Comments on: What Gen Y Wants At Work

By: Craig Mack

Craig Mack — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:02:32 +0000

Who the heck is Gen Y? And why did we start so far back in the alphabet? There can only be 1 more generation (Gen Z) and then I suppose it will be Armageddon. Nice work people who label generations. You just hastened the end of the world. By the way, I’m supposed to be doing work but instead I am commenting on this piece. My generation doesn’t want to work.

By: attica

attica — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:58:11 +0000

Doesn’t it all boil down to the fact that people don’t want to work with jerks? Whether you are a baby boomer, “Gen X’r”, “Gen Y’r”, or any other catchy (pointless) generation label, you don’t want to dread coming to work for any reason. I’ve had two jobs recently in two different environments. I worked behind a desk as an accountant with a major firm with tons of backstabbing coworkers and I worked on a roadside crew cutting weeds with people that I knew would watch my back. Even though I made pennies on the dollar compared to the desk job, the weedcutting was the better job because I felt secure.

By: sahil

sahil — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:28:52 +0000

As Gen Y Workers Opt Out Of 9-5 Careers, New Resources Emerge
TROY, Mich. (February 7, 2007) â€“ This year staffing experts expect one
workplace trend to continue: Gen Y employees seeking balance between their
work and lifestyle.
A few years ago, two studies confirmed that younger workers were increasingly
seeking more than just salary from their employers. Mercer Human Resources
Consulting found that 83% of workers in the 18-24 age group were motivated by
flexibility, while only 73% were motivated by salary. A Kelly Services study
revealed that â€œFree Agentsâ€ (individuals who prioritize work life balance, and who
work largely un-tethered to an organization) already represent 28% of the
workforce and that Free Agency as a trend will continue to grow thanks in part to
Gen Y employees joining the ranks.
Additionally, by 2014, the Hispanic labor force is expected to reach 25.8 million,
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with younger Hispanics driving a
significant portion of that growth.
â€œYounger workers are, more than ever, looking for a place to contribute
immediately, grow skills, and gain experience that carries them into the next
phase of their career,â€ said Josie Huber, Senior Manager, Recruiting and
Retention, Kelly Services.
By continuing to use the web for job searching, Gen Y has pushed the new wave
of job search sites, like Indeed.com, to new levels of popularity. Picking up on
this trend, Kelly Services recently launched http://www.itstimetogetalife.com, a
microsite with information, job search tools and resources and entertainment for
Gen Y. The site features free weekly interview tips delivered via mobile phone,
case studies featuring Gen Y Free Agents and cell phone ringtones from indie
music company Beta Records. Visitors can also watch video podcasts starring
Efren Ramirez, whose character, “Pedro”, in the film Napoleon Dynamite has a
Gen Y cult following.
â€œWe hope Itstimetogetalife.com will show this nimble, self-assured and idealistic
group that opportunities offering the flexibility and challenge they desire are
available, and provide tools that support their quest to find them,â€ Huber said.
Links Of Interest
- http://www.itstimetogetalife.com (Kelly Free Agent site)
- http://www.ponlesalsaatuvida.com (Spanish version of Free Agent site)
- http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2003/09/22/focus1.html
(article on Mercer study)
- http://hr.blr.com/display.cfm/id/8153 (article on Kelly study)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_agent_%28business%29 (Wikipedia
entry on Free Agents)
- http://www.indeed.com (Indeed.com job search site)
For additional information, interviews or extra multimedia content, please send an
e-mail to renee_walker@kellyservices.com or call 248-244-4305

By: Brandy

Brandy — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 13:52:14 +0000

Guess what? People of all ages want a cooperative atmosphere that goes beyond the usual military-inspired hierarchical organizations we are all slotted into. Survival in such institutions often means being worn down to the point that you take the check and/or office and keep to yourself because you’ve been wounded too much by trying to be “colleagues” in a power-saturated atmosphere.

By: Simon

Simon — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:31:54 +0000

And of course the industrial psychology literature has been saying this for a long time. I agree 100% with the statement, but it applies to workers of all generations, not just Y.

By: Diane

Diane — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:43:14 +0000

Here is a Gen X’er who feels the same way. I hate these labels that try to differentiate rather than include. Digital native/smative. Attitudes and desire overcome age.