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Ryan Paugh graduated from Penn State in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business. After working in corporate communications, freelance writing and reporting, he co-founded 
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We may be more tech-savvy than our elders, but we certainly can’t apply it as well. At least that’s what Ranstad USA, a global workforce solutions company, has to say.
“The 2007 World of Work review finds that younger workers are the least likely to use communication tools in the workplace, including computers, faxes, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile and landline phones.”1
Ranstad’s survey, which focuses on employee productivity, retention and morale, finds that the “power players,” using technology to enhance productivity, are more mature workers. More than business youth, they value a challenge and the ability to have a more flexible work schedule. Conversely, young workers could have more flexibility if they just applied their know-how to their careers. And I’m officially confused…
Millennials are notoriously known for their ability to infuse technology into their day-to-day routine to make life easier. If given the chance, why wouldn’t we do the same at work?
I think the answer comes down to exactly that – we’re not given the chance in most entry-level positions. Sure, there’s a handful of millennial-friendly companies out there that give their workers the opportunity and the technology to work remotely, but the majority don’t present that level of trust right off the bat. They throw you in a cube and that’s that.
I think it’s absolutely possible, and probably, this survey failed to recognize that young workers lack freedom that comes with age and experience in a company. Not to mention, how many companies provide their entry-levels with a Blackberry on day one?
How can a survey make such a claim unless everyone is given the same treatment and the same “goodies” regardless of age and experience? You can’t! Unless the survey itself is flawed.
I would love to see how the shift in productivity changes if you put everyone on the same page. My prediction is that it would prove twentysomethings to be just as productive, if not more. But what does everyone else think?
This survey is popping up all over the Internet and I’m wondering how anyone can be taking it seriously. Millennials are supposed to be technology gurus. Is it possible that we’re just not applying it in the right way? Or maybe my millennial ADD is just leading me towards MySpace when I should be focusing on the workplace. Maybe I’m wrong, but it all sounds a little fishy to me.
Enjoy the weekend.
Popularity: 11%
You’re right.
We don’t have the same freedoms and gadgets, which flaws the survey.
And maybe we do spend more time drifting toward MySpace (or blogs) while I’m at work, but if I had more to do (seems like a reoccuring theme) that probably wouldn’t be the case.
Hey Jacqui:
I’m glad someone agrees. It’s surveys like this that give people the wrong idea. That’s why I felt the need to point it out.
I didn’t point out that “lack of work” theme that seems to come up so often during our discussions, but I think it’s also important to point out.
Thanks for commenting!
-Paugh
Your analysis is spot-on.
I have an entry-level position in Residence Life at a college. Rarely would I get any benefit from having a Blackberry, a Palm Trio, or an iPhone. Since I have a live-in position, I don’t even need all that technology has to offer to do my job effectively.
Certainly, computers run our operation here, but I’d have to be a Dean of Students or the Director of our office to have any need for advanced technology (like PDAs or mobile technological devices).
This survey is certainly short-sighted, and it lacks any credence whatsoever.
I completely agree.
I’m 22 and an intern at a very professional Program and Construction Management firm. The owner just hired a new manager in his late 30’s. Before he started I was given the ability to excel in my work and stand out with my technological abilities. Now, my boss has taken all of my “important” work away from me and gave it to the more experienced employee. He still types with two fingers. I handled the work in a faster more professional way, while paying more attention to detail. Old heads are too relaxed with their work and oversee a lot of important details especially when it comes to construction documents. Why I ask, do owners and managers often overlook our abilities and assume that an older worker with more field experience will handle projects better.
Just the fact that he still types with two fingers has got to show the owner that he isn’t as resourceful as I am. If I had the opportunity to show everyone that my skills are more updated than his, I’m sure that things would change.
I knew something was wrong with this study!
I’d love to hear what some Boomers and Xers think about it.
Craig & Justin, thanks for the insight.
In case everyone didn’t pick up on the superscript link I threw in there, here’s the story.
-Paugh
On top of what I said, I bring a new point. In college most of us are taught to be efficient and resourceful. I personally prefer to use new technologies as a competitive edge against older employees. The only problem is, I am not assigned enough work to dignify the need for a PDA or such items. This ties into your previous post about impatient young workers. Give us the chance and I’m sure most of us Millennials will blow the competition away with our ability to access and document information faster.
I agree with these comments. At my job, only directors receive paid cell phones, blackberries, home internet access and laptops. This always makes me laugh because these are the exact staff members who can actually afford to pay for these things! Meanwhile, I could not afford home internet service for two years, and was then criticized for not answering email on the weekends. Now a study calls me unproductive. This same company refused to adopt the web-based project management system I suggested because it was unable to break its inefficient communication habits. While I can certainly be more productive at work - instead of, for instance, commenting on this blog! - I can’t help but find the study to be biased against younger workers.
One small bit of advice…
I’ve never been to a workplace where there isn’t something to do.
Never.
For those of you who say you have down-time, do something productive. Create something. Fix something–a process, a problem everyone’s been complaining about–no matter
how small it may seem. Do Something! That’s how you get noticed. That’s how you get people to buy into you and, therefore, your ideas.
This isn’t about your age or the age of your boss. Make their life better and your work
life will get a lot better. “Do Stupid Jobs Brilliantly.” If you can’t do that, you’ll never get the cool jobs.
If they take away something from you, take on something else–or go get another job. Really, life is too short to work for bad people. First, though, you really have to see if you are waiting to be recognized or if you’re taking the extra effort to show people how great you are by actally taking on new things that help the boss/company.
One other thing, which may not apply to those who view this site, but I’ll put my two cents in anyway–attitude. if you have a great attitude, people are more likely to want to work with you and give you things to do–and, after you’ve proven yourself, more likely to listen to your ideas. If you have a bad attitude, why should they bother?
I would be curious as to how the survey defines “productive.” Just because you have a laptop, Blackberry, and all the other technological toys doesn’t mean one is productive. It just means you can be connected all of the time and work 80-hours a week. Few want that.
Companies don’t pay for tools beyond PC’s for entry level workers. Tough to make a comparison!
(Oh, and I’m a baby boomer).
Here’s an opinion from an “old guy” (mid-30’s) who has seen a lot of employers.
All of those wonderful little gadgets and technology cost money to buy, maintain, support, fix, and replace. A significant amount of money. And the only purpose for the company purchasing them is that they will enable more company work to be done in less time.
The reason that most entry-level workers don’t have them is because their job responsibilities don’t require them. Understand what an entry-level job is for from the perspective of the company: an investment in you, a person without a track record, who will hopefully turn out to be suited for the job / company / increased responsibility.
Like Tim said above, anyone who sits on their hands because there “isn’t enough to do” has proven without a doubt that they are not ready for increased responsibilities.
So, how much more company-related work could you get done if you had the gadgets? You’ve already lost your case when you say you don’t have anything to do.
Do you want all the tech toys and gadgets that the old guys get? Make a business case showing how the company benefits (ie. how many dollars can you make / save for the company if you had them) from you having the gadgets.
If you can make a good case, the company will shower you with technology.
Dan
Tim and Dan, you certainly raise a good point. You also did a good job trashing employees that want more work, but are unable to get it. Even though your statements hold true to many entry-level employees, you should not ASSume that ALL entry-level employees are not ready for increased responsibility. You clearly didn’t go through the same experiences as some others.
As a 22-year-old intern with one more year of college to go, I am extremely passionate about my work. When my boss or anyone else assigns me work, or asks me to do something, I usually get it done in approximately half the time that they expected me to do it. I ASK for more work, but don’t receive it. My boss, the owner of the Program and Construction Management firm is far too busy sometimes to assign things. Is that my fault? No! I then am forced to look for things to keep me occupied. I find myself doing many things that I am NOT asked to do. I feel this is just expected of me. Even with the random bits of work that I find on my own, and the researching of information that will help me do my job better, I still find that I am not assigned enough work or responsibility. Granted not all entry-level employees are like me, I still think that it should be noticeable enough for my employer to hand off work to me that requires more skill, experience, knowledge, or whatever they feel that an average entry-level employee couldn’t handle.
So, don’t be so sure that I am “sitting on my hands” and complaining of nothing to do. I would be a much happier employee if I had too much work to do.
I think Tim and Dan make good points but I, too, had an internship where the managers were simply unable to keep up with my productivity.
It’s not easy to delegate. It takes time to explain a task, compile necessary materials, etc. Thats why I sometimes had to simply sit on my hands–they had meetings, couldn’t look over anything yet, even if I had simultaneous projects!
Oh, and if they’re counting technology like fax machines and landlines, well, then yes, I wouldn’t have raised my hand. How about a digital scanner/OCR, instant messaging, VOIP?
Just to clarify, I’m talking about a full-time, entry-level worker, not an intern. Interns are frankly ignored most of the time because it is costless to do so. Not right, not smart, but true.
And there is somewhere between slim and no chance that an intern is going to get technology to make them more productive. It just isn’t going to happen.
However, if a full-time, entry-level employee is not doing something, that is a problem. And, while it seems like Justin is actually seeking work, I have managed too many people to think someone who says, “but if I had more to do…” is actively looking for work.
It may sound like trashing, but once you’ve managed people for a few years, you’ll see the same thing (it’s not unique to your generation). Most lower level employees will sit around waiting for work to appear and won’t either seek work or figure out what they can do to contribute.
More often, they get on the phone, start talking with friends, surf the Internet, or otherwise bide their time until someone notices that they’re idle.
Myself and every other manager on the planet *knows* that most entry-level workers *are* ready for more responsibility. However, when an employee is not faithful with little, how can we justify giving them more?
Dan
PS: Justin - you are obviously not “sitting on your hands” - you are out actively seeking more work. And, in time, you’ll notice that most people in your position are not. They are the ones who are “sitting on their hands”, complaining to their neighbor that they don’t have anything to do.
I pray that your first encounter with Mr. “You’re Making Us Look Bad” is many years in the future.
Dan, again a good point. But just to clarify things. My internship is paid. If I am not productive then they are waisting money. In addition, since I am so passionate about my work, I try to represent the company in a way that will excel the image of that company into a larger and brighter future. That’s more than I can say for the older gentleman that just started this week. He has already made poor decisions concerning the company’s image. During that time I thought to myself, wow, even I wouldn’t do that.
Now explain to me if you can, why when I bust my ass to show the boss that I am exactly what he’s looking for in a full time employee, why does he allow someone less capable of producing a good image and good advertising to take work away from me. Especially after the owner commended me on so many different aspects.
Justin,
I hate to say this, I really do. Life Isn’t Fair.
I’m not being sarcastic. It is the way it is.
Businesses aren’t always rational. Politics, favoritism for no
clear reason, chemistry. etc.
things your boss may not even be aware of himself, come
into play.
Once you accept that, you can still win.
How do you combat it? Keep being the best intern you
can be. Continue to help out where you can. Continue to build your skills, experience, portfolio, etc.
This will make you very attractive to your next potential employers.
Also, in the meantime , keep your attitude strong and upbeat–yes,
it may take gritting your teeth to this, but do it–it matters! I’m sure
your attitude is good, but keep it good. I can’t tell you how many times
attitude comes into play. Penelope Trunk, on her blog, wrote something
about the importance of being likable–it’s true. Stay likable and stay
productive!
The other fact may be that you’re not in a great company. There are more companies–and better ones–
out there after your internship. Still, getting a great reference from these guys will
certainly help you.
One more bit of advice, when you’re out there interviewing, don’t knock this company. Focus on the positive– what you did do for them, how and why they could always count on you, etc.
Keep strong!
cheers,
Tim
I’m SAP (sap.com) Logistics consultant, and a Supply Chain expert (among other things) and over 40 years old. I’m tech savvy.
Being tech savvy means absolutely nothing if you can’t add value to your company or client. Can you help them make money, save money, create a better workplace? If so, and you can prove it, by all means have a Crackberry or any other device that makes you mobile. Some of the elders have Crackberries and fancy laptops because the President wants answers NOW if the crap hits the fan. Is that what you want? Your bosses hands around your neck 24/7?
I’ve also met with an IT executive responsible for global operations of a huge pharmaceutical company who had a beautiful tablet PC because - he was the global IT executive. We all drooled over it. He was canned the next month. He didn’t add enough value guess, but he knew how to use that fancy PC.
Ciao.
Justin,
One more thing…
Take a look at your supervisor’s
relationship with this less capable
employee. How do they communicate?
How does your boss like to receive ideas?
What is his work style? How does he like to be approached?
Learn the soft skills! It’s not all about work–it’s
about relationships!
This isn’t about kissing ass.
It’s about learning how to get your message across,
your ideas appreciated and how to best work with
your boss.
These little things are important. He may not
like (this isn’t about you, it’s about the two of you)
how you’re going about delivering messages, etc.
Each boss as their own style of management. Your passion
and ideas, etc. may be great, but you have to fit it into
your supervisor’s style. This whole company culture stuff
is a pain, but if you want to succeed, it’s vital to learn.
Justin, you may be doing these things already, so forgive me
if you are. But I’ve seen good employees do down because they
didn’t pay attention to how to talk to the boss and/or figure out
what’s important to him.
Watch him. Watch how he interacts with
others. What works, what doesn’t. Learn from this.
Don’t be someone else, but learn how your
style can work with his style.
Again, it’s weird, but it’s not always
about the work…it’s about relationships, too.
Hang in there!
Tim
I blame all my spelling mistakes on my comment on my dogs barking.
Hey guys,
Great conversation, this is exactly why we started the website. This dialogue is what can help young employees and senior managers. Keep the comments coming!
-Ryan
For those of you suggesting that being bored is no one’s fault but our own, up until my current job, I would have agreed with you. I’ve always been one to take initiative and find something to do.
However, not all companies are conducive to this type of attitude. Asking for more work or taking initiative around here is looked upon with suspicion and actually ends up creating more problems than it’s worth.
Yes, it sucks, and yes, I can’t wait to find something else, but until then, the best move for my career is to stay quiet and bored and fly under the radar.
For those of you who don’t believe me, be thankful for your supportive, engaging work environment.
Jacqui, you’re absolutely right!
In fact, it’s kind of frustrating when people assume you can just create your own work without the approval of a manager or supervisor above you.
In a lot of corporate systems, taking the initiative is frowned upon because what you do as an entry-level reflects all of the people above you. What if you mess up? Or you think you’re doing the right thing and it turns out to be totally wrong?
This is a typical situation I find myself in. I don’t just do, because I know it’s suspicious and shady. I ask someone, and sometimes they say yes. A lot of time they say no. Why? Because it’s their ass if you fail.
Bottom line: Not ALL companies allow you to just “do something.” Bureaucracy sucks, congrats to those who think it’s as easy as taking initiative, you have something good.
I’m going to add to the “can’t always just create your own work” side.
When I first started my current position, I knew next to nothing about the industry. This was great, because I continued to learn and improve my overall knowledge daily. It also allowed me to keep even with the work I was expected to do. However, as I progressed so quickly, there reached a point where I was vastly outworking the amount of work I had. This was initially received quite well, because I then was able to undertake/help people with more technically oriented jobs. Sometimes jobs that would take people 3 hours to do the long way, I could accomplish in 20 minutes with some excel programming, etc. I just had more tools at hand to work with.
Fast forward a few months, and I’m just continually asking for more work. While this was initially a great thing, I began to sense that it wasn’t being received that well. My role slightly shifted, which means that I now have a roller coaster of high work load followed by periods twice as long with sometimes nothing to do. It’s not because I don’t want more to do, it’s because others around me are too overworked to pass off some work, my manager isn’t utilizing me the correct way, and whenever I’ve given “extra” work, it’s just a small bandaid.
Granted, I realize now that I am not in a role that I should be in for long. I am just able to be that much more efficient than some of my coworkers, and it’s because of my tech background (which is not necessary but extremely helpful in this role). It’s more encouraged to just do your share than to continually try to create work or find more things to do. This in no way is reflective of my, or others, capabilities for more responsibility, as was stated previously by a few others.
Yes, not all companies are great. As I said in an earlier post, they can be very irrational places. Humans and human. My suggestion, is just to help out where you can. You may need to succeed at small things/projects before they’ll allow you to do more. Try to solve small problems that will help you or your co-workers work better. Is someone complaining that they don’t have enough time to get something done? Help them out.
You have to listen to what is being said. If you’re that bored, take something off someone’s hands–make someone’s life easier. You won’t be bored and you’ll get noticed. If you’re so worried about failure, success will be hard to find.
And, yes, if your company doesn’t like anyone to go above and beyond the call of duty, then it is time to move on.
But what are you going to tell your next employer about your time in your
current job? Find ways to be valuable. I guess, ultimately, it’s your choice. Stay bored or take action. Stay bored until you find something else. Just don’t stay bored. What kind of work life is that?
Of course it’s easier said than done. So what?
I think one problem that can arise from the “tech savvy youth” is that employers aren’t sure or don’t yet have a streamlined system/paradigm as to how to make use of some of our skill sets. I came into my role with more tech knowledge that my entire department. In about a week I probably knew more shortcuts/workarounds with our proprietary applications than anyone here, because I spoke that language. They made a concerted effort to push to get some of us young people, with the exact traits I have (and they got a couple of us).
The problem is, they knew who they wanted, and they knew why they wanted them, but the shift hasn’t been made as to how to actually use them (us). So while the old way of handing out projects/portfolios is still being used, our entire skill set is being thrown away. I don’t think it’s a matter of a company being great or not, because I think I work for a great company (though too large, that’s another issue).
Rounding out to the original topic, it’s not even that youth don’t have the positions/roles to showcase what this older group is able to display, it’s that they don’t know how to use us. My role is the same as people who’ve been doing it for 10 years, in the business for 25. Same expectations, same work completed. Even though I’ll complete it marginally faster, I am never getting to use my full range of knowledge/tools, so while I’ll be seen as marginally more efficient, my true depth and capabilities are in no way showcased because they aren’t setup to measure this.
I think this is the problem many competent/able workers face today, and I think this is a problem that is absolutely targeted toward the younger generation. It’s not just in entry level jobs either, because I skipped that whole tier and I’m still facing the same problems as my peers.
Hi Nathan,
Good points! Change can come too slow.
The only other thing I’ll say is to take
a look at the culture of the company/department.
It’s in an earlier post of mine here, so I won’t
drone on as I tend to do.
Watch the preferred way of business. How do things
get done? What works, what doesn’t. Watch and learn.
How do the established people work and communicate?
You can’t change that now, but if you find how your
style can work with theirs, they’ll be much more open
to you. Much more willing to listen.
Also, look at the star performers, why are they stars?
Watch them and learn.
Again, how you go about things is as important as
what you do. These are humans you’re working with.
Ahhh, I’m about to drone on again, so I’ll stop now.
I do agree that there are companies where extra work is a problem. You just have to understand where the problem really lay. Here are some possibilities:
MONEY - Early in my career I worked for a contractor at a major, 3-initial technology company. I had vast swaths of time available and so I asked for more to do. I had to wait for other people to be done. I tried to learn from other people. Management got upset. The bottom line was that if it looked like I wasn’t busy, they couldn’t bill for me. So, I left.
EMPIRE - Most bosses have fought to get your job opening against a massive system designed to to let him. If it appears to other bosses that you aren’t busy (or are too vocal about it to people other than your boss), it makes him look bad and he might lose headcount. While it’s great to ask for work, be sure not to let your co-workers know that you’re bored and don’t have enough to do.
COMPARISON - Many, many employees get upset when the green employees start running 100MPH right out of the chute. It makes everyone else (who is slacking to some extent) look bad. So, the folks who have political power put the bug in the bosses ear that you’re a troublemaker.
INEXPERIENCE - Most bosses of entry-level employees are entry-level bosses. They don’t know the ins and outs of utilizing / managing their employees. As a result, an unutilized employee makes them feel like they don’t know what they’re doing (which is distinctly possible). Instead of always saying, “Gimme More Work!”, observe what your boss gets strokes for doing and then think of how you can get him more strokes. Then approach him with, “Hey Boss! I just finished the last project and I had an idea. How about if I…” You’re trying to make him look good AND aren’t bugging him. Both will get you a gold star.
However, keep in mind that you don’t have to wait for your boss to assign you extra work. If he doesn’t want to or won’t, figure out what would make other people’s lives easier, make your boss look really good, or add to productivity. Develop / try out your idea on a very small scale (but keep it VERY quiet). If it works, then bring it to your boss (letting him know that nobody else knows about it, so if he kills it, there won’t be any morale problems). If he gets upset, he’s (currently) a bad boss.
I hope this helps somewhat. I lot of what you learn in the first few years of working is how to ignore the stupid rules that all companies set up and how to make other people look good.
Dan
I’d like to offer the insight of an entry level worker who manages interns. I have a little bit of perspective on both threads of this conversation. I’ve been a part of the interview process and the firing process, and everything in between, which has taught me a lot, not only about managing people, but about my own work ethic and how I approach my projects, time, tasks, and even my boss.
I think there is a definite overlap between those who prove themselves early on and those who get the most important, time-consuming and interesting projects. It’s difficult to manage interns who need to be spoon-fed, for sure. Attitude is also key - how you portray your opinions about your company and your co-workers will impact the opportunities you are given.
But it’s also, as one commenter said, all about relationships. My boss trusts me because of our relationship as well as my work itself. Neither of these would stand alone. So that puts me in a good position with him. However, he doesn’t always assign work to me, in fact, he rarely does - which took me a lot of getting used to at first. There’s something a bit easier about the college-level mentality of “completing an assignment” that someone’s given you versus working to do your job well, with every minute you’re on the job, whether something has been assigned to you or not. That said, my job has changed drastically since I began it - because I took the time to develop, research and implement new ideas. I took the time to write proposals, learned to give up on bad ideas and be patient for things to happen. In the corporate world, there’s definitely something to be said for working on your own to build credibility and expertise.
However, I know also that not every work experience is like this, but that doesn’t mean your company is bad. It doesn’t mean your boss is bad either. It may mean that you are still in the learning process of how to brand yourself on the job, how to sell yourself and your abilities not just to your boss, but to their bosses and other important people as well. This process takes time, and it’s not always easy to see and navigate office politics, but there are levels of things going on that your boss has to deal with that you may not see right away. Pay attention to these things, and learn to take them into consideration when you’re working for more work.
I also think that you have to learn the culture of not only the company, but the department and the management you are under. It simply won’t be the same every place you work, and learning how to advance yourself in your job at any given company is a great way to spend your “sitting on your hands” time. You also have to learn to invest that spare time in your career and developing professionally in your knowledge so that you can build the credibility and expertise to get the good projects and the good tasks.
It’s a tricky road, and one that unfortunately, takes some time to navigate through, but if you realize some of these things early, you can get to a place where you’re living out your dreams and implementing your ideas. And as an “entry-level� worker, that’s pretty darn satisfying.
“..computers, faxes, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile and landline phones.”
Faxes? What year is this again. I try and run the other direction whenever I have to use a fax.
I had my landline taken off my business cards - as I’m just not going to answer it that often. I’m on Mobile/email/im pretty constantly though.
And I don’t have a PDA - unless you count my big one that I need everywhere I go for work - with it’s 15″ screen (a T60p).
So of their communication tools I use:
* Computers
* Mobile
and I don’t use:
* faxes
* PDA’s
* landlines
So I score 2/5 (40%) on the communication test.
Where’s the:
* IM
* SMS
* Myspace/Facebook/blog commenting
* VOIP
If you include all of those in (and get rid of stuff like faxing -> try scan/email if you have to) - then someone younger might be better represented.
This coming from a 22 year old who somehow landed a job with some responsibility and things to do.