They call them "Millennials". The new generation of freshly graduated students entering the workforce.
First, I must say that not all fit into the general description of the "Millennials". There are many wonderful, bright, hardworking, up and coming people in the workforce. They will be successful at whatever they choose to do and they will put their whole heart into it and have pride in their accomplishments. As time goes on they will rise through the ranks and be the next leaders. They understand the definition of employment - the exchange of work contribution for money between an employee and a company, and they know that if they are diligent, recognition and more money will follow.
Millennials are often referred to as spoiled, impatient and entitled. But, how did they get there?
Has our generation killed the motivation in the next generation. Were there too many pats on the back. If the team lost the game, they still went to MacDonald's after or received a participation ribbon. So the win didn't have much of significance. If you still get the prize regardless of the outcome or amount of effort put in - where does motivation come in. If you never really lose, how can you appreciate a win. If you never fail how can you work harder to do better.
In real life you don't get a pat on the back for losing and you are not rewarded for not getting your work done. And you certainly don't get the big prize for quitting. It's quite simple - do a good job and you will see the rewards. Not just from your employer, but the feeling of a job well-done is priceless.
Learning and working your way up is not part of the Millennial thinking process. They feel entitled to be part of the decision making process no matter their position or experience. Sorry, in real life you have to prove you are capable of making decisions not only through education but also through experience and learning. Overconfidence, zero accountability and zero remorse equals millennial.
My daughter is away at school and one day she told me she was hoping she would get a 70 percent on an exam. That apparently was the goal to be achieved to pass the course. I said why just a 70 percent? Why would you not go the distance and try for the highest mark possible? She said, "Mom, I just need the 70 percent."
My argument to her was this - "If you had to choose a surgeon, would you want the one who had top marks in class or the one who just passed?" I think something clicked and she got it at that moment. It will be the same when she is out there competing for a job. And it won't just be the marks, it will be the ability to complete and compete.
This generation is seeing more jobs than they are able to fill. The tables have turned since the 70's. In the 70's if there was a job opening, there were 40 people waiting to fill it. You had to work hard to survive in a competitive workforce. And there was never a thought of giving up.
Now we are in the situation where we have more jobs than qualified people to fill the spaces.
Those who can compete will find themselves in the top jobs quickly. Those who sit back and feel "entitled," some will find minor success, but it is doubtful they will achieve the big "trophy."
As time goes on and our society becomes more diverse through immigration, will we eventually see a competitive workforce again? I certainly hope so. Our workforce must be competitive if we are to continue to grow and develop as a country. We will need to compete with the rest of the world as we head into the future. And perhaps that means learning to win or lose, and feel failure and success.
It may be a hard lesson but will be well worth it to achieve the end result.
