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Y NEXT-GEN WORKFORCE 40 Automotive Recycling | September-October 2015
Perceptionvs. Reality I
10 truths about the Generation Y workforce. BY RANDALL S. HANSEN, PH.D.
t’s important to preface this by stating that people are individuals and that while it is sometimes efficient for experts to place people into generational groups for analysis, in the end, even with certain common traits and behav- iors, individuals must be judged on their own merits.
That said, as a new crop of Gen Y hits the workforce, it’s important -- both for the job- seekers and for prospective employers -- to understand the truth about Gen Y. For the job-seekers, it’s helpful to understand how hiring managers and future co-workers may perceive them. For hiring managers, it’s use- ful to cut through stereotypes and miscon- ceptions about this generation.
Generation Y. The Millennials. The Tech/Net/Digital Generation. Boomlets. Echo Boomers. We’ve given this generation of people -- roughly those born between the late 1970’s and the late 1990’s and almost 80 million or so strong -- many names, but none so hurtful as the Entitlement Generation. They’ve also been called arrogant, self-
centered, and possessing a short attention span. Let’s discuss the top 10 perceptions of Generation Y workers -- and then adjust those perceptions with a reality behind each, plus some advice for both employers and for Gen Y workers and job-seekers.
Generation Y Perception: Spoiled/Entitled REALITY: To an extent, the folks in this generation do have a sense of entitlement, but it’s not an entirely inherent personality flaw but partly the fault of Baby Boomer parents who coddled their children, constantly telling them how special they were and that anything they sought was possible, and rewarding them for every little thing, providing trophies and prizes simply for participating. These parents stunted their children’s growth by proactively removing all obstacles and potentially negative experiences. So, yes, on the surface Generation Y workers appear entitled.