Selfish, Unmotivated, Text Messaging, 20-Somethings...

Generation Y is changing the workplace

Every day more and more of Gen Y is entering the workforce. They come in with a sense of immediacy, sometimes confused with a sense of importance. They want to meet their goals instantly and work on the most important jobs. Some studies explain this as a result of sudden and tragic events that have created the 'live for today' attitude. Some studies say it's caused by the quickly evolving technology Gen Y has grown up with. Either way, it cannot be denied that Gen Y uses this sense of immediacy to adapt and learn quickly and in reality can make them very versatile in the workplace.

Unlike previous generations, Gen Y shares ideas openly. Being raised in a peer-to-peer environment, if they feel as though they have input, they will give it regardless of the position of the person they are speaking with. They are not intimidated, making them great at brainstorming and coming up with new perspectives and great ideas. They not only share, but Gen Y also wants feedback on their ideas and performance. They look forward to things like performance reviews and seek out mentorships.

Surprisingly enough, text messaging in Gen Y has actually been associated with the ability to quickly plan and organize. Where past generations have spent much more time on the coordination and planning without the tools of technology, Gen Y has learned to act on the fly and is quick to use technology to coordinate, plan and execute productively. This makes them more productive, because they tend to schedule their days based on priority.

Raised by the Baby Boomers, Gen Y has always been told they can do whatever they set their minds to. They enter the world ready to tackle the biggest and toughest jobs with confidence. However, after years of watching their overworked parents, they have learned to put a strong emphasis on worklife balance. For example, studies have shown that they, generally, do not want their managers jobs. They look at the hours, responsibilities, and compensation and feel that it is just not worth it personally. Gen Y refuses to let a job define who they are, therefore making happiness in the workplace a priority, which is something the workplace has rarely seen.

So bring on these seemingly selfish, unmotivated, text messaging, 20-somethings they may just teach us a thing or two. Gen Y will, no doubt, contribute to the workplace, and work with all generations to adapt and move ahead in a productive way.