time paradigm in the modern world. We can work after 5 from home even, and we do!
Also, please STOP the constant coaching. We are results driven, and don’t need anyone to hold our hands and show us how to get from point a to b. Furthermore, the “constant coaching” approach erodes employee morale, wastes the managers’ time with redundancy for the employee having to do explain everything twice, and tells us you don’t trust us.
BUT HEY THANKS FOR THE NATIONAL DEBT AND POOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS!!! I’m glad you think we’re lazy too – think about that as we pay your social security and never see any ourselves. I mean, come on, Gen Yers are inheriting a lot of your problems!
As a member of generation y – I don’t like the stereotype I see. Many of our generation have been pampered. They have had the opportunity to have/do anything they want with little or now effort. If something inconveniences them they complain to their parents to fix the problem. My advice to managers- expect the generation y to act like your kids and plan accordingly. If you want to see more self-initative and follow-through – recruit the from the middle of the pack – the individuals that have work their way through school and as a result might not have the most impressive resume but will do the work, glad for the opportunity.
I am a 1987 and think that Courtney from NY hit it exactly. A large percentage of us have seen our parents working hard with nothing to show. I come from a middle class family and my parents have both been laboring their hands to the bone since they were old enough to work. They have nothing to show for it now because the latest recession has caused them to dip into their savings just to survive and afford the bills. So, to the boomer and older employers: why spend a life pushing away immediate rewards like family time and hobbies? We all understand that the job must get done and businesses are around to be profitable but a human can’t live as a robot programmed only to make a paycheck. What good would a decent paycheck be if you can’t even enjoy it with those you care about? We have also all learned that if you don’t like a job, leave it. School has taught us to think for ourselves and examine authority. We are a generation of independent and unfortunately sometimes selfish thinkers where the majority of Yers will only “jump” if we know there’s something in it for us other than “a feeling of accomplishment”
Lisa in Chicago has it right:
“This is never about the next generation, it is always about motivating and managing people as individuals. Either you can do it or you can’t.”
I am Gen Y, and to those other Gen Y who ask “why stay after 5″ or “why dress nice”; A boomer is probably your boss. If your boss wants you to stay after 5 than you should do that. If they want you to get in early you should do that. It’s about visibility and being reachable at your desk and able to pull up a document or discuss something if needed. Is it productive? Not necessarily. But if something happens at 5:15 and you left at 5 and it was your project and you can’t provide the crucial information/change because you wanted to get out early, that’s going to hurt you.
Why dress nice? Because you already look young, and people are going to have a hard time taking you seriously. Try dressing a little nicer and I bet you will notice a difference in the way people treat you.
But of course, agree with the other person who says our generation welcomes the “sink or swim”. There’s nothing really new in these work attitudes, it is because we ARE the youngest generation, and attempts to stoke up generational warfare by CNN is just an attempt for more page views. Give it another 10 years and we’ll see if anything has really changed, if the generation has had to adapt or if corporate america is really going to become more flexible.
No one is as unique as he or she thinks. For all the diatribes against old, stale ways of doing things, you will in time find yourselves perceived as tired and obsolete as you believe your bosses to be now- no matter how much you believe otherwise. Such is the fun of living and growing older (which also has compensations that are not apparent to this generation right now, nor should they be).
Here’s a thought: since you’re the employees, you adapt and don’t expect the employer to adapt to you. Good luck to you in blazing your trail through corporate America- been tried before!
As a Gen Y’r myself, I’d say that all I really need at the end of the day from my Baby-Boomer boss is a hug, and I’m ready to go the next day. If they’re not willing to go the distance and hug-it-out, then I’ll find a boss that will.
For the most part, Gen-Yers are babies,extremely selfish and self-centered.
A nice little economic depression is just what they need.
Boomers asking how to control Gen Y have not recognized that their cheese is stale.
As one of these Generation Y’ers, I’m a little baffled that the person asking the question expects me to stay past five. The work week is already longer than it needs to be. Why stay?
The one thing I can say about the Boomers is that they have done a fantastic job promoting the great middle managers and filling their positions with the boomers that have been there the longest. With all this generational analysis lets remember that good employees come in all ages, races, and generations. As far as the Gen Yers lets give them some time before we start to generalize about them. We found out that the Boomers weren’t all hippies, the Xers weren’t all punks, and I sure that the Yers are not all gamers.
As as Gen-Yer muself born in 1985, I can say the company I work for sees more benefit in hiring Gen-Yer rather than someone who is more experienced. In order to take a company into the future, you need a fresh perspective on things, people who are able to bring new ideas, open to change, can adapt quickly to a raplidly chaning environment. These are all the characteristics which this generation posesses. I’m not anti-Boomers however I do find that often they are the ones who keep a company from moving into the 21st century simply because they are incapable or scared of taking risks. This also goes without saying that there are a few rotten apples within the Gen-Y crowd, however, for the most part, these are talented, bright, and highly motivated individuals. Given the right environment and management will be able to achieve greatness.
Let’s also not ignore the challenges working with X’ers who have never (and will never) step out of the shadow of boomers, and now will be overtaken by millenials who have been raised by boomers to manage the country. These make for bitter bosses. No generation will take it on the chin like X’ers… They bought real estate at the top of the bubble, they lost hundreds of thousands, Boomers won’t retire, and Gen Y is poised to take over the workforce and capitalize on a weakened economy.
As a Gen Y myself, maybe I can give a perspective as to how we are the way we are:
1) In regards to arriving at exactly 8 am and leaving at 5pm. Why? A lot of us have grown up watching our parents pour their life and soul into their work and get nothing in return. Some of them will even die before they’re eligible to collect anything. It’s very upsetting to see that businesses deprive them of the lives they used to have so that they can get every ounce of productivity out of them. Gen Y’ers? We realize the most important thing to do while we’re alive is TO HAVE FUN and to impact people’s lives around us in a non business way. WE HAVE A LIFE that doesn’t center around our work which is healthy. What is not healthy, is staying at work until 10 pm every night and leaving your spouse at home to do all the cooking and cleaning just so that you can advance your career. It’s important to balance your life and I think the Boomers could learn something from us in this area. Gen Yer’s do enough work to get the job done. No need to go above and beyond the call of duty. This probably stems from our college educations (this can vary by school). If you need a 40 to get an A….why work hard to get a 95? You’re going to get an A regardless. We often don’t see why we should do more than is required. There’s no incentive to. Yes, I could move up in the company. But that comes with more responsibilities and stupid administrative duties that quite frankly, I don’t want to deal with.
2) As for letting us sink or swim…I think the general attitude is: “Go right ahead.” A lot of us have graduated with advanced degrees (such as PhD’s etc) and can hop around between companies. Companies think this is bad…but if you treat us as business opportunities to increase your bottom line then we will do the same to you. Company loyalty is not our thing. Just like when Gen Y’ers hit the bar scene…you don’t stay at one bar the whole night you sample around. Same analogy applies here.
3) Another thing we don’t like, is to have someone constantly looking over our shoulders. We aren’t 5. Unless we have given you a reason to do so, this should be avoided. We are a very creative bunch and we would like our space to think.
4) Another issue, is probably how we dress and act. We aren’t conformists. This can make us seem like we are disrespectful, rude, etc when how we are is just part of our culture. So what if we come in with purple sneakers and a pair of jeans? If it’s not affecting productivity, then who cares. This is especially true if you are sitting in your own office and thinking all day and not interacting with ‘clients.’
5) If you want to make us more productive, give us open ended questions where we HAVE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW and not just your projects that you don’t feel like doing. This is probably one of our biggest pet peeves actually.
6) LISTEN when we have something to say. We have spent the time proposing a solution and 9 times out of 10 the Boomers don’t listen. While they want us to think out of the box….when we do think out of the box and come up with something great that works, it’s usually dismissed because of our ‘inexperience.’
I hope this helps. I think both generations could stand to learn a lot about each others habits and demeanor in the work place.
There kids working today dont understand the work enviroment and I blame the school system. They are so used to everybody getting in A in school they cant comprehend a real work enviroment where you actually get paid more money and get better jobs if you suceed and you get fired if you fail. Its not a hard concept but its one they dont seem to understand until you start kicking them out the door. Constantly I have people complaining that they dont have enough hours at work but yet when they are there they just want to go home. Thats the current generation. Yeah they are smart and open to new ideas but they dont understand what it is to fail.
Lisa,
You could not be more wrong. I’m a boomer from the class of 1976. We had to compete with our peers for everything we got – there were too many of us and not enough jobs,opportunities, material goods to go around at the time. I graduated into a recessionary period and I took the first job offered to me and was grateful for it! I had school loans to pay and had to support myself as my parents told me that I was now “on my own”. At work, I didn’t worry about my needs, I worried about my boss’ and the company’s needs first – I needed to stay employed. If you work hard and think about results and what needs to get done, you will be rewarded. If you don’t get rewarded, as you said, move on. Sometimes it’s bad chemistry, sometimes it’s a bad boss, sometimes YOU just don’t fit in. All that has happened to me and other boomers too. Don’t complain and don’t get negative-it doesn’t help, do something about it. I manage a group of Gen Ys and the article is right on. Learning to deal with the fact that work is, well, work and not a peak experience of life every day is not an easy task but important if you want to be happy in life. The most fulfillment I get from my job is the ability to mentor and develop young people and help them find the next best opportunity for them personally, but, frankly, I’m a lot more interested in helping someone who seems grateful for the interest someone is taking in them instead of acting like it is an entitlement. It’s not. It’s my job to showcase your talents; give me something to work with! My best employees are those who figure out a way to add value by listening and observing and then volunteering to handle something for me. I have plenty of them. They bring tremendous talents to the table and I love to watch them advance in their careers.
Frankly I am kind of insulted by this article and am surprised CNN would post it. I was born in 1981 and am a Marketing Manager at a successful magazine. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have had to “coach” the older generations around here who are unwilling to expand their comfort zone, especially when it comes to understanding and dealing with new technology. One of my bosses actually asked me to copy and paste a spreadsheet from excel into a work document once because he was unsure how to do it. That being said, not ALL the people that work here who are not part of generation Y have problems with technology – just as not all generation Y-ers need hand holding or are afraid to do work independently. This post is a gross generalization, and supports a misrepresentation about workers in my generation. Grow up CNN!
I was born in 82 and I found this article interesting. I never saw myself as a millenial because I was late to adopt text messaging, I don’t you tube, and I prefer walking over to a coworkers desk rather than emailing. But the whole, ambitious vs. lazy thing really hooked me into this article.
I was groomed through HS to always do challenge myself. Challenge myself by taking too many AP courses and volunteering to pad the college resume. Then in college I took more challenges, the hardest classes, independent research, etc. I went to graduate school and took the master’s thesis option. Then I went to work and I was supposed to “put my time in”… We Gen Yers don’t want to collect a pay check just for doing a mundane job, or doing a task because it needs to be done. We’re always looking to challenge ourselves in the workplace to achieve personal and professional growth. If complanies don’t recognize that, we get bored and leave.
Gen. Y equate to lazy, do nothing, feel sorry and where is mummy and daddy when I need them at work generation. A generation that is totally dependent. Can’t think for themselves ot look after themselves without support. A bunch of freeloaders.
I currently manage Gen Ys, Gen Xers and Baby boomers. I struggle with the baby boomers. Baby boomers can be negative employees because they swear they know everything and mostly resistant to change. Gen Y’s are very tech savvy and are very productive as long, as you keep tabs on them and encourage them to take on more workload. From my experience, you have to coach Gen Ys how to move up the ladder by use of networking and using the right behavioral attitude. Behavioral skills are something that’s hard to teach and most employees learn this from outside the office. This is a key skill I look for when interviewing new applicants because it’s hard to coach bad attitudes. The Gen Xer’s are the ones trying to set the bar for the Gen Y’s and they get along well with Gen Y. I find GenXers happily take Gen Y’s under their wings and show them the ropes. Baby boomers seem to feel they are royalty and bitter when other generations pass by them up the corporate ladder. Just my experience. The book is right on…get over yourselves Baby boomers…I am a Gen X by the way…38 years old.
Excellent observations-and the “Top 5″ list of recommendations from Bruce Tulgan’s book can become part of a checklist for “onboarding” Gen Y (and other)interns/employees.
Sidebar commentary-”So-called ‘milennials’ (sic) are confident, ambitious, and tech-savvy, says one expert.” It always helps to have a dictionary available, as well as running a spell-checker program.
As a manager of Gen Y, this article hits all the highlights and lowlights of what I have seen. I have no problems coaching, listening, and mentoring. I also have no problem letting them sink or swim, as the world doesn’t revolve around them and the constant need for feedback. I learned to dole out more commentary and observations on their work, but clearly expected them to perform, and take some chances when confronted with issues.
I find the real effort with Gen Y is managing the fear of a mistake versus the inability to reason through situations with a business perspective in mind. Far too often, 80% effort is given when 110% is required
Right there with you John. I’ve been in this job over 4 years and am as under-challenged today as I was 4 years ago. I was looking to leave after 6 months, but got an MBA instead. Now that it is done I am stuck here due to the crappy economy and working off what they paid for the MBA. I am viewed as crazy for lookng for a job when I have one already.
I too have had to beg and plead and be an outright nag to get work. When I get some work it isn’t what makes me shine. Others get those projects. We aren’t given what we’re good at – it makes NO sense.
By the way I am 40.
Find a company that can utilize you. I guarantee that they are out there, I’ve worked at a few. I’ll work at another again some day – when this mess is past.
The generation doesn’t matter – it is learning how to get the most out of people, period! What really sucks here is that many Boomers haven’t really had to work too hard to get where they are, the jobs just opened up or were created for them. Or if they did work hard, many did it with their heads down and never learned how to manage. Now they are managers and can’t figure out how to motivate people.
This is never about the next generation, it is always about motivating and managing people as individuals. Either you can do it or you can’t.
Tulgan notes, Gen Yers bring “a wealth of technical knowledge, energy, enthusiasm, and a tremendous openness to new ideas.” – every new generation has many people with those characteristics. Unfortunately, there is a distribution of those characteristics, and the majority probably have some useful technical knowledge, some energy and enthusiasm (albeit not necessarily for work), and openness to some new ideas. Thinking at every Gen Yer is a gem (or a dud) will cause problems.
Thanks Annie! Much needed article. I love working with folks younger than I am. I am about 45. I feel energized around them and I love their creativity and enthusiasm. Now I would love to ask you a favor: can you write an article for the reverse….that is, how to deal with working with people stuck in a rut, generally speaking older, boomer-types, highly resistant to change? That is my dilemma. I want to soar, improve, evaluate, re-work, re-improve, throw out the bad, enhance, etc. but am surrounded by highly intelligent yet stuck-in-a-rut-and-used-to-settling-for-less-than-their-best people that I feel like I am going nowhere (not true but it feels that way).
I was born in 1984, right in the middle of the millenial generation. We went through school with teachers who were so terrified of discouraging us that they refused to use red pen for mistakes. We were always told by parents, teachers, coaches, and other adults that we’re special and can do anything we want, so I went to college for engineering.
Throughout school, I took part in an excellent coop program that provided me with 18 months of work experience, so when I graduated last June, I expected to be able to contribute right away. Perhaps it’s just my company, but I get the distinct impression that people don’t trust me to do challenging work so much so that often times I don’t have anything to work on despite how busy all of my coworkers are. This leads to constantly chasing down my supervisor and practically begging for something to work on and usually ends up with me making copies or scanning drawings.
I have no problem working to earn my boss’s respect, but when the work I’m given fails to reflect the amount of effort or the quality of work that I give, it leads to frustration rather quickly.
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A brilliant illustration of the incredible selfishness of both the Boomers and Gen Y’s.
Oh yes, Y’s, management is clogged with Boomers who assume you will understand what is required – after all, what is required is what is immediately best for boomers and in their selfish world, that is obvious. They needed bigger houses and bigger cars and enormously inflated bank statements to match their egos, all without working to pay for it. It is this generation we have to thank for the worst financial/moral crisis since the great depression.
Gen Y’s, these are your parents (Not Gen X’s). And you have learned so much. Top flight education & extracurriculars. Primed to do meaningful work. (Thank you Charles, NYC) What you really mean is give me the 20% of work that is fun and interesting because I am too good to have to do the other 80% that is required to actually get the job done. FYI, retooling a factory might take longer than the 6 months you expect to spend at any given company on your path to personal greatness.
Gen Y’s, what makes you think I should spend hours of my time with you? I actually have a lot of work to do. Your product is unproven. Your commitment nonexistent. Your problem solving skills don’t extend beyond the phone in your hand. The hours I spend with you come directly from time I could use to be productive.
Gen X’s have had to fight for everything from day one. We didn’t have good student loans or good mortgage rates when we were starting out. We are the generation that will likely be the first without social security. (Frankly, most of my Gen X friends would like to see the boomers & Gen Y’s fight it out and get out of our way. I guess that’s the selfish Gen X thing showing.)
Of course, all of this is generational sterotypes overlaid on the corporate culture in particular. And it seems to me that corporate culture is where we now keep the overeducated, marginally productive of our society. That big bump in the middle of the herd.
It is always those who manage to escape the norm who we admire. The Richard Bransons from the Boomers and the men who founded Google and Bonnaroo from Gen X. Most importantly, our new president. Check out his story.
The warning here, Gen Y’s is that if you are all brilliant, tech-savy escapers of the norm (who need constant hand holding from your elders?!), you’re probably right in the middle of the herd. How special.