I saw this article and had some immediate thoughts…
This is a big topic within Corporate America today. As this article confirms, they feel college grads today are not what they should be, and are very frustrated by it. I don’t disagree. A college degree today is not what it used to be. It only gets you to the career starting line. And, with the majority of college students pursuing diplomas today for no other reason than they’ve been told they must get one by society, it’s no wonder a young person graduates without the skills and focus a degree used to provide.
However, what this article doesn’t address is the real problem: many managers today don’t want to be bothered with taking the time to learn how to tap into the true potential of younger employees. It’s easier to call them ‘entitled’ and inflict tough love than to recognize the solution lies in changing themselves. The good news is that some companies are recognizing the competitive advantage in a tight labor market won’t be how to find the ‘diamonds in the rough’ amongst Gen Y (as this article suggests), but rather, how to become leaders that truly connect and subsequently leverage employees of all ages. I have done (no lie!) 20+ training sessions this year to executive teams teaching them how to do this. Multi-generational team building is the secret to success – and that lies in enhancing the skills and abilities of managers so that they can work with a diverse group of employees more effectively. Generational prejudice in the workplace is at an all-time high. Just look at the one-sidedness of the 60 Minutes segment on Gen Y (I’m still angry about it) and we know that management teams nationwide are in need of some serious help.
At the same time, I’ve seen companies taking the short-sighted approach of branding themselves as ‘Gen Y friendly’ – but, that isn’t going to work long-term either. Instead, managers need to be taught how to understand and appreciate the generational differences of their workforce so that they can then leverage them to create a corporate culture that speaks to all ages.
The disconnect between the generations in the workplace has been well-documented in 2007. It’s time to stop complaining and start taking action that is going to bridge the gap we’ve spent so much time arguing about. When both sides change, results will come.
