Guest Post: Gen-Y Gap and What They Can Offer
Comments:7
Ed. Note: Nick Varner is a recent graduate of Central Michigan University and is going on for his Masters in Educational Leadership. As part of Generation Y, Nick wanted to share some Gen Y insight and set the record straight on a few misconceptions…
Flip-flops, iPods, and e-Meetings are arriving in the workplace, and arriving in numbers. This change in workplace decorum seems outrageous to those who are experienced members of the workforce, but for those just arriving, this is standard. These changes have been heralded by the next generation of employees, Generation Y.
Generation Y typically refers to people born between 1977 and 1995 that are now entering the workforce. As this generation arrives, so do all the myths concerning them. Generation Y is often thought of as lazy, laid-back, and self-serving individuals who don’t understand the meaning of hard work and commitment. This view only allows Generation Y to be a liability, while ignoring the aspects of the next generation that makes them assets.
One big generational difference is the concept of ‘putting in the hours’. The previous generations conceptualize hard work as maintaining a 40 hour work-week and working steadily through the week. Generation Y does not accept this model; they focus more on workplace efficiency than the hours spent in the workplace. They strive to find the most efficient methods of accomplishing tasks, not because they are lazy, but so they can spend their time more wisely.
Another big misconception between the generations is the idea of commitment. The baby boomers believed that they would find a job, work for thirty years, and then retire from that same company. This is not the case for Gen-Y. Whereas the previous generation looked for a workplace, Gen-Y looks for workplace opportunities. They will work at a company for 3-5 years in order to gain a specific skill set and knowledge base, but then move their talents to another company. However, where Baby Boomers might see this as a lack of commitment, Gen-Y sees this as a quest for knowledge. They strive to increase their knowledge base and the way to do this post-academia is through varied work experience.
Finally, there is the charge that they are lazy. This is often promoted due to a new mindset held by the members of Gen-Y: they work to live, not live to work. This is a drastic change between the generations; whereas Baby Boomers were defined by where they worked and what they did, Gen-Y refuses to hold such titles. They define who they are by what they do outside of the workplace. This is not an attempt to be lazy and ignore work, but an attempt to live a well-rounded life in which their contributions at home gain as much recognition as their contributions in the workplace.
Generation Y has arrived. They are sporting tattoos, wearing flip-flops and have a new mindset, but this is not the end of the world. Rather than dismissing an entire generation, focus on what they can bring to the table and how their addition can truly help your organization.
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Nick Varner can be reached for comment at n.j.varner@gmail.com
Written by Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW - Visit the website to hire executive resume writer Erin Kennedy, CERW, CPRW
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I run into this problem all the time with my boss who is 60+(I was born in 79) if I have 5 projects to finish and I’ve completed them by noon…why do I have to come back after lunch and appear busy? We’ve also seen the evaporation of benefits and large corporations…..I think there needs to be a middle ground, but to ask a new generation to completely conform has never went well before.
I see your point, too–although I think in any job you have to stay until the end of the day regardless if you finished your projects by noon (at least the jobs I’ve been in!).
Erin
Nick I think your article is dead on. It’s not about how many hours you’ve worked, but what you produce in that set amount of time. Too many employers these days are so focused on making sure you show up not a minute late and don’t leave a minute early. Now I’m not saying they don’t care about what you produce, but like the Pareto principle states in relation to business, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. I feel like Generation Y is just as motivated and dedicated as prior generations, our outlook is just a bit different. Like you stated, we work to live, not live to work. My job does not classify me, nor do I want it to.
Stumbled across this today….I’m a gen Y’er as well as a director for a small online retailer. I have to disagree with the article as I’ve seen the worst of what my generation has to offer. Calls from applicants parents, lazyness, unrealistic expectations, inability to take criticism, etc. I’m actually surprised to see some of that reflected in the responses above. If you’re finished with your project early in the day, then find something else to do that contributes to your organization. Offer a hand to a co-worker, start a new project, do something instead of sitting there pretending to be busy.
Interesting blog, but it’s missing an important part of the equation: Generation Jones (born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Generation X). Google Generation Jones, and you’ll see it’s gotten a ton of media attention, and many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) now specifically use this term. In fact, the Associated Press’ annual Trend Report forcast the Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend of 2009.
It is important to distinguish between the post-WWII demographic boom in births vs. the cultural generations born during that era. Generations are a function of the common formative experiences of its members, not the fertility rates of its parents. Many experts now believe it breaks down more or less this way:
DEMOGRAPHIC boom in babies: 1946-1964
Baby Boom GENERATION: 1942-1953
Generation Jones: 1954-1965
Generation X: 1966-1978
Here is an op-ed about GenJones as the new generation of leadership in USA TODAY:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090127/column27_st.art.htm
Here’s a page with a good overview of recent media interest in GenJones:
http://generationjones.com/2009latest.html
Very interesting! Thanks for the tip/links!
– Erin
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