Generation Y Not?

Generation Y includes those people born between 1980 and 1995. They are the generation that grew up with successful baby boomer parents, who didn’t make them walk to school up hill both ways, but gave them a car to drive. They are the generation that learned to use a computer before learning how to speak. They are the generation that was given more opportunities than the generations before them could ever dream of. There are a little under 80 million of these pampered, tech savvy youngins’ and they’re taking over the workplace and driving employers insane as they do it.

Recently, a SmartMoney.com columnist wrote an interesting article for employers who have to manage this new breed of adults, because Generation Y is not like any workforce companies have seen. According to this journalist, this new generation tends to "be a little high maintenance," as these young professionals demand more benefits and freedom. Generation Y typically didn’t have to worry about going without as their parents were part of the most successful generation to date, and with that security, Generation Y was able to study abroad, take on risky endeavors and not stress as much about the future and instead was able to live in the now.

What a lucky group. Well, a lucky and stuck up group according to most critics. You’ll find a lot of articles about this generation and the debate is over whether all this opportunity has gone to their heads making them entitled little brats or whether this opportunity has given them the confidence to create a better, more ambitious workplace.

The SmartMoney.com columnist recommends four things that employers should keep in mind to make sure they appease this growing workforce of young twenty somethings, because after all, we really are an untapped resource that potentially could revolutionize business as we know it, and if nothing else, we’ll be taking over the workplace in the next twenty years anyway, so you better get used to us. Since the columnist isn’t part of Generation Y, let’s see how well she captured what “we” really want.

First , the columnist encourages employers to “fully engage young workers”. I would say that I prefer to have a few things to juggle – I don’t stress multitasking, I embrace it. According to the article, since Generation Y grew up an era of technology revolution, we should be given the opportunity to leverage what we know recreationally and apply it to our jobs. So yes, I want a job that allows me to flex my creative muscle and demonstrate how my age is one of my strengths and not my weakness.

The second piece of advice is to “improve retention through incentives” – DUH. I’m pretty sure this advice applies not only to a young college graduate, but also to a 40 something with a high profile job, to a toddler being potty trained and to a dog learning to sit. No matter what generation, incentives are something we all respond to and want; however, I do think that Generation Y is more inclined to actually ASK for the incentives instead of patiently waiting for them. There is that whole Generation Y “entitlement” thing that critics complain about. But I personally think employers should appreciate such forwardness because unlike our 40 something counterpart who may leave a company because they weren’t compensated enough, at least you can try to salvage a position if you know ahead a time what your employee wants.

The columnist also recommends that employers should meet regularly with their Generation Y employees. This is something I completely agree with. Generation Y was raised to be social and growing up we had access to a crazy amount of social activities and have really come to depend on constant communication. So to all employers – the more you meet with your Generation Y employees the better off you’ll be because with each meeting you are creating a social bond that turns into loyalty, which is something that employers complain that their Generation Y employees do not have. Talk to us more and you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck.

Finally, it is recommended to “be true to your culture”. If you’re a formal, buttoned-up bank, don’t put a pool table in the break room just show how “hip” and Generation Y friendly you are. Generation Y is smart bunch of kids and we see right through those kind of things and resent it. Don’t insult us and think that “casual Fridays” makes up for an uptight office – we’re onto you – be real and we’ll do the same.

So overall, I think the columnist gave some pretty good recommendations to manage Generation Y, but there are a few others I’d like to add. Employers – are you listening?! These are pearls of wisdom...

Embrace the ambitious, ditch the lazy – Our generation is part of the most competitive entry-level workforces in history, so we see the good, the bad and the ugly. Don’t be fooled by Generation Y – we’re not all creative, hard working and innovative. Some of us are disguised as ambitious and end up being useless, so please recognize that because those of us who are really the keepers get frustrated when a lazy kid gets a job just because he/she has a blog – no amount of tech savvyness will dig you out of the holes that these sketchy, young morons can create for you.

Don’t remind us how young we are – I think my biggest pet peeve is when I’m reminded that I’m “so young”. I’m not denying I’m young and fairly inexperienced, because I’m both. But I found that generations before us, specifically those people who fall just outside Generation Y, really like to emphasize our youth and I’m thinking it might have to do with a small bit of jealousy – we may have been give a lot of opportunity, but a lot of us have worked hard in our short lifetimes.

We may have nontraditional work styles, but we still have traditions – Although Generation Y has introduced unconventional ideas to the business world and opened up unique and innovative doors for employers, it doesn’t mean we don’t value conventional lifestyles. Forget about Samantha Jones, you’d be surprised by how many of us want to get married before 30. We go to family birthday parties. We want to have dinner at a decent time. We value our time outside of work. Yes, we’re definitely an ambitious bunch, but that ambition applies to our personal lives as well so don’t think that adding a high-tech espresso machine to the office is going to make us happy as we work late, letting us have a life outside work is the best energy boost of all.

So, to all those employers fearing the Generation Y workforce invasion: don’t sweat it. Don’t think you have to bend over backwards for us because at the end of the day, we need you just as much as you need us. However, taking advice on how to manage us better may just benefit you in more ways than one because everyone could gain from some extra communication and a more relaxed work environment.

The next time you are faced with making a change to appease this young group, give it a try and don’t ask yourself “why”, ask yourself “Y not?”