10 More Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workplace

Great post Ryan! Love the spirit and enjoying every bit of building that Brand New World you describe…
On a realistic note we are still far away from it. Challenges and opportunities ahead!

I also wonder how Gen Y will be affected by the responsibilities and mentality switch that tend to come when hitting your 30s: marriage, kids… Will Gen Y ever settle? How will that affect them in the workplace? Will the close mixture of work-life that Gen Y lives by, make these changes even more felt in the workplace?

Also would love to hear your thoughts on the sociological/psychological changes that this recession will impose on Gen Y. We have lived in two decades of very very cheap money: our social behaviours will need to adapt fast. Will that impact the behaviour of Gen Y in the workplace?

You know you have read a great post when your brain starts firing right-left-n-center…
Keep up the good work!

Interesting post, I disagree with point 6 though. Certainly in the UK there is something called IR35 that stops contractors from being too involved with a company.

It means contractors have to prove that they could be replaced by another member of their company (even though most contractors are the only employee of their company!) otherwise they have to pay far more tax.

This subtlety means that contractors will normally refuse to do anything that isn't exactly what they've been hired to do, and they won't stay working for one company for too long.

Agree with point 2 totally, this policy has been practised by some companies, like Semco, for years.

This was an awesome read, and from my experience with my company I agree with most of these, as we already practice them. I think that #5 might be a bit too far though, I'm not sure we can completely ditch the punch clock, but it will certainly be a lot less prominent.

Interesting, but I disagree with #5. It's simply not realistic in all industries. Perhaps it's my nature being in the industry I'm in. As an engineer providing a service to corporations in both the commercial and military sector, it's simply not possible for people to work over the internet or from home, etc. You are working with actual EUT's, trying to meet real specifications dependant on where it will be used or sold, dealing with real problems and come up with solutions, in real time. As long as there are defense contracts and regulatations on products you sell, it's highly unlikely there could ever be such huge changes from the norm. Not if you still want to be profitable, anyway.

@Mathieu Good point, our values will undoubtedly change as we approach 30 and have kids etc. The generation you are a part of has as much to do with what makes you who you are as the life stage you're in. That said, I think we will push for these types of changes because they will be just as beneficial to our home life as our work life. As far as psychological changes this recession will have, I guess only time will tell. I think our general sense of optimism will remain intact, but there may be a big dose of realism mixed in with that as we grow up and become more conservative with money than our parents probably were. If you want to talk more feel free to shoot me an email.

I'm glad I could make you think a little, that's always my goal, so its the biggest compliment I could receive. Thank you.

@Ian I wasn't aware of IR35, I would be interested to see if there is something similar in the US. Thanks for the tip.

@Bob Thanks! I think we can ditch the punch clock. It's just going to take a long time. I would look into Best Buys ROWE program to see a company that's already done it.

@Jen You're right, some industries will require more face time than others. But that is a choice that people should make before they begin a career. Also, flexibility will look different in every industry/sector, im sure we'll figure something out in the next 50 years!

-Ryan

Great post! #9 is probably the biggest sweeping change between our generation of employees and Gen X and the Boomers. We have facebook, myspace, blogs, tumblrs, tweets, and almighty google to learn who a person really is not just how to evaluate a 1 page resume. The web is ME unfiltered.

I mentioned some of these things in one of my older posts so I hope you don't mind that I linked to it below. In terms of saving costs not only is there salary but let's also not forget that health insurance cost for singles are lower and that 401k employee contributions peak after 30. In fact 20 somethings make up less than 15% of all 401k holders.

http://www.rikinontheweb.com/how_gen_y_can_save_the_economy

Some good ideas if a bit idealistic. Tools change from generation to generation, but changes to human nature take millennia. If we want #5, we'll have to change the mindset of our unions and politicians who are determined to put us all on the clock.

If someone beats me to creating a company that reflects these values, please put me on the "do-hire" list

This whole post put a big smile on my face. Let's hope we can all push for this together!

Check out The Next Generation of Banking: Generation Y – Is Your Institution Ready for Them? Provides a little more on Gen Yer's from the banking perspective.

http://www.tinyurl.com/bankdir

My favorite point is #5 – our focus needs to be on results, rather than time. And this isn't just about working online. It's about having a choice–the freedom–to work when, where, and how you work best. I know we'll get there, but it will take a huge shift in mindset and what we believe to be true about work.

I agree with #8 too. Leadership is becoming more collaborative and process-oriented and shifting away from the old "command and control" model. Leadership may change hands depending on the situation and project needs.

Thanks for writing this follow-up to your 1st post Ryan!

I'm a Gen Xer and we thought many of the same things. The generation before me – the bloated boomers were the first to know "technology" too. They became all the managers before 30 and still haven't left. We were the first to know PC's and Client/Server computing. Blah blah blah.

I am not trying to dis your list. It is actually comical and could have been written 30 years ago by your boomer parents or one of my peers 10 or 15 years ago.

I thought that we would see the end of the need to be in the office long before now – HA! Face time is king and always will be, much to my chagrin. Too many managers are clueless how to manage remote workers. Gen X will never be in management so it will be up to you to figure that out.

Otherwise I like many of the things that you mentioned – very interesting and clearly from the perspective of a very young (green) person… I had forgotten what that sounded like. I hope that my children will benefit from your lead in 15 years when you are my age. If the market comes back I will happily bow out and let y'all take over!!

I enjoyed your post and really hope that #5 comes true someday. I really do.

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HP first did this in the 70's with the "nine day fortnight" where all employees took a 10% paycut and worked 9 days in two weeks. In 2001, HP, along with many tech companies instituted 10% pay reductions.

Sometimes this is enough but other times, it isn't. In the 70's it was enough for HP. In 2001, it wasn't. They had to resort to pretty high layoffs.

Interesting post. However, wouldn't it be fairer to say in point one that a "Gen Xer" took control. I mean President Obama is a bit older than 30 right? On a brighter note, point ten is true. Students will be the teachers at entry level jobs. That is really how it should be from the point of owning a business. Employers are buying knowledge. Otherwise, if they fail to collaborate and harvest the new information from the entry level asset, he/she will move on. I know I did when put into a sterile, static company that has since left town.

Ryan – great post. Thought provoking and poignant. However, the subsequent comments bring more meaning to me after many years working for Corporate America. Perhaps what should be understood most by the Gen Y's you talk of is the concept of self interest. As a generation still in the throws of collegiate togetherness where entry level jobs bring equality, self interest for Gen Y's still feels aligned with the common good. However over time, this will change. Peoples preferences and performance will differentiate them and transparency will begin to present as many risks as it brings benefits. Mass lay-offs should also not be dis-counted as they offer opportunity to correct corporate wastefulness and if handled appropriately release the lowest performers to find where their true utility lies. Many workers prefer this as a consequence over the prospect of a personal pay cut when they have bills to pay. Anyway, as said above, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the post. Keep up the good work.

I love the energy and thoughts of this post!

Maybe some things will happen later than sooner or be completely modified to something better.
Take heart in what has happened of recent and what everyone has the chance to make happen!

I guess I come out of what Lisa referred to as 'the bloated bloomers'. Not everyone of any generation is totally to blame nor totally to be rewarded for anything of any decade. It comes from a mixture of hands and minds. There is such a blending of generations during any time period that it's hard to differentiate who initiates what. But change is needed and usually will come in small (sometimes sneaky) ways. Twitter is yesterday's pager but in much better ways!

What is great is this moment and the next one and the ones after that! The more open minds and experimentation that come in playing with technology and rules and digital nomadism, the more that work and play will be redefined and the more everyone can make changes to the world or at least to their own lifestyle. Some things will work for some situations; some things will remain the same. This is where Churchill's adage of 'never give up' comes into play only on a much grander scheme!

Each generation will contribute to another; each will exchange information and ideas; each will break a mold; each will create something new.

The important point is that posts like this keep happening, that people keep talking, inventing and experimenting and that no one is afraid to blaze a different path!

Is there a way to become a content writer for the site?

Excellent article Ryan! For those of you who said we will never get over the punch-clock mentality, I disagree. While obviously as mentioned certain industries will be forever bound by punchclock restraints, we have to take into consideration the whole concept of outsourcing. There are outsourcing companies, Brickwork or YIM anyone?, that can complete just about any work-related or personal related task for you from thousands of miles away. Just something to think about in the scheme of things.

I recommend checking out The 4 Hour Work Week to see how just about ANY worker can use outsourcing to their advantage.

I clicked on this blog to learn more about Generation Y -since they're entering the workforce and I need to hire them.

This blog reflects what I have experienced, much to my chagrin, and that is an abudant amount of arrogance on the part of Gen Y employees. Gen Y staff seem to think they know everything, that certain ideas and professional practices are banal and, most suprisingly, seem to have no qualms telling us their opinion on these matters -all the time.

As I write this I'm realizing it's probably not a Gen Y thing, it's probably an age thing. I may have been that obnoxious when I was a younger professional too. I really hope not but I suspect I was.

It's okay. Life and experience has a way of showing you that being arrogant gets you absolutely no where. Then, a rational person re-adjusts their approach. And then they stand a chance of getting somewhere and making a difference -and maybe changing some things.

Nadia – I have been hiring, developing and dealing with Gen Y employees for a number of years now. Your comments about them suggesting our practices are banal, etc ring like music to my ears. However, I have to say, I've learnt to embrace their perspective by issuing them the challenge of improving those practices they don't like. And I have to say, this generation are innovative! The tech savvy among them churn out macros to make obsolete dull and risk prone manual procedures in days when my technology division has been incapable of doing so in years and if given guidance on risk management, they produce even more controlled work environments than we previously had. My advice is to exploit their talent when they first arrive and then mold them with gentle guidance and appropriate conditioning as they establish themselves more at your Firm. That's been and continues to be my approach and I have to say, now I've got to grips with them, things couldn't be better!

And what a wonderful world it will be … you're right on. #10 – yes, we're seeing more and more reverse mentoring. There are even examples right now of Boomers who are doing unpaid "internships" (http://tiny.cc/y02VW). And if we as a collective workplace finally get over a "punch clock" mentality, then I have one more request: that sabbaticals become a regular part of a career trajectory. That we all experience a meaningful break from work – every 5-7 years. I think Gen Y is helping to make that a reality. Thanks, Ryan.

[...] entire generation of idealistic, educated, aspiring people. We worry that we're wasting away. We move and make and create and go. And still, potential is everywhere. Brooding, waiting, [...]

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