The members of Gen Y are often accused of feeling that they are entitled to a better life without having to do the actual work needed to get there. But is that really true? Could it be that Gen Y simply feels they are entitled to have a life that does not involve work as the number one priority? And is this a realistic goal?
According to the Pew Research study “The Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change” 52% of Gen Y believes that being a good parent is important, followed closely by having a successful marriage. Having a high paying career was only important to 15% and this is the only generation “that doesn't cite "work ethic" as one of their principal claims to distinctiveness.”
This way of thinking is in marked contrast to Baby Boomers, who traditionally defined success by the rank they held on the career ladder. For many Boomers, getting the job done at any cost was the mark of a successful employee. Starting at the bottom as a flunky who did whatever was asked, whether related to the actual job or not while working as many hours as necessary, was just the way things were done.
Imagine the shock of those same Baby Boomers who are now managers and business owners and are faced with a generation who chooses family over work, does not believe success is determined by corporate rank and considers the hours away from work just as important as the hours they are there.
The question then becomes: Is this change a bad thing? While it may seem counter-productive, is Gen Y really asking for anything that extraordinary? Or are they leading a cultural revolution that may literally change how work is done in America?
What Does Gen Y Want?
What Gen Y is moving toward is not unusual worldwide. According to the March 2008 article, “Counting the hours: Europeans, particularly women, generally work fewer hours than their US counterparts. How does this difference help explain the transatlantic gap in incomes?” on the OECD Observer, Europeans have “shorter hours, longer holidays and more leisurely priorities.”
OECD Observer goes on to state that “Working time regulations were typically introduced out of concerns for health, safety and well-being. Belgium and France introduced these laws also to encourage businesses to hire more people.” In our Internet-driven world, is it surprising that Gen Y would be aware that the culture in other countries values work hours less and people more? And is it unreasonable that they would desire that life?
Much of the criticism of Gen Y comes from the Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers, who, interestingly, were the ones who raised them to believe that family was crucial, they could be successful at everything, and that their opinions were important and should be heard. But now that these Gen Y’ers have come into the workplace, those beliefs are considered an “entitlement.”
Why Should Managers Accommodate Gen Y?
Business owners and managers need to realize that though Gen Y is just beginning to enter the work world, their sheer numbers are sure to change the way work is done. There are currently 77 million Baby Boomers getting ready to retire and only 44 million Gen X’ers available to replace them. So when Gen Y, numbered at around 57 million, hits the workplace they will be able to pick and choose where they want to go.
This means they will gravitate towards companies who have the same beliefs and values they do, mainly, that a work/life balance is the key to success. While this could be seen as entitlement, in reality it may be that Gen Y simply has different needs that employers will have to meet. Luckily, Gen Y has grown up in an atmosphere of teamwork and negotiation and communicating what they want is one of their strong points.
Perhaps it will now be up to the Baby Boomers to spend less energy attempting to change the Gen Y way of thinking and more time learning from the latest entries into the workplace. Though new to the working world and not yet sure of their place, Gen Y may have something to teach about how to define success.
Kelly Sharp - Kelly Sharp holds a Master's degree in Education and a Bachelor's degree in Communication, and has been involved in training in a variety ...
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