September 10, 2013
Do Millennials Make Bad Bosses?
Millennials are getting a bad rap. Surveys say members of Gen Y entering the workforce are sometimes self-centered and have work/life expectations that are unrealistic. So what happens when these same people move up to management positions? How do they measure up to older Baby Boomer and Gen X counterparts?
According to new workplace research by EY, Millenials get high marks for being tech savvy (78 percent) and enthusiastic (68 percent). They get lower marks for being team players (45 percent) and hardworking (39 percent).
Compared to other generations, Millennials came out worse on negative traits including being "difficult to work with" and "entitled."
A study in 2010 by Paul Harvey at the University of New Hampshire found that entitled employees are more likely than others to get frustrated in the workplace and to take it out on coworkers.
"The frustration experienced by entitled workers appears to stem from perceived inequities in the rewards received by co-workers to whom psychologically entitled employees feel superior," Prof. Harvey was quoted by CNBC.
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Discussion Questions
Do you think that Gen Y managers are fundamentally different than previous generations were at the same age? If yes, does this mean for American businesses in the short and longer terms?
Poll
It is much more difficult to be a boss today than it was even 15 years ago. Technology has changed the way all of us work and communicate. As we continue to do more with less (that means usually fewer people), management becomes more difficult, and even managers of different generations are having more problems and lacking some of the skills necessary to do their job.
Not only are American businesses going to need to spend more to develop the managers they need, but so are organizations all over the world.
The biggest challenge facing companies is the inability to find great management talent.
Millennials in the workforce today truly are fundamentally different than those that came before them, and rightfully so. This cohort transitioned into adulthood at a very difficult time, so it has been hard to get established in the work world, hard to finance a home and/or a car, and hard to pay off student debts. It’s no surprise that their views of the world and workplace are different than previous generations were at the same age.
In the long run, though, a majority of these folks will begin to feel more established and take advantage of opportunities to learn from those that came before them. They will find their own way of managing that well in the end, and will hopefully reflect a compassion for the struggles of others and a passion for serving customers, both internal and external.
Has there ever been a generation that was seen as being “on par” with the previous generation BY that prior generation? Sure, things have changed since the older generation was “in charge.” That statement can (and has) been said about EVERY generation in recent history. There is no story here. The particulars change (i.e., the technology employed) – but the issue has not. The new generation is seen as ill-prepared by those who preceded them – that is, until that new generation becomes the older workers.
Management and supervisory skills are lacking in today’s younger work force. Can they be taught? Yes, if there is a desire to learn. Today’s up and comers have to get their heads and minds off their electronics, and in to what will get them to the goals they have set for themselves.
I never like to paint any group of people with a broad brush. That just leads to misinterpretation. I do think that younger, tech-savvy people may be losing a bit of the culture of conversation, in general. That is, with more conversations taking place via text, Skype, etc., face-to-face interaction becomes something less than familiar to them. This may contribute to the uncomfortable role of managing people.
Is it really possible that, after thousands of years of proclaiming “this generation is different”, we really have a generation that is different…and if so why? One possibility is that the greater use of impersonal communications – first voicemail, then e-mail and texting – has eliminated personal communication skills; but this doesn’t seem entirely convincing, since what they supplanted – i.e. the phone – has only been around for a few generations, and hence we’re no worse off than we were in, say, 1900 (and of course as we are all forced to endure overhearing “‘sup bro?” conversations, we know talking hasn’t died entirely). It’s also possible people have simply evolved – or perhaps “devolved” – past some “tipping point” of shallowness and entitlement, but until some evidence is presented to support that thesis, I’ll have to agree with David… move along folks, nothing to see here.
We have over 100 Millennials working for us now and I can say for a fact that age and work experience is a major factor on the attitudes mentioned, as you might expect. You will find that perceptions about work/life balance, etc, are mostly based on naivete and that after a while, tend to disappear. Just like they did for us (me anyway).
Having said that, I personally find the injection of said naivete to be refreshing. Some ideas that seem far fetched at first can go a long way if you give them credence. The minute us Boomers think we have the answers or that our way was / is better, is the minute we’ll get hit by proverbial business-blind-side. Especially in retail and especially now.
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It is much more difficult to be a boss today than it was even 15 years ago. Technology has changed the way all of us work and communicate. As we continue to do more with less (that means usually fewer people), management becomes more difficult, and even managers of different generations are having more problems and lacking some of the skills necessary to do their job.
Not only are American businesses going to need to spend more to develop the managers they need, but so are organizations all over the world.
The biggest challenge facing companies is the inability to find great management talent.
Millennials in the workforce today truly are fundamentally different than those that came before them, and rightfully so. This cohort transitioned into adulthood at a very difficult time, so it has been hard to get established in the work world, hard to finance a home and/or a car, and hard to pay off student debts. It’s no surprise that their views of the world and workplace are different than previous generations were at the same age.
In the long run, though, a majority of these folks will begin to feel more established and take advantage of opportunities to learn from those that came before them. They will find their own way of managing that well in the end, and will hopefully reflect a compassion for the struggles of others and a passion for serving customers, both internal and external.
Has there ever been a generation that was seen as being “on par” with the previous generation BY that prior generation? Sure, things have changed since the older generation was “in charge.” That statement can (and has) been said about EVERY generation in recent history. There is no story here. The particulars change (i.e., the technology employed) – but the issue has not. The new generation is seen as ill-prepared by those who preceded them – that is, until that new generation becomes the older workers.
Management and supervisory skills are lacking in today’s younger work force. Can they be taught? Yes, if there is a desire to learn. Today’s up and comers have to get their heads and minds off their electronics, and in to what will get them to the goals they have set for themselves.
I never like to paint any group of people with a broad brush. That just leads to misinterpretation. I do think that younger, tech-savvy people may be losing a bit of the culture of conversation, in general. That is, with more conversations taking place via text, Skype, etc., face-to-face interaction becomes something less than familiar to them. This may contribute to the uncomfortable role of managing people.
Is it really possible that, after thousands of years of proclaiming “this generation is different”, we really have a generation that is different…and if so why? One possibility is that the greater use of impersonal communications – first voicemail, then e-mail and texting – has eliminated personal communication skills; but this doesn’t seem entirely convincing, since what they supplanted – i.e. the phone – has only been around for a few generations, and hence we’re no worse off than we were in, say, 1900 (and of course as we are all forced to endure overhearing “‘sup bro?” conversations, we know talking hasn’t died entirely). It’s also possible people have simply evolved – or perhaps “devolved” – past some “tipping point” of shallowness and entitlement, but until some evidence is presented to support that thesis, I’ll have to agree with David… move along folks, nothing to see here.
We have over 100 Millennials working for us now and I can say for a fact that age and work experience is a major factor on the attitudes mentioned, as you might expect. You will find that perceptions about work/life balance, etc, are mostly based on naivete and that after a while, tend to disappear. Just like they did for us (me anyway).
Having said that, I personally find the injection of said naivete to be refreshing. Some ideas that seem far fetched at first can go a long way if you give them credence. The minute us Boomers think we have the answers or that our way was / is better, is the minute we’ll get hit by proverbial business-blind-side. Especially in retail and especially now.