Millennials in the workplace

[bayonetbrant]

Totally worth a listen, and leaving your assumptions aside before you listen

the closed captioning is bad - kind of like the proposal scene from Love Actually - but ignore it and just listen.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

He makes some interesting points but then it seems like he falls into the same trap that he blames on bad parenting.  He goes out of his way to repeatedly state that Millennials are all just wonderful, creative, spiffy, special people and then repeatedly informs them that they're the victims here and it's the entire corporate structure that needs to change to accommodate their needs.

[MetalDog]

I took that from it, too.  Totally abrogating their responsibility in their own lives.  I will say that I agree on the phones/technology/social media point he made.  One of the proudest things I ever saw my daughter do was get off the Facebook-go-round and cancel her account.  She's much happier with her life now.

[bayonetbrant]

For the longest time, big companies spent a lot of time investing in their people.  You regularly had tuition reimbursements, company retreats that families tagged along, regular rewards for extended service, company-run professional and personal development, and more.  Hell, I can remember some companies where some family members worked that had a chaplain on staff at the company.

Nowadays, anything that can be cut, is being cut, in the mad blind rush to the best possible quarterly earnings report to keep IPO investors "happy" (as defined by an increase in their stock price, and not any other worthwhile performance measure of the company).

The workers are interchangeable commodities to used up and spit out, and not people in which we invest.

Hell, just the change in names in departments - from "Personnel" to "Human Resources" - tells you everything you need to know.

Keep in mind that the guy talking about how to help nurture and develop these millennials is not a millennial himself.  He's from our generation and looking at how to get the most of out them as people and not as cogs in a wheel.

[MetalDog]

I certainly don't work for a giant conglomerate, but, the corporate office is right across the street from my district office.  The guy that owns the business had it passed down to him by the founder, who was also his grandfather.  He's in his 30's.  Maybe.  And the word I hear coming down from above is we have to coddle Millennials to get them to stay.  We've had a spate of quitters this past year.  As a matter of fact, my supervisor just informed me last Friday that I have charge of a young man who they want me to train in how to do the job right.  All I can think to say to the kid is, "Buck up cupcake.  This is the real world."

It's not that I have no sympathy for them, I just think that every generation has some excuse for not taking responsibility for how their lives turned out.  I was a latchkey kid.  The tv was my baby sitter until my mom got home to cook around 6 and my dad was out of town 4 days a week and spent a lot of time doing adult things the other three days.  Should I be able to boohoo to anyone who will listen, how everyone else fucked up my life and made me this way? 

I know I sound like 'get off my lawn,' guy, but, I can only affect the people who's life I touch.  Those that are receptive to what I teach, can have as much as they want.  More, I'm sure, than what they want to hear sometimes.  But if you just want to walk around expecting life to be handed to you, I can only point you in the direction you need to go.  It's up to you to get there yourself.

[jamus34]

I can see the point in blaming bad parenting because the kids have never been given a chance to learn what it means to be responsible.
My wife is a teacher and the expectation nowadays is it's not the parents responsibility to raise their kids, it's the teacher's.

Many people probably think I'm hard on my kids... No TV on school days, homework first, ready for bed by 7. Yeah my kids don't get to do what some of their friends do. Some of their parents try to be friends first and parents second. Fuck'em. my kids , my responsibility and part of that is teaching them to be responsible.
The thing millennials need to get is that life is hard and often ugly. It's sad but it's the truth.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Cracked.com, the former comedy site turned SJW blog, posted a response.  Seems to confirm a lot of the negative stereotypes about millennials.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/that-anti-millennial-rant-bs-cracked-destroys-meme/

[Rekim]

Cracked.com, the former comedy site turned SJW blog, posted a response.  Seems to confirm a lot of the negative stereotypes about millennials.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/that-anti-millennial-rant-bs-cracked-destroys-meme/

Speaking of narcissistic crybabies...that author sounds like a real twat.

[egg_salad]

And here I am thinking you guys sound like old, grumpy twats.

[Nefaro]

Cracked.com, the former comedy site turned SJW blog, posted a response.  Seems to confirm a lot of the negative stereotypes about millennials.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/that-anti-millennial-rant-bs-cracked-destroys-meme/

QFT.


Stopped reading Cracked awhile back.  Started becoming an Identity/Victimhood circle jerk with such appearing increasingly often in their articles.   ::)

[Emeraldlis]

After watching that clip a few things struck me . Firstly , how to build self esteem . My personal view is that self esteem can never be built if your always comparing yourself to other people , you can only build self esteem if you compare you to yourself . I think of how I want to improve myself , and crucially ...why ? Because the "why" gives you the motivation to stick to a process when things get tough . ( which is what those kids want to avoid , the pain of a long tough process )

And the beauty of thinking that way , is as long as you're following your own process , no matter how slow that change is ...well you can't be disappointed with yourself , because you see the achievements your making over time . If you compare yourself to another person , you will be disappointed , because you can't follow anyone else's path , only the path you set for yourself :)

Secoundly , the way that social media is used . I think if it's used wisely it's a fantastic tool for connecting , the problem starts when people start to gauge their own self worth based on how many people follow them , like them ......why leave it up to other people to put a value on you ? I would sooner develop a handful of meaningful connections online , rather than have hundreds of fleeting almost meaningless interactions with online "friends " .......I hesitate to use the word in that context !!

Personal fulfilment Imo has to be found inside your own head first , by knowing who you are , by striving to be a better person , and then when the inevitable disappointments of life come along , you can still think about yourself ,"well hey , I'm proud of who I am and what I stand for , nothing twisted me into becoming the sort of person I despise " ....and that is strength of character .its something to be proud of :)

I have a lot of other thoughts , lol , but I've waxed lyrical for long enough !! That was a thought provoking and intresting interview to listen to though :)

[egg_salad]

The original video is reinforcing things some people want to believe, so it comes off as believable to those folks.

I find it a load of shit.

Hmm, there is a difference between generations?  That must have never happened before!  One older generation thinks a younger generation is spoiled and lazy.  Wow, this must be the first time!

Boiled down, the argument in the video is: Let's take some shit we think happens and blame it for other things we think are happening. 

I am ashamed to be a part of the old grumpy idiot generation.

[OJsDad]

Or, people are seeing and living with these issues and your the one living in denial. 

[MetalDog]

The original video is reinforcing things some people want to believe, so it comes off as believable to those folks.

I find it a load of shit.

Hmm, there is a difference between generations?  That must have never happened before!  One older generation thinks a younger generation is spoiled and lazy.  Wow, this must be the first time!

Boiled down, the argument in the video is: Let's take some shit we think happens and blame it for other things we think are happening. 

I am ashamed to be a part of the old grumpy idiot generation.

Do you have a lot of interaction with Millenials?  At home or in the workplace?  It's certainly not new that the last generation thinks the next generation is shite at life.  Just kind of the human condition.  They get better at it or die trying.  Then they become the ones in power and turn on the following generation.  Circle of life.

Over the last ~10 years here in the States, there's been a lot of reporting on what the Millenial generation is asking for on college campuses: safe spaces, trigger warnings, the dismantling of institutions/traditions/ways of thinking that offend them.  There's a lot of crying about the cost of college and telling everyone else how to live their lives in relation to Millenials.  What they will put up with and what they won't.  It's a culture of being offended at everything.  And it's created a backlash of, "Suck it up and welcome to the real world."

Are there Millenials who go to work each day, and don't complain about their lot in life?  Absolutely.  Young people that work within the system to change the things they disagree with?  Certainly.  Hope that through bringing attention to the things they find important that the world will conform to how they see it?  Most assuredly.  But, as with any overarching tag applied to any group, there are going to be extremes and most in the group will fall into the mean.  As they age into power, we will see what they can accomplish.  In the meantime, I'm tired of hearing how butt hurt you are that life isn't the way you want it.  Go change it or shut up.

[bayonetbrant]

I think Simek's point about being disconnected from the ones physically around you is still pretty valid.  And yes, I recognize the irony of saying that in a group of digital friends populated by very, very few people I've met in real life.