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

Sapphire

Cleaver wrote: »

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.

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.

Trouble is, many people from Gen Y want to work on important projects immediately, and don't realize you need experience first. In my profession, if you gave someone straight out of college any project other than a basic one, with precise instructions, they wouldn't know where to start. They also want to get their voices heard too much, too early on in their careers, IMHO.

I think a lot of the problem with many Gen Ys is one of attitude. Many of those who have been in 'higher' education during the past ten years seem incredibly arrogant. I've always had the attitude that you should treat those around you with respect. In particular, I've respected those who are more experienced than I am, and asked them for guidance. This attitude has stood me in good stead, and I've learned a huge amount this way. I don't see much of this attitude in college leavers.

I do believe there should be a hierarchy in the workplace – as in other areas in life – because that is how humans are wired, no matter how much some people will try to tell you otherwise. That's how any outfit works best, in my experience. Perhaps those recently coming out of college are not being taught this?

There's one example that I can bring you of a college leaver from my own family, who was lucky enough to get a contract job for a year for a major broadcasting company. He would roll off to breakfast in the staff canteen at about 10 each morning, and was surprised when his boss objected. Now when I started out in my profession (at a then highly regarded publishing house), I would never have dreamed of swanning off for breakfast like that. It was always nose down to the desk to me...

Another thing he did was to tell his boss that he was bored with the work he was doing, because – he told me – he was in a bad mood. I told him such an attitude would not get him very far.

The sense of privilege and entitlement that people from this generation seem to have should be of some concern. What are they going to be like when they get older, and how are they going to bring up their children?

Cleaver

Sapphire wrote: »

Trouble is, many people from Gen Y want to work on important projects immediately, and don't realize you need experience first. In my profession, if you gave someone straight out of college any project other than a basic one, with precise instructions, they wouldn't know where to start. They also want to get their voices heard too much, too early on in their careers, IMHO.

I think a lot of the problem with many Gen Ys is one of attitude. Many of those who have been in 'higher' education during the past ten years seem incredibly arrogant. I've always had the attitude that you should treat those around you with respect. In particular, I've respected those who are more experienced than I am, and asked them for guidance. This attitude has stood me in good stead, and I've learned a huge amount this way. I don't see much of this attitude in college leavers.

I do believe there should be a hierarchy in the workplace – as in other areas in life – because that is how humans are wired, no matter how much some people will try to tell you otherwise. That's how any outfit works best, in my experience. Perhaps those recently coming out of college are not being taught this?

Agree with all of this. You've just summed up what people say about Gen Y.

So they are what they are and organisations have to have a good think about what they do about it. Adapt for them? Try and remould them to their organisation? Treat them differently from other employees? I don't have the answer to any of these, but soon Gen Y will be the main workforce group, so I guess organisations have to have a think about it.

The line in bold is an interesting one. A lot of the research shows that Gen Y have little concern for hierarchies in organisations. They tend to respect people who are good at their job, have good ideas etc., rather than people who are just in positions because they've been there for years. They respect good people in other words, and it doesn't matter what level of the organisation they are in or whether they've been there 20 years or 6 weeks. You introduce a boomer to George in accounting who's been there for 26 years and the boomer will admire George's committment and grafting attitute. A Gen Y individual would probably question why George has worked in the same place for 26 years and just want to know if George is any good. All generalisations of course.

System

I'm sorry but what the hell is generation Y?

Cleaver

Joeskeppi wrote: »

I'm sorry but what the hell is generation Y?

Most people tend to use people born between around the early 60s and 1980/1 as Generation X. People born from 1981/2 onwards tend to be termed as Generation Y. Baby Boomers are people born pre-60s, but people tend to have a few years to define boomers.

System

Oh right.

I'm just generation Y then.

I'm guilty of considering 90% of people around the age of 20 as a text speaking imbecile with an attitude problem, but in my defence 90% of people I've ever met around the age of 20 have been a text speaking imbecile with an atttitude problem.

Cleaver

If you can bear the cr*p sound quality, this is a decent summary around generational theory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FyyefOwW-s

Sapphire

Cleaver wrote: »

The line in bold is an interesting one. A lot of the research shows that Gen Y have little concern for hierarchies in organisations. They tend to respect people who are good at their job, have good ideas etc., rather than people who are just in positions because they've been there for years. They respect good people in other words, and it doesn't matter what level of the organisation they are in or whether they've been there 20 years or 6 weeks. You introduce a boomer to George in accounting who's been there for 26 years and the boomer will admire George's committment and grafting attitute. A Gen Y individual would probably question why George has worked in the same place for 26 years and just want to know if George is any good. All generalisations of course.

I have to say that in quite a long stint in my profession, I myself have always had a problem with respecting anyone, whatever their age and position, who is incompetent or a bull**iter (plenty of those around, including in senior positions). On the other hand, I have huge respect for those who are really good at their jobs and lack arrogance, including junior clerical staff, etc.

Sapphire

Cleaver wrote: »

Most people tend to use people born between around the early 60s and 1980/1 as Generation X. People born from 1981/2 onwards tend to be termed as Generation Y. Baby Boomers are people born pre-60s, but people tend to have a few years to define boomers.

Incidentally, there was a discussion about this on HPC the other week. It seems that those who are most 'guilty' of the debt situation in Britain tend to be in their 30s and 40s, rather than in their 50s and 60s. The post-war generation are often much more cautious when it comes to getting into debt, etc, because they themselves experienced hardship when they were young. :cool:

Count_Dante

"Younger generation crap, say older generation."

Do me a f!!!!!! favour...

damanpunk

Hamish I'd be interested to know what company you work for, PM me if you prefer.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I think it will be.

Previous generations all learned from previous recessions.

Gen Y had never had one.




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.