Members of the millennial generation (or Generation Y), born between 1982 and 2001, have grown up praised for every little accomplishment. Finish the relay race in fifth grade? Even if you come in last, you still get a ribbon for trying. Here’s a trophy for participating on the baseball team. Sure, you didn’t hit a single pitch, but at least you tried.
There are no winners and losers in their generation. This constant confirmation has certainly had an effect on their egos; many are extremely self-confidant and feel a sense of entitlement about almost everything. They are all entitled to things they have because they deserve it, not because they have worked hard. According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com, 85% of personnel officials say they have seen an increase in the sense of entitlement with this generation of workers compared to earlier generations. This is a stark contrast to the way their parents and grandparents were raised. Their parents, most of whom are members of the baby boomer generation, define themselves by their work. A classic self-introduction by a baby boomer is, “Hello, my name is Bob, and I am an accountant,” or some variation of that. The same applies to the grandparents of Generation Y. Most of them believe that, to succeed in this world, one has to work hard and earn their position in a business. If you don’t work hard enough, you can lose your job. Be grateful that you have a job to go to everyday.
Is it a bad thing that the current generation no longer thinks this way? Not necessarily, but it’s something for them to be aware of. It’s something for them to notice as they finish off the school year and some enter the workforce. Many members of the older generation have written opinion pieces for various publications about the Millennials and their work habits. Some members of older generations, such as Emily Matchar from the Washington Post, believe that Generation Y is an asset to the work force. According to her article, Generation Y will refuse to work the long hours for little pay that many of their parents have come to accept in their jobs. They will demand to be treated as equals in the workplace to their superiors and believe they should get a meeting with the executive of the company if they ask for it; they will insist that their voice is just as valuable as the voice of the vice president. This generation will be the saviors of the workforce since, currently, our parents work longer hours than people in most other developed countries around the world. Surprisingly enough, the U.S. is the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee women maternity leave. Americans work for wages that have been stagnant for years. The upper class gets richer and the middle class is left in the middle, working away at the office.
The young professionals of Generation Y will not stand for this. They are too set in their entitlement ways. They will not tolerate working the same job for years on end in the same office under the same boss. Most are more adventurous than that. They are ready to hop around jobs, looking for opportunities to climb the workforce ladder to the top and get the corner office they deserved all along. They are willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to get it because, after all, they deserve it.
Good look, Generation Y, with your entrance into the workplace this summer and after graduation. Be yourself and demand all the things you think you are entitled to: coffee breaks, a nice office and a yearly bonus. But understand that, if you’re working for an older boss, he or she might not be completely ready for your entitlement and will probably not give you a ribbon for effort in the office.
