10 Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workplace

Great post, Ryan. One of the best I've seen in a while about Gen Y.

I like that mini-retirement idea. Sounds interesting.

Awesome post Ryan – I hope this all comes to pass – I believe it will. Here's one for your next list:

We'll Be the Company
Hard work and loyalty will define us, but we won't be defined by the organizations we work for. Instead, we will continuously build our own inner brand, evolve our skills, hone our interests and evolve our unique skill sets. We'll work for many more organizations over our lifetimes than our parents did, but that will be a sign of professional character and drive, not fickle fancy.

Gen Y will undoubtedly do better than their parents, or so we would like to hope. They have a tremendous advantage in their technical prowess gained at a young age and the force mulitplier it can be. However, they will have to overcome a generational myopia that handicaps them. Multi tasking is all good and well, but often times real innovation and progress is the result of a FOCUSED and complete effort that Gen Y members seem to lack an attention span longer than the last text message recieved in the "hyper" productive meeting they just attended.

E. Publius

Hilarious! Every generation thinks that their generation is unique. The truly gifted on each generation is and will affect change, but this notion that todays 20-somethings are any more intelligent or capable than those from 10-40 years ago is naive.

Clay Collins sent me your way. All these points are right on, and were certainly true of my last gen-Y staffed startup.

At first, I believed that this post was a satire. As I read on however, I began to see that the writer was serious!

Imagine! A twenty-something having the accumulated wisdom and knowledge that surpasses their predecessors work of a lifetime.

Ryan, I admire your enthusiasm and your vision. All your re-inventing and re-introducing of past tools won't make a better workplace though. It takes a lot more than that to make a great company.

I agree with Carlos, your vision is quite naive. But I wish you good fortune and great success in your efforts anyway.

I am gen Y and many of these things reflect how I run my business, I think this post is dead on

Ryan – A wonderful aspiration! You want to change the world just like the Baby Boomers – and they did. I encourage you and your generation to go for it.

At the same time, the road from today to your vision presents some substantial challenges, which are not about the older generations pushing back, but rather about business economics. A few tough questions are: How do you string the off- and on-ramping you talk about into the continuing upward trajectory you want? Who will do the routine work (there will always be some, and some of it is necessary in order to learn enough to do the challenging, creative stuff) you reject? In a bad economy, high salaries are much harder to get, especially when you could be competing with a large cohort of Gen Ys, so do you retreat from your statement of the certainty of getting it elsewhere? Gen X has already been through the boom and bust. No generation is immune.

Having raised just a few wrinkles, I am rooting for your generation to actually achieve a lot of positive change. I'd like to experience those changes too.

Well, I have to say "yes and no". You Gen Y characters just might get a chance to do these things. You were still in grade school, but "they" said the same think about us X-ers. Unfortunately, we have had to make our own way because of all the friggin' Boomers rusting in place above us.

We are proud to have created the world that exists for you, and pray that you make the most of it. With any luck the Boomers won't rob you blind with taxes in the next few decades to pay for their life-extending prescriptions.

Ryan,

Great post!

Your information is right on target for Gen Y's. Today's employers are facing the challenge of managing multi-generational workforces. Your post is something that every employer/hiring manager/manager needs to read! I've bookmarked the page and will be sure to pass along to my clients as a valuable resource.

Best,
Cheryl

Noah:
Spot on. All those lifestyle/brand exercises the marketing companies have been force-feeding us for the last couple decades are going to come back to bite them in the ass. Are we the Brand Generation?

@Stephen:
One of the things to note is that part of the X-ers problem was a lack of numbers as well as age. All of the boomers are preparing for their retirement years soon and Gen Y has a population roughly *3 times* that of Gen X, which means we'll be filling up the ranks significantly faster that you even had an opportunity to.

Phyllis:
I agree with you, partially. I think technology is advancing too fast though and it's going to eradicate a lot of the menial and repetitive work of today. Additionally, the economics of business are changing dramatically due to the internet and technology. Entire business models are going to be destroyed in the coming quarter-century while new ones will be given birth. If companies aren't ready or willing to adapt, they'll disappear in the maelstrom. In fact, companies are going to be have to ready to pre-empt or initiate change ahead of time or they're going to be suffer terribly. You have to look no further than the RIAA + it's cohorts to see what the future holds. (interesting, related read: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free)

–
I agree with the retirement thing (I'm already working on my first one for next fall when I'll be 26 so I can focus on finishing my Bachelor's Degree without the distractions of working). I think, however, that they may be a little more frequent that you anticipate. I can foresee mini-retirements of 6 months – 2 years every 10 years as mandatory breaks to upgrade skillsets or branch into new developing fields. Everything is changing too fast to keep up properly while still WORKING, you need that time to absorb yourself in the culture of the education and learn those skills. However, this will also require some dramatic shifts to the post-secondary education system that they aren't prepared for IMHO.

Hmmm… I think I have a lot more to say on this subject than originally anticipated. Time to write some more blog posts…

Interesting post, however not entirely accurate.

I Do appreciate the enthusiasm, but the reality of Gen Y is looking much more grim that you anticipate.

Gen Y is indeed a larger population than Gen X and will stand tall in many areas. However, the slow progress that has been the trademark for GEN X will be what pais off in promotions as baby boomers retire. It is foolish to think, that the accumulated experience of Gen X that they have gained raising through the ranks slowly will be ignored or that they will simply step aside to let the younger generation overtake.

Also, rapid advancement to senior management positions rarely if ever is a good idea. There are always a precious few business naturals who will excel regardless of age. The large portion still needs the growth process of learning as you climb.

All generations start off hating long meetings, they are booring and they can seem to accomplish little. THe old timers hated it too when they were in their 20's. HOwever, they have learned not to leave the conference table until the problem is truly solved, and not make a decision too quick because they are bored and want to hang out with their families.

The administrative assistant was lost because of accountability more than money saving. It became important to hold the person responsible to their actions, and not let them delegate their work to someone unskilled. It became smart to have people file their own documents, simply because they don't get lost all that often. Again, being bored at work is something that no 20 year old likes, but the older generation has learned that this is just how things are if they are to be done right.

We are heading into a recession, So Gen Y will most likely have to accept lower paychecks and no promises of advancements as an alternative to the soup kitchen. Unfortunately, this is going to be true for a while now.

The Performance review will be largely the same, simply because instant feedback is no way to run a business. Nothing happens quick enough to be able to give accurate feedback without letting the decisions and actions come to fruition.

This post is well written, just not that well thought out…
You are however right in that there will be changes, those changes will come from the last portion of the baby boomers and Gen X, and just like every other generation in history, Gen Y will have to stand in line for their turn.

the average manager to worker ratio is 1 to 3… Did someone mention that Gen Y was 3 times the size of gen x?

I have no intention of waiting around for the "payoff" of stepping into a Boomer's place when they leave their job. In my experience the X-ers and Gen=Ys have been doing the work for years while the Boomers "supervise". I would even predict that when the Boomers leave the workforce, the Unions will begin to disappear.

I have begun making my own way, starting very late on the path of going into business for myself. I would recommend that Gen-Y put in some time in the corporate world, then do the same thing.

Erik, I don't think we have any disillusions about the fact that Gen-Xers are going to be ahead of us in the ranks. I also think you're assuming we think this will happen in the next 5 years. It won't. What our point is is this: there's a significant more number of Boomers than Xers which means as they exodus over the next 10-20 years the Gen-Xers will be promoted to the upper ranks which means Gen-Y is going to be filling up middle management and junior exec positions a lot faster than Xers ever had the opportunity to. And that in turn is going to allow us to make some dramatic shifts.

Thanks for all the comments. I truly believe that each of these 10 things will happen, and Gen Y will change the workplace for the better. It might take 5 years, it might take 10 years, or it may not happen until we're 65, but I know that all the things we ask for and expect out of work will make everyone's lives better.

Each generation has a certain sense of idealism in their twenties and Gen Y is no different. The difference, as some people pointed out, is that Gen Y has the numbers on our side. Their are 76 million Gen Yers and we all know how to make our voices heard. If we're all working toward a common goal of just being happy at work and at home, things will change for the better.

-Ryan

Great post Ryan! As a Gen Y, I can definitely agree with that and have already started to use these strategies with my own work habits, especially with how long I work

As a 28 year employee with a major food company, I find it very disturbing that a person, with a degree, fresh out of college, can come into my company and start with more money, and a higher position. Make decisions they know nothing about and expect US to fix it.
This is exactly what is wrong with America! We need to start the idea of working our way up, and fighting for what's right for the company. All you get now-a-days is degreed kids with no common sense.

This country is screwed!
You think I'M bitter? There's more out there worse that me.

You sound like every other generation before you – arrogant, self-righteous and immature. There's nothing like a mortgage, children, wars, taxes and other realities to take a bite out of this fantasy.

Donna, I agree. It's funny to see the face of some young punk-rocker posing with their attitude when I tell them that not too long ago I had the same hot pink mohawk, danced in mosh pits and questioned authority. I was them. And one day, they will be me… a parent, with a mortgage, facing taxes, a poor economy and a world that does not do what I say no matter how many tantrums I may have.

The "overworked parents" paid through blood. sweat and tears for the kickback lifestyle they want to have. Do the GY'ers want the overworked parents to keep overworking so that they can keep kicking back?

Who will be the Admin Asst's if all the GY'ers feel that that work is too menial for them? The Gen Z'ers? What if they are are as self-centered as the GY'ers? Hmmm, maybe the boomers will become the Admin Assistants, who knows?

"We're already demanding 401k's" So, the thought is that someone else needs to pay those out for you. Ah yes, the overworked boomers need to cough up the dough.

"We'll find mentors" – the overworked boomers again? nah, they teach hard work!

The HR department… a blast from the past. Yes, its the happy EMPLOYEES that are making the CORPORATION successful. I bet the top execs have meetings, don't have a ratio of 1:1 admin assists to managers, are accountable and probably include someone's overworked boomer parent.

"We're not our idealist parents" was right below "we respect our parents". Go figure. Part of their idealistic view was for you to have it easy. What were they thinking!?

High salaries, bigger raises… someone has to pay for these. Where is the mula coming from? Ah yes, the overworked, idealistic parental boomers.

My kids will be GenZ, I guess. Hot on your tail. I wonder what they will demand from you. Perhaps they will learn from their predecessors,and learn that the world is made up of many people, multi generations, and some laws that just keep proving to be right – even if they don't want to admit it. That being said, dreams, ambitions, and energy are great. That's how changes are made. But to trying to live in a world and say f**k the world at the same time makes no sense.

I tell my kids they deserve the best, and I want that for them. But be wise, not an idiot about it.

Best of luck to you! I've got a few of your cohorts on my crew. But, glad to say, they are pretty decent kids, so not everyone fits the "millenial" stereotype, I guess.

I think quite a few good ideas are left unheard because some managers view it as a weakness to reach out to others for advice, ideas, and proposed changes that could improve the company. If Ryan was an employee and walked into your office with this list of changes or career goals how would you react? Some of these ideas are good, and some are bad and here's why based on my time with this company and my previous work experience -or- You have no idea what you're talking about you arrogant little fresh out of college non-parent, non-mortgage paying brat!

I know my manager would probably take me out to lunch, make fun of some of the ideas, take some of them seriously, and possibly work with me to achieve some of these goals even if it was at a personal level and not through some new elaborate initiative sponsored by the company. I have so much respect for the long-standing employees in our company because of their experience building the brand, forming the processes, and knowing what works and doesn't within the company. I have more respect when they can admit that something they have been doing for 20 years may now not be the best way, even the proposed change is coming from a 24 year old brat who has only been with the company for 2 years. They were used to it, never questioned it, and are still somehow able to accept my idea as being a possible solution. At the very least, they hear me out, think about the idea, and give me reasons, logical reasons as to why or why it should not be pursued. As a manager, I will always aim to be reasonable, challenge formal business structures even if it may offend others to tell them their baby of an idea is not the best way, and accept ideas no matter where they come from rather than running the other direction because people might view it as a negative.

I love and encourage it (like I am now) when people challenge what is viewed as standard and professional in the business world. Annual performance reviews shouldn't be needed if you are truly managing your employees and maintaining close relationships. The only reason we do them is because someone once said a piece of paper needs to be in this draw of my filing cabinet with a summary of this employee's performance over the year and without it how could we possibly know how to compensate them or make a decision on how to effectively manage other employees? The only reason I go to meetings that are simply shows of ego and position title are so that I do not offend the organizer. The office is just like hs, and people young and old get their feelings hurt over little things like not showing up to their meeting to listen to them talk. The sole purpose for a meeting is to collaborate. 90% of my meetings feature 0% collaboration hence just email me the power-point so that I can have it on record in my proper folder in my inbox. If you want to act differently towards me on a future project because I didn't show up to a meeting that's fine – I've picked up the slack for other employees, young and old, before.

Rather than saying, "F*ck you, it doesn't work that way Ryan" or "Gen X and the Boomers already tried that and it failed so quit trying to make your voice heard and get rid of your pink mohawk while you're at it", give solid reasons as to why they would not work within your company (Erik did a good job or refuting some points earlier). This is a generalized post not specific to any one company featuring personal goals for himself and our generation and it does have an arrogant tone at times. However, look at some of the responses from the other side of the argument – just as arrogant. We're all in the real world here working for the same companies or owning a business in the same market. Yes, we younger folks may have wild hair, no kids, and no mortgage – but don't hold that against us. It actually allows greater freedom – the ability to change jobs if you are working for managers who have dug themselves a hole and don't know how to get out because they have mortgages and kids and are too afraid to shake things up at work or stand out and risk losing a few friends because you don't agree with them every time.

And believe it or not, some of us do have a lot of respect for what you have done and want you to know that. We just ask for a little respect and guidance in return rather than pointing a finger at your 10-year employee plaque on the wall and shutting the door. If your measurement of a good employee as their manager is a an employee who never questions you than you may need a few lines under the "areas of improvement" section on this fiscal year's performance review.

Best of luck to you though – I guess that is common Boomer courtesy in case I offended anyone.

Speaking to point #3 about bringing back personal assistants. I'm not sure that this is really feasible. As KC points out:

"Who will be the Admin Asst's if all the GY'ers feel that that work is too menial for them?"

I was wondering the exact same thing while reading Tim Feriss' "4-Hour Workweek." The outsourcing model only works if there are people willing to take on menial jobs, but what if everyone decides to outsource? Who will be there to do the work?

A more sustainable solution would be to automate a lot of these filing and stamping tasks. Who says we need to keep hard copies of things anyway? In my experience it's the boomers (no disrespect meant here, merely an anecdotal observation) who like to have hard copies of everything in triplicate. Most younger workers I know are satisfied with virtual copies of things like timecards, pay stubs, etc.

Most of the other points were spot on. I think this is a great start to explaining the type of workplace most people of our generation want to work in.

There's no doubt that Generation Y will fundamentally change corporate America.

Fundamentally? Actually, there's a lot of doubt about that. Corporate America will change to accommodate GenY, the way it has for every previous generation, but fundamentally? I'm less sure. The bottom line is still the bottom line.

As a GenX employee struggling in the same corporate environment as my GenY brethren (along with previous generations of course), a number of these workplace changes really appeal to me. But many are impractical and expensive, and the challenge I see will be to prove the real value to the employer, rather than only to the employee.

I loved your point about HR. I went into HR out of college for precisely this reason but unfortunately the company I joined was archaic and placed next to no value on the HR department. It's so true that happy employees work better and HR has such a neat opportunity to be a voice for the employees!

Man, that was funny. If your not joking Ryan you may be in for a surprise. If your point of view doesn't change, life will beat you down sooner than most.

It may be interesting to think about the impact your generation will have, but it is not useful to you or your goals. Members of your generation, like every other, will not all arrive at the finish line the same way. Some will become leaders, most will not. You all have the oppurtunity to be happy. Expecting the world to change is not going to reward your patience.

Yes, we all must be careful not to stereotype any generation or any "diversity" group. I make that point in all the speaking and writing I do on the relations among the four generations in the workplace. It is also important to regularly remind ourselves that not everything is a generational issue or a generational attribute. Behaviors and values are formed by individual experience, personal style, the position you occupy in an organization and life cycle issues as well as generational influences. First and foremost the people in any generation are individuals: some better than others, more or less motivated, more or less tech savvy, more or less skilled at interpersonal relations, leaders or followers, etc.

We should be encouraging everyone to aspire to be the best they can be and not have a "we" vs. "them" attitude among the generations. Let's have more inter-generational dialogue! This discussion is very useful in my personal Boomer opinion.
Phyllis

What an enjoyable discussion on Gen Y perspectives. My approach to career satisfaction and the nature of work transcends generational definitions. I think we can all benefit from the fact that as knowledge workers were are more mobile, our skills are in increasing demand and the workforce is shrinking. It's creating a positive pressure on organisations to adapt to meet the workforces' changing needs and demands. I like the fact that Gen Y are changing the world of work. I've been saying the same things for 10 years or more.

I'll be back to this site, thanks Ryan.

Speaking as someone from Gen Y, I completely agree with every item you've listed Ryan. Mostly the ones about shortening the work day and enjoying higher starting salaries. Our generation has certain expectations that we have developed as a result of different cultural norms. We do not value giving all our time to work and most have adopted a "work to live" mentality instead of "life to work" like our predecessors. Unfortunately, for us, the implications seem to be that we need more education to secure a high-paying job and we face the challenge of getting a high-paying worthwhile job in the midst of a declining economy and job market.

This post is just one big bunch of "CAMPAIGN PROMISES". And we all know that every candidate for any office keeps those (HA!). Let's check back in 10 years……too funny!

i'm a gen Y and my new boss is too. after a week and half, i already know there's tension in terms of management style. i think that gen Y's managing gen Y's is a problem (unless they're buddies and have some kind of super-awesome company together that they dreamed up and are making happen together—-in my case, i was hired off of a craigslist ad, no connection to the company pre-interview).

i think where gen Y leading gen Y goes wrong is in the lack of mentor/mentee relationship. a relationship i'm sure that we are both craving. as peers, i feel we're skeptical that learning from each other is going to happen, despite our commitment to collaboration and sharing of information.

i'm totally confused and am not sure this position is going to work out, although we were on the same page in terms of salary/benefits/time off/flexibility, we don't subscribe to the same processes or philosophies about timelines and development.

it's both a frightening and exhilarating learning experience at the same time.

your blog definitely helps me when it comes to viewing/understanding the expectations of my peers though. thanks!

Oh, come now. Are these really the characteristics of "Gen Y," or just the characteristics of the next wave of unctuous, yuppie pussies? For any high-school seniors reading this: keep your souls; don't study business.

3. We'll Bring Back the Administrative Assistants
Good idea but Gen Y. are the people who would be the "Administrative Assistants" Unfortunately with their unreliability they would also screw that up.

Lauren – As I said before (above), not everything is a generational issue. What you describe seems to be more a matter of personal behavioral style and management style and could happen between two people of any generation or of different generations.

It is always difficult when people of similar ages or experience (peers) have a shift in reporting relationships. If they were friends to start with (not your case), it's very hard to accept a different working relationship. As Gen Yers, it means both of you are relatively new to the workplace and understandably both eager for more coaching and mentoring and learning in whatever way you can get it. Ideally both you and your boss would be mentored or coached by more experienced people and have mentors to go to rather than each other.

Good luck navigating this situation.
Phyllis

I am a Gen Yer myself, and i have to say that the way we expect things such as higher salaries and yearly reviews are because of our Gen X parents. They told us every second how we deserve the world and told us how we were doing in our soccer games. It's not babying, but nurturing. We were nurtured to the point of expecting others to do the dirty work for us (illegal immigrants working for low salary). It's not that we expect the world to bow at our knees, but we demand the respect of everyone else. Many baby boomers look at us and "know" that we don't know what we're doing. When in reality, our schooling and degree that we have, shows that we obviously have a grip on what we know and want out of the workplace.

Not that HR and Administrative Assistants aren't a great idea, but unless we truly want a foreigner working for less than minimal wage, our multitasking skills can help us out. Brought up in a tech-savvy lifestyle, we know how to juggle talking on the cellphone, writing an email, and planning tonight's dinner all at the same time. It's second nature to us. We need the time for family and friends, so we make it. By callaborating 3 things at once, time can be made.

We've seen our families become so involved with work that their lifestyle and family and friends come last. We don't want that life. Family and friends are important to us and we don't want to end a marriage due to lack of time together. With the shorter work days, time is available for that dinner with your significant other, or time spent going to see your son play football. Time we have seen is precious (9/11) and we don't want to lose that because of an overload of work. Papers can wait until Monday morning, time with your family and friends can't.

**To the baby boomers, every generation has had its dreams. But because of our parents, teachers, and employers pushing us to do our best in everything we do, our dreams will become a reality. Sorry you missed your opportunity.

I really like this post. It's idealistic and it makes me feel better about being a generation Yer, when we seem to get a bad rep of "needing to be coddled" in the workforce. I, too, really like the idea of mini retirement. Good plan. At the same time, I feel like there should be some sort of "disclaimer" that this only applies to successful Millenials…because I know alot of our generation who really have been coddled to the point that they will just be the administrative assistants of our time. Regardless, I'll put a link to this post on my site

Cheyea.i hear you man..have you got any idea how frustrating it really is when the solution is right there in front of you but nobody wants to listen or toy with it..i was born at the wrong time..good luck to gen y.

A shorter work day is a good idea. Productivity is increasing due to computers and outsourcing.

A good idea now would be to reduce the work day to 6 hours a day from 8. Then perhaps in 20 years reduce it to 4 hours.

It's not important that we have long workdays because after a certain point working longer hours decreases productivity. Ideally most of us would want to be on call and be able to work anywhere at any time, and just carry out work with us in our laptop or PDA.

The time is coming when we wont have to go to work at all, our work will come to us.

A shorter work day is a good idea. Productivity is increasing due to computers and outsourcing.

A good idea now would be to reduce the work day to 6 hours a day from 8. Then perhaps in 20 years reduce it to 4 hours.

It's not important that we have long workdays because after a certain point working longer hours decreases productivity. Ideally most of us would want to be on call and be able to work anywhere at any time, and just carry out work with us in our laptop or PDA.

The time is coming when we wont have to go to work at all, our work will come to us.

C.B. You make a good point. The ideal situation is not having to go to work at all and using the technology to bring the work to the person.

And if we get out of the last century, we can get rid of the whole concept of a workday and move on to a per product/project workflow type of system. You work according to the results and not according to a schedule.

If the work you do allows your Corporation to have huge profits, you should be given the option to accept extra money or extra time, but it should have nothing to do with being required to work 8 hours. All federal limitations on work should be removed.

We should be able to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week if we want to, stores should be open 24 hours a day including on Sunday, the workload should be dynamically distributed, applying for and receiving a job should be as simple as point and click over the internet, and the workload should be downloaded to your PDA. Offices should allow any employee to arrive and do work at any hour or day of the year.

Basically, the ideal situation would be if you could trade your job as a chef for a new job with somebody else who is willing to trade, and have all the information seamlessly transfer over the internet to the Corporations involved, very much like how athletes are traded, and have the offices be a place where employees can go to do their work if they choose but also have the office follow the employee around when they don't want to work in that environment.

And if it's not office work, say you are a waitress, you should be able to carry an ID card, put it in a machine, have the machine hire you anywhere in the city where an extra waitress is needed, with no paperwork, no interview, and no time wasted, so that you can get a second job as needed merely by scanning your ID card into a machine. Just like how ATM machines changed banking, having a universal workplace ID card would would change working and make it so anyone could have as many jobs as they have time for on an as needed basis.

If your Corporation needs temp labor for a day, anyone with a card should be able to walk in and get scanned by the machine and accepted to do the work if the machine deems them qualified based on previous experience. By organizing work like this, you'll be able to work 12-16 hours one day and 8 hours the next, and 4 hours the next, you'll have the flexibility to work any hours of the day because if you leave every business open 24/7, suddenly being on time, getting up early in the morning and dealing with rush hour commutes becomes a thing of the past. The only reason rush hour and traffic jams exist is because we continue to keep the pointless 9-5 structure when in reality we should be able to work whenever we have free time and a need for money, it could be 4:00 AM, there will still be work that needs to be done, why wait until the next day at 9:00 when we can have people work at 4:00 AM?

It's our own messed up traditions that are holding us back at this point. We are in a global economy but we still think we can work 9-5, 5 days a week, even when it limits our profits.

I found the article very informative as a Baby Boomer. I share many of your values and expectations from my work.

I'm GenY. I guess. Very early GenY, but I digress.

Reminds me of football when people say the mobile quarterback is going to change the way the game is played. Maybe, so, but the game is still football, and so much depends on things that happen outside of one position. Besides, we've even seen a resurgence in the demand for old-fashioned drop-back passers who can distribute the ball effectively.

My point in that awful analogy is:

1) The game is still the same. Gen Y can try to put its own stamp on things but work is still work. There are rich guys paying poorer guy as little as they can to work as long as they can. I've yet to read about the Generation who can eliminate stress from the workplace.

2) Whatever generation that follows Gen Y is probably going to try to undo everything they accomplished. For instance, maybe the Boomers didn't like the hypocrisy of their parents. Maybe Gen X was tired of the Boomers' noise. Maybe Gen Y is tired of Gen X cynicism. My money is that Gen Z, or whatver, will get tired of whatever Gen Y is trying to do, be it volunteering, job shifting, working less. Gen Z is bascially going to kick our collective butts. And we'll probably grumble and say, "Look at them." That's just what happens, I guess.

I agree with the writer, I like my parents. I've done everything a typical Gen-Y would do, swtich jobs, go back home after college, volunteer, etc… It's humiliating and humbling, or maybe one of the two. But my folks are helping me out. Thanks Boomer-parents! So that being said, the best impression that we, as Gen Y, folks can make on the next generation is to treat the older workers now, like we'd want to be treated down the road. Let's be the group to pay for our parent's retirement, vacations and general well-being and not gripe about it.

The younger workers aren't going to care what we do as much as how we did it. If we go about trying to change the world with arrogance and cynicism and disregard for what the previous generations have accomplished, then that's what's coming back at us.

(Please excuse the generalizations. It's really hard to talk about generations without them).

Ryan,

As a Gen-Xer, I say this is a great article! Don't listen to those who say, "Yeah, (while patting you on the head) but it will take a lot more than that to change things." These people try to be condescending because they are frightened of change! I for one think change is necessary, gone are the days when we were slobbering over our boss in gratefulness. Gen Y and all other generations should realize their work contributes a valuable service to their company! Why should we give all our life, our health, and our relationships to an employer, will they be around our deathbed thanking us? Certainly not, life work balance is important and it seems you realize that!

Keep up the good work, and the best to you.

This is AWESOME!!!! You hit the nail on the head with this article Great job!

Great article!!…. you have some really good ideas, and I think that it is very important to create awareness for all those Gen Y-ers out there. Plus, it would have been really nice to mention how globalization has also had a great impact on our generation. Now a days, Gen y-ers speak at least 2 languages, the thing is we dont stop learning, with all that we have in advantage, we travel more, learn more. In fact with all history events, movements, immigration, etc… there is a mix-culture crearly to be taken into account. And I agree with taking Gen X-ers good advices with our own ideals and pass it on to the next generation, i think that is the most important think to do. Insted of just making a statement in our generation, we should pretty much influence the next one.

What a crock of sh_t!!! If this group of people can't work and create value for themselves by creating a history of productivity, we don't need them. It is very scary to see our society come to this and feel like we have to accept this kind of behavior. It's that same old thought that don't spank, don't repremand, don't let kids know that there is a winner and a loser, give every child an award whether or not they deserve it. This false sense of security and accomplishments will be what brings down this great country and prosperous societies. Kids today are very lazy and always looking for a hand out. Instead of always being patted on the back, we need to kick them in the ass and get them going!

SAD SAD SAD.

Hey, wow! Shorter workdays! Higher salaries! Respect for our talent and abilities? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE ELSE THINK OF THIS??

The hysterical thing about this is the sense of entitlement, that the "business world" should do this or that for you! Got news for you kiddos. The "business world" is a bunch of people answering to their higher ups who answer to their shareholders and it is ALL about the bottom line. Guess what that means? That means the COMPANY comes first, not you! There is going to be a hell of a lot of competition in your generation, just like there was for the boomers, and those who work hard and contribute to the bottom line welfare of the company will get the jobs, and those who goes around "demanding" respect – for what? if you want respect, you can EARN it – and expecting the company to change to suit their pampered expectations will fall through the cracks and work at McJobs forever – IF they can outperform all the foreigners coming in with real work ethics!

Do you really think you're the first generation to be dissatisfied? The fact is, things have come to what they are because that's what it takes to make it work. It takes experienced, knowledgeable, hardworking people to keep a company alive and making a profit. When it fails, everyone loses. As for baby boomers "rusting" in place, why the hell should any baby boomer move aside and give you their job? Like they haven't learned anything in the years of experience they've gotten while you were being born and growing up? If you want it, you can earn it just like they did.

It's good to have ideals, it really is. Just get a clue there is competition in the world and you can demand all you want, but unless you deliver what your boss wants and do it better than the next guy, you'll probably be living with Mommy and Daddy into your 40s.

Ours is a generation that doesn't live in fear of the Man.

I find it quite sickening just how many comments are dedicated to spewing vile toward our generation. You might be the bosses now, but when we stop working for your companies because you're not millennial friendly… well, you might just want to have mom and dad on speed dial yourself.

Believe me, we're plenty happy loitering in our parent's houses playing video games or working at 7/11 to eek out a meager living as opposed to swallowing your old corporate dogma.

And why wouldn't be be? Just look at the mess you've made, you graying golden gods of business – the housing market couldn't be stronger, the investment market is the envy of the world, the business ethics of America's corporations are sending workers in from all over the world for a fair shot at a buck, and the state of our economy is second to none.

Who do we have to thank for the situation which we're about to inherit? You guessed it, a big hats-off to the head hanchos of the Baby Boomers, Jonses and Gen-X'ers, who systematically silenced their peers to achieve dominance. And now these very same gods among men are trying to do the same to the Millennials.

So for those of you who fall into the category of "millennial bashers", please allow me to be the first to stand up and say, please do go and enjoy your retirement.

-Nick Armstrong
PsychoticResumes.com

Yeah, I buy it. Not that we are simply more idealistic than other generations, or that we are so clueless that our ideals our baseless. No, what we are seeing is a convergence of two trends that will work to our advantage.

1) Goal oriented behavior – For Gen Y, we have grown up competing with everyone and everything. They don't call us the Trophy Kids for nothing. While we have been highly rewarded, we've worked very hard specifically for those accolades. We don't work to climb a ladder or to contribute in some general sense to the companies bottom line; we work to achieve a specific goal. We'll do what it takes to complete that task and move on to the next one. If that means a longer day, we'll do it. If it means a shorter day, all the better.

2) Technology – Specifically, interconnectivity and productivity. It is easier than ever to outsource menial tasks, meaning that our generation has an unparalleled opportunity to SPECIALIZE. We have more time to devote to our most productive endeavors. If we are better at making sales than tracking them, we pick up a piece of software that makes the whole process easier to track, freeing up more time to go make more sales. It's common practice for companies to outsource entire departments (accounting, marketing, advertising, etc) and focus on their advantages. Technology makes this easier, and Gen Y replaced their umbilical cords with internet cables. We're jacked in and will take advantage of this opportunity in a way no previous generation ever could.

End result: a lot of what Ryan says is completely plausible. We work less time but get more done? Make more efficient use of our skills and abilities? Early retirement? It's possible.

You nailed it Ryan! Especially the parts about more productive meetings, shortening the work-day and being obsessed with career development…maybe I just speak for myself! It's so crazy to think our whole generation has these tendencies – that those areas aren't as individual and unique as we might think.

Wow.

This article shows the valid reasons why Gen-Y thinks they are so awesome. They have entitlement issues. What this article says is, "Gen Y is here! We don't want to work hard, but we wants lots of vacation time and high salaries for no reason other then we think we deserve them!" Maybe the parents of these morons needed to beat them more to make them realize life isn't fair and you have to work for what you want.

Again, wow. The future is doomed with these techno-retards coming in.

@Jay: I reread the article and I couldn't find the part where it says "We don't want to work hard." I did find the part where he says, "When we hit 65, it will be the new 45 and we'll have a solid 15 to 20 years left before we take our final, very brief, mini retirement." I also see where he says we will promote based on talent and not seniority.

When I read this article, I see a generation that will focus on actual measurements of success–productivity, efficiency, organization, technological proficiency–rather than antiquated measurements–how long you sit in your office chair.

As a Gen Y'er, I have been feeling a lot of the kind of hostility espoused by those such as Jay. If you are a Gen Y'er, reading comments such as those directly above, don't be discouraged. Work hard, work smart, and keep your confidence and idealism, you're going to need them.

Fantastic! Right on the nose and well written!

The one thing I would add is that we'll be doing the jobs we WANT, not the jobs we feel we "should" do. My dad, who I frequently go to for job advice etc. (liked the parents comment), was not originally excited about my idea to go and volunteer in rural China for a year, but I told him, "The 9-5 job will always be there. I want to do something I feel is meaningful."

Generation "Y" also realizes that happiness is a non-negotiable. Like you said, we watched our parents go through the meetings, the cell phone calls on vacations, so with more productivity when we're actually at work, we can spend our off time being present.

Ryan

I agree with you 100%. BBURTON's comment about finding satire in your words, reflects a certain natural insecurity one may feel when presumed to be disregarded. That is fine.

However, BBURTON should remind himself that there are a variety of ways in which we interpret the external world and whether or not he chooses to acknowledge it, the world is in a constant state of flux.

Generation Y respects and values history, but we also have an abundant amount of foresight and intuition. We leave room for all possibilities and that is what makes Generation Y so very special.

I'm a Gen Xer and I'm delighted to know that, in the not too distant future, a Gen Yer will be impatiently waiting for me to hurry up and retire and get out of their way. What a delightful thought!

Frankly, this post is profoundly arrogant, obnoxious and astoundingly naive. If this is truly the general opinion people have of Gen Yers, I strongly suggest Gen Yers lie about their age.

I find many of these comments funny on both sides of the equation. Many of these comments I think are comming from some fundalmental things that are lying under the surface.

One thing I think is humorous is this whole issue of entitlement that we genration Y's have. First, it is the boomers and gen X'ers that have expanded unaccountable/unearned entitlement programs in our government. I think that us Generation Y's have more of a sense of EARNED entitlement, measured by results and value creation to the employer. If I save my employer money or increase their profit margins, and they respond by eliminating jobs or cutting retirement benifits because of tough economic times, I just don't see why they feel we will stay with them. Your not entitled to my loyalty when things turn around. GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!!! To me that seems to be another example of unaccountable and unearned entitlement by the current workplace leadership. Those are the undeinable results that you acheived.

So who are you to even complain about entitlement thoughts in our generation. What good example have you set"

As far as the administrative assistant stuff, that's a bit naieve. The pay demands to meet the cost of living needs won't justify the value created by the position.

But, there are plenty of gen X'ers and boomers who are just as naieve. Here's an example. The housing market is just going to keep going up. My first job out of college was with a building products company and they honestly believed that was the case. So much to the point that they thought they were going to double in size in 5 years. That was in 2005.

So how's that been working out for you?

I questioned that mentality back then, but who am I, I'm just a young arrongant piss ant out of college who can't find an entry level home I can afford(thanks New Jersey).

Back on the subject of entitlement, There's no gen x or boomers that are underwater with their mortgages are there?

I could literally spend hours shredding this post, point by point, but I haven't got the time. My only advice is that if you are a Gen Yer, please stop reading this nonsense if you want to succeed in your career. It really is bad advice and gives you a very warped sense of reality. Beleive it or not, there are some real old fogie's out there that already beleive the "Gen Y" approach (Steve Jobs, Jack Welsh, Stephen Covey, etc.) that can really make you successful. The stuff Healy talks about is light weight, fluffy, inexperienced crap that really doesn't amount to anything. The fact that he makes money doing what he does is a sham. If you all keep drinking the cool aide, you'll never really get anywhere. This website almost reminds me of an AmWay convention, only the stuff Ryan is selling is just bad advice. Take my advice, come down from the clouds, forget the hype, and get to work. Gen Y is going to be gone real soon because the next wave of kids to hit the street will be called "Gen Why can't I find a job." With the economy in the tank, with no clear end in sight, the next generation will gladly take the jobs that Gen Yers scoff at or are too lazy or inadequate to take. BTW – Gen Yers have been out in the workforce for quite some time now – can you give me some examples of those that have made a real impact? I can give you plenty of Gen Xers that were making an impact before they were 30.

[...] 10 Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workplace – Employee Evolution [...]

This is a GREAT article. I especially enjoy #7- I'm listening to an audiobook during my daily commutes about the importance of EQ and how companies need to promote based on this instead of who is next in line and "most intelligent".

Ah, interesting article. Not very likely to happen… But interesting nonetheless. Not likely to happen due to the way the cooperate structures already exist. And the fact that, by the time we're in a position to change the way things are done, it'll be when the generation hits 50. Perhaps change it for the next generation. But then again the leaders chosen by the retiring generation X will most likely be indoctrinated into the system put into place by the baby boomers.

And, as it's been said. This is the most competitive generation yet. Competing amongst ourselves for the edge. Which means; there's always someone else wait eagerly to fill your shoes is your unhappy with the way things will be done. I suppose one would be happy with those shoes being filled. Wal-Mart will always be looking to hire warm bodies… Tho you'll likely be competing against the lower classes for those jobs. People willing to work those 8 hour shifts and be glad of the extra pay.

I suppose one could always be jobless, eating our parents food. They were willing to work the well paying jobs, and go to the useless meetings on your behalf after all.

Dude – get a job and get a clue!

SSSSCCCCAAAARRRRWWWWYYYY

This is beautiful! I am a gen yer working in the banking industry. This article is true in so many ways. And the thing of it is, is that our generation is learning from past generations in the work place. We want to spend more time with our family, yet we want to have productive and successful jobs. I do see our generation being more efficient and proving that we can get the amount of work done in less time than what we are having to put in and a lot of that comes from our creative and efficient minds along with technology. I don't see how this can be "scary" or a bad thing. When i read this i just wanted to jump up and down! this was written back in 08 and it has been over a year and the things of this article ARE becoming more common practices!

@Jenna, glad you enjoyed the post so much. It's really interesting to look back on this and see that things are starting to change for the better. Thanks for the comment

-Ryan

Ryan,
I am a Boomer and I must confess that in my 30+ year career I don't think I ever met a college graduate that didn't think he/she was going to turn the world on its ear. This is what I am hearing in this post as well. However, after thinking about it, I thought "Why not?". And I'm serious. There are a lot of good things all previous generations have changed that made it better for the next. Isn't that what every parent wants – for their kids to have it better then they did? However, growing, improving and making life better for the next generation come with lots of struggles. Success doesn't come in a Cracker Jack box; it comes from hard work and learning about failure. I truly hope Gen Y makes a big difference for the better in how the work place operates. However, I wish you struggles along the way that allow you to grow as persons and as a generation. I believe Lee Pitts says it much better than I…

These Things I Wish For You
– By Lee Pitts

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.

For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little brother wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days, when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you – tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.
———-
"I shall pass this way but once. Therefore any good that I can do, or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again." — William Penn

Wow, this post really generated some heat. I am a bit disappointed that the author, Ryan Healy, just left those comments alone. It's not a fair fight to begin a conversation and leave it before it ends. Ryan, Modite.com does a really good job of engaging her readers – she does them justice.

I'm on the cusp of being a very young Boomer and an old Gen Xer and I've had my first taste working closely with a Gen Y: frankly I don't care if you're going to change the world – get over yourself and start being respectful. My first phone was attached to the wall and my social networking was limited to my class at school but I learned early on that showing respect to everyone was the key to success in all areas of life. Besides, I rock on technology and am more inventive, creative and resourceful than he'll ever be.

[...] 10 Ways Generation Y Will Change The Workplace et 10 More Ways Generation Y Will Change The Workplace. [...]

[...] May, Ryan Healy wrote a post titled 10 Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workplace. It was read by thousands of people, and Healy has now posted another great entry on how [...]