Generation Y too "lazy & unfocused" to hire...

Generali

Sapphire wrote: »

My experience has been entirely different – and I find it astonishing that you say they are not motivated by money, when most of that generation have been brought up to be incredibly materialistic, possibly more so than any preceding generation!

Moreover, the 'education' system has produced some really badly educated people, who expect to be handed a highly paid job the instant they leave college, rather than starting from the bottom, gaining experience and working their way up.

Perhaps it's different in different professions...

That's my experience for the most part. I think it's why I used to be given the graduate trainees at work, I wouldn't stand for it when they looked at me funny when I told them to do the filing or some other menial job.

To be fair, once I got them on to a task they were pretty focussed on it and I would say they were mostly very good communicators; they just didn't understand why it was them that had to do my filing and get the coffees, why my time was more valuable than theirs. And they certainly didn't understand why I was being paid 4 or 5 times more than them!

Sapphire

Graham_Devon wrote: »

See now I feel victimised!

Sorry – are you from that generation?

As I said, the situation may differ depending on the profession.

I was just talking to someone the other day about poor standards in education, particularly when it came to the English language. People who call themselves editors, and have relevant degrees, don't even know how to use hyphens correctly these days.

Time was when editors pored over the written word and really cared about correct sentence structure – not to mention correct spelling. That's gone now. It's all about churning out 'products' in the cheapest way possible.

(Now someone will probably find fault with something I've written. Please bear in mind that it is coming up to midnight. )

Cleaver

Sapphire wrote: »

My experience has been entirely different – and I find it astonishing that you say they are not motivated by money, when most of that generation have been brought up to be incredibly materialistic, possibly more so than any preceding generation!

Apologies for being a bit pedantic, but I didn't say that I thought that they weren't motivated by money, it's most of the research in to Gen Y that seems to show that money is perhaps not nearly as important when it comes to motivating this generation than it has been for previous generations.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but most of the surveys and research shows that working in challenging environments, getting their voices heard, working on important projects etc. is far more important to this generation than earning lots of money.

Sapphire wrote: »

Moreover, the 'education' system has produced some really badly educated people, who expect to be handed a highly paid job the instant they leave college, rather than starting from the bottom, gaining experience and working their way up.

I would personally agree with this and so would a lot of the research on Gen Y. The education system for the past ten years has been about qualifications and academia. Never before has there been a generation so unprepared for working life. And you're correct, they seem to have gained a certain unplaced confidence that they should have a job handed to them on a plate. They don't expect to work at the bottom and work their way up.

But yhe point remains for most organisations that this generation is their new workforce. So how do they harness the qualities that they do have whilst somehow adapting them to fit in with the rest of their organisation? One of the reasons Gen Y is a hot topic at the moment.

Cleaver

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I'm Gen X, and I think the generalisations hold true.

Our business culture is that of work hard, work long hours, be ambitious, and reap the rewards. Both financially and lifestyle wise later on in your career. "Burning out" youngsters is a form of Darwinian selection, as only the best and most driven get to progress to the next level.

So certainly in my field, we have taken a hard line with Gen Y, and are willing to churn the ones that don't hold our ideals.

So far, we've found plenty to take their place, and have improved our recruitment processes to weed out the intransigents early on.

Given the record levels of youth unemployment today, I rather suspect some of them are learning a lesson the hard way, and may emerge from it with a healthier respect for good old fashioned hard work.

You make a very good point. This recession could be a real turning point for Gen Y. No longer is it really an option to go travelling for a year because you know a job will just be available when you get back, so Grad Schemes and Grad jobs in general are seeing huge numbers applying for them as more of this generation are worried about getting work. The worrying flip-side of this is that companies are employing grads who, deep down, actually don't want to work for them. This wouldn't really be an issue for boomers or Gen X who will generally work hard anywhere, but might be a real issue with Gen Y.

Graham_Devon

I'm clinging on with my fingernails crying like a baby to my 20's.

I myself have quite a few issues with the older generation and the workplace. Not so much the near retiring, but the middle aged.

I'm sure it's merely a generation thing though. I do "feel" hard done by by those 20-30 years older than myself in various things just because I'm younger.

I agree about the spelling stuff, your and youre confuses the hell out of me. But I don't agree we want everything now. My explanation from where I am sitting is I would just like the mere chance of getting what my peers seemed to have at my age. Mainly the ability to provide a roof and pension for myself, off my own back. The biggest issue I have is that no one of the 40-50 age group seem to get how hard it is, and you always get the "well you must be weeing your money up the wall" thing thrown at you.

There is only one person in my workplace that actually said "I can understand why the young ones complain so much now". And he found himself on the wrong end of an affair and having to start again. He was suddenly in the younger generations boat, and was pretty bitter about how things were.

As I say, I don't think it's so much a problem in work issue, more of a problem between the 2 generations, a problem of what I would class as bitterness from both ends.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Generali wrote: »

they just didn't understand why it was them that had to do my filing and get the coffees, why my time was more valuable than theirs.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I'm SO glad it's not just me that's had to deal with it!!!!

A couple of years ago, before I took on my current role, I had one particularly precocious junior ask why they were not getting to do any of the "real work"..... So I made a copy of my project file, and told him he could do it, but only on the condition that he didn't leave the office until it was complete and correct. In the meantime I finished the project and went home.

Poor fellow was at his desk for 28 hours straight before I took pity on him and sent him home for a shower and some sleep. It took him another 2 days to finish the project.

He didn't ask again.......

Gen Y do seem to have an overblown perception of their own abilities, and sometimes that really does need to be shown to them the hard way.

But equally, they have some skills, particularly multi-tasking, which we value immensely, that were less common in earlier generations.

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I'm SO glad it's not just me that's had to deal with it!!!!

A couple of years ago, before I took on my current role, I had one particularly precocious junior ask why they were not getting to do any of the "real work"..... So I made a copy of my project file, and told him he could do it, but only on the condition that he didn't leave the office until it was complete and correct. In the meantime I finished the project and went home.

Poor fellow was at his desk for 28 hours straight before I took pity on him and sent him home for a shower and some sleep. It took him another 2 days to finish the project.

He didn't ask again.......

And it's this kind of attitude that causes the problem.

In all honesty, I would probably have rather liked to punch you smack bang in the middle of your face.

If you are going to treat younger people like you have described, it's no wonder you have issues with their performance.

Of course, you could have just said "because you haven't quite worked up to it, some more training and experience is needed" and that would have been that, instead of spying an opportunity to make yourself feel superior.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Cleaver wrote: »

You make a very good point. This recession could be a real turning point for Gen Y.

I think it will be.

Previous generations all learned from previous recessions.

Gen Y had never had one.

The worrying flip-side of this is that companies are employing grads who, deep down, actually don't want to work for them. This wouldn't really be an issue for boomers or Gen X who will generally work hard anywhere, but might be a real issue with Gen Y.

We've certainly had to adjust our selection processes. And remain willing to take the expense of churning rather than keep someone whose heart is not in it, despite superficial competancy.

But the new selection "hell days" seem to be working. We extended our selection centre to 3 days. Made them inconvenient to get to for the candidates, opposite end of the country, short notice, etc. And now only spend half the time on competency and skill testing, and the other half of the time putting them in stressful situations where any answer they give will be wrong, just to test their personality, attitude, sense of entitlement and desire for the job.

Cleaver

Graham_Devon wrote: »

If you are going to treat younger people like you have described, it's no wonder you have issues with their performance.

Of course, you could have just said "because you haven't quite worked up to it, some more training and experience is needed" and that would have been that, instead of spying an opportunity to make yourself feel superior.

Graham makes a good point. That person may have been a bit clueless work-wise but might have been intelligent, full of potential and very capable. Making them feel small and unimportant might have 'taught them a lesson', but there was probably a number of better ways of unleashing their potential and still ensuring that they learnt something.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Graham_Devon wrote: »

And it's this kind of attitude that causes the problem.

In all honesty, I would probably have rather liked to punch you smack bang in the middle of your face.

Why?

I was sick to death of explaining why he did his assigned tasks, and I didn't give him other projects to work on.

The kid had an attitude problem. He didn't listen, he didn't understand, and he was far too cocky.

I taught him a lesson, much as a similar lesson was taught to me. I had no further issues with his performance. In fact, his career is now fast tracked, because he learned his limitations and to work within the structures.

Of course, you could have just said "because you haven't quite worked up to it, some more training and experience is needed" and that would have been that, instead of spying an opportunity to make yourself feel superior.

I knew he would fail, but that has nothing to do with feeling superior. it was a useful opportunity to test his committment and drive, and despite his inability to perform as he thought, we both learned something.

One day Graham, you'll understand. Or maybe you never will.

I couldn't care less either way.