Young Workers are Impatient With Good Reason

I have read that my generation grew up with constant change and amazing new technologies like cell phones and the Internet which caused us to not appreciate patience and experience.

I don't buy that.

Surely there are a variety of social and cultural factors influencing impatience, but as far as I'm concerned, the big reason for all this impatience is one thing: family.

My family is the most important part of my life. My brother is my best friend. My parents are wonderful, caring people who raised me right and spent lots of time with me. When I have my own family, I will spend my time on family outings, vacations, baseball practices, piano lessons and everything else that comes with being a responsible father. These things will take a backseat to nothing, including work.

I also have a burning desire to be wildly successful in the business world. Typically, to be a huge success you must put more than eighty hours a week into your job. Balancing that with piano practice on Tuesday, a baseball game on Wednesday a dance recital on Friday, and family dinners nearly every night is just not practical.

Luckily, I am 23 years old and most likely won't have this family until at least my mid thirties. If you do the math this leaves me with about a decade to become a successful business person. Once the wife and kids come, the career must take a backseat. This is why I'm so impatient!

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Traveling the World on Your Company's Dime

By Ryan Healy

According to a survey by The Conference Board, less than 23 percent of Americans are satisfied with their company's bonus plans and promotion policies and less than 30 percent are satisfied with their non-monetary reward/recognition and performance review processes. This comes as no surprise to me.

Typical small percentage promotions are barely noticeable after taxes and as nice as a hefty one-time bonus can be, it still leaves you feeling empty. Most non-monetary rewards are a sham as well. It's true that young people are becoming less concerned with money and materialistic goods, but we still want to live comfortably. More importantly, we want to experience what the world has to offer.

I want to travel. And I'm not talking about a beach vacation to Florida. I want to see what else is out there. Right now, four of my close friends are experiencing the world first hand and making money in the process. Keith is teaching English to young students in rural Japan, Scott just arrived in Korea for a year long journey, Mike has already been in Korea for close to two years teaching English and Dave just left last week to work for the Birthright Israel Program before he joins the Israeli Army for two to three years.

There is no reason why young people need to make a decision between starting a career and seeing what the world has to offer. Typical jobs put too many restrictions on what you can do and where you can go. Corporate America cannot afford to lose top talent like Keith, Scott, Mike and Dave. And young people cannot afford to lose out on the invaluable experience that comes from traveling the world. There needs to be some type of compromise.

Two weeks of vacation is a joke. I wouldn't even consider working for a company that gives me two weeks off. You don't own me or my time. You own my output and the work I do for your company. And that is all.

That being said, a compromise is quite simple. Companies can offer their usual amount of vacation days (hopefully it's a minimum of four weeks) and throw in some additional incentives. Every other year, the company will cover the cost of a flight plus $100 per day for a two-week trip to any foreign country. Employees should be actively encouraged to spend a portion of this time volunteering in a less fortunate area.

This is easy and relatively cheap for the company, and young employees will jump at the chance to travel and volunteer their time for a good cause. If it is completely necessary, the company can provide the employees with all the tools necessary to work remotely while abroad. Personally, I would have no problem sitting in a coffee shop in Rome for a few hours to take care of important business.

In the current job market, it is completely feasible for someone to not bother wasting 10 of their 15 vacation days to travel the world. It is actually much easier to simply quit, take an extended vacation and get back in the job search game when the time comes around. I recently had conversations with two people who are planning to do this exact thing.

Promotions are bogus, they ultimately end up leading to a lot more work for a little more pay. Non-Monetary rewards are usually unsatisfying as well. Life is important, traveling the world is important and volunteering is important. The sooner companies adapt their policies to fulfill these desires, the sooner worker satisfaction and productivity will increase.

The New Recruiting Psychographic Persona

This was a piece I put together as part of a presentation to my company's HR department as background for redesigning their recruiting materials. Although some of it seems pretty obvious to a twentysomething, some of the people that it was presented to were absolutely amazed.

"I" statements that reflect what recent graduates are looking for:

The most important things to me are my coworkers and the company's culture. I want to work with people who are enthusiastic, stimulating, friendly, competent, and fun. I like to be able to form friendships with my coworkers and also want to have a good relationship with my boss. I think coworkers and management should be approachable, especially if I need help.

A competitive salary is also important to me. With college loans looming, I'm very concerned about money. As it becomes the norm to have an undergrad degree I would like to maintain a competitive edge by pursuing a graduate degree. I am very interested in finding an employer who will help finance my MBA.

I would like to be appreciated for my accomplishments. It's important for me to receive actionable and detailed feedback, so that I can improve and exceed your expectations.

I am aggressive and constantly seeking to improve myself. I want to be challenged. I am looking for a job that allows me to participate fully in the projects I am working on. I am comfortable working on teams, in a supportive or leadership role.

I want the work I do to mean something. I would like to work with a product that correlates with my ideals and may be important to society.

Location is important as well. I'm thinking about: How far will I be from friends and family? How long will my commute be in the morning? What kind of activities in the area can I participate in?

I think volunteering is important. I am concerned about politics, socio-economic impact, and the environment. I'm looking for opportunities to give back and the ways that your company will support me in these endeavors.

I want to be able to make connections with those in and beyond my peer group. It's in my nature to network.

I may view this job as temporary, a stepping stone in my still-as-yet-undecided career path. Give me a reason to stay. Give me a reason to tell my friends why they should work here, too.

I am constantly connected to the Internet , to my friends. My cellphone is on 24/7. I am on Facebook daily and might even have a Myspace, too, but don't check it often.

When I look for a job I check my college's career search engine, the local paper's classifieds online, craigslist.com, and maybe Monster.com. I will also try to find someone who worked for the company to get the inside scoop about the corporate culture.

Nicknames at work – I want one!

On the scrubtails of McDreamy and McSteamy comes McNightmare, a name employees at a local company gave to their boss. Just like on "Grey's Anatomy,?? doling out nicknames to colleagues is as much a part of the workday as emailing and lunch hour.

The Name Game by Kristi L. Gustafson, Timesunion.com

Nicknames, you gotta love 'em. What kind of world would it be if John Wayne wasn't "the Duke,?? Springsteen wasn't "the Boss?? and Babe Ruth wasn't "the Great Bambino" In fact, I've got a nickname of my own. Back in college, they called me "Ginney,?? and I loved every minute of it.

Nicknames in the workplace can be just as fun. A friend of mine just became a mate on a fishing boat. The crew gave him the name "Dogballs.?? Unfortunately, our corporate nicknames aren't as intriguing, but we still use the age-old practice to lighten the mood in an otherwise straight-laced environment.

"It is a good way to deal with the frustrations of having to deal with and cope with inner-office politics and odd quirks,?? says an employee in Gustafson's article. "It definitely makes work more fun.??

At my office, there are tons of nicknames floating around – "Where's Waldo,?? the guy who's never around when you need him; "Little Miss Sunshine,?? the poor lady who can't catch a break; and then there's me. I don't have a nickname, and I feel so left out.

Maybe that's a reason why nicknames aren't such a good idea in a work environment. If you can't give everyone a nickname, don't give one to anybody. Our good friend J.T. O'Donnell says there's more to it than just leaving people out of the loop.

"Nicknaming at work is an extension of schoolyard bullying or teasing,?? O'Donnell says to Gustafson, "plus it has a bad effect on morale.??

In my opinion, serving up nicknames in the office is like serving up anything else in the office – make it tasteful. Making jokes about someone who is a physical mess is offensive. Nicknaming these people is just as bad. It's probably not a good idea to call anyone "Grandpa?? or "Grandma?? either. I imagine it induces the same frustration as when someone calls me "Kid" or "Sport." The point is, if you're dumb enough to not know where to draw the line, you probably deserve to get fired.

Nicknames are accepted in the group I work with. We know where to draw the line. And actually, it makes our work relationships even stronger. The ability to joke with your peers creates a comfort zone that ignites superb group creativity. I think some of my coworkers might lose it if they didn't have the ability to poke fun at one another every once and awhile.

J.T. has some great points. Know where your limits lie. There's no place for a bully in "cubicle nation." But a good relationship with your peers should signify that a few tasteful nicknames are no biggie. Heck, I'm begging for a nickname. Hopefully when I get one, it won't be "Dogballs.??

Problems with working at a big company

If there is an overarching impact my generation is already having on the corporate world, it is entrepreneurship. Roughly 80% of my friends and acquaintances plan to start their own business at some point. Both males and females, college grads and current students, everyone wants to run their own business, and many of us will.

However, it is not practical to assume that everyone will. In fact, I would bet that less than half of the aforementioned people will take the plunge into entrepreneurship. The economy needs both entrepreneurs and employees to run successfully and lets face it, not everyone is cut out for the risky, constantly changing life of an entrepreneur.

That said, I don't think my friends will land at large companies, either. They'll go to smaller ones. Here are three reasons why large companies will have an increasingly difficult time trying to recruit and retain their young talent.

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