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Do Millenials Have A Work Ethic Problem?

I think there is more going on here with this particular situation, being based in South Dakota does not help them keep employees, as they can run off to the oil fields and get a $7 per hour raise pretty easily. So this particular situation is probably a little more complex. Also, what portion of the kids were going to head to college within a few months anyways?

That being said, I do think there is a different work ethic among millennials than that of the older generations. Speaking from a work ethic standpoint, I have never felt that I identify with the majority of people my age, as I am kind of a workaholic. When I took my current job, and began being responsible for hiring and managing a crew of about 15-20 people, I had a very hard time with the young guys. The nature of my company means we hire pretty much all young kids. At first, I thought they were all super lazy and I did not respect them at all. After about a year, I decided I had to change my view on the subject, or I was going to go nuts. I decided they could not all be lazy, they just worked differently.

My employees don't get as muh satisfaction from hard work or even accomplishing something, as they do in being "a part" of something. My job has become selling the company to my employees, and convincing them that their hard work is somehow benefitting them through some way. With some, I have to act like a teacher and give them "valuable life lessons" and with others I have to give them titles and responsibility. It sounds cheesy, and probably applies to other generations as well, but it works.

So when I see other managers saying that millenials are lazy, I see more of a problem with the employer/manager than an entire group of employees.
 
Most annoying thing in the world is "This generation isn't like mine because....". The aspects of human nature haven't changed that much over 20 years.
 
I've started from the bottom, working in a **** load of different factories, some jobs paid well, some didn't, but it's still a job after all.
 
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Them lazy, good-for-nothing millennials.
 
I haven't read the article or the thread, but here's a nugget anyway:

Employers have drastically reduced their long-term commitment to employees. Drastically. And cut benefit packages. Drastically. It is, therefore, quite funny when complaints about employee commitment come from that same class of people.
 
NAOS said:
I haven't read the article or the thread, but here's a nugget anyway:

Employers have drastically reduced their long-term commitment to employees. Drastically. And cut benefit packages. Drastically. It is, therefore, quite funny when complaints about employee commitment come from that same class of people.
Click to expand...
No kidding. The idea of "loyalty" when it comes to big corporations is laughable. The people who run them wouldn't hesitate to rip out the hearts of the average employee if it means they can get an extra step in their pools inlaid with ivory.
 
On another note, when 99% of people leave a place, perhaps management is an issue.

Just perhaps. I know that's a wild idea to throw out there.
 
Nate505 said:
No kidding. The idea of "loyalty" when it comes to big corporations is laughable. The people who run them wouldn't hesitate to rip out the hearts of the average employee if it means they can get an extra step in their pools inlaid with ivory.
Click to expand...

What comes to mind is outsourcing, which I've gone through myself. I used to work at Hewlett-Packard Spain and our client was Bank of America, so we were controlling all of their BoA's phones from Spain! But it gets worse, then they laid off 200 people, including my area, and took all of our clients to HP India! So yeah then ask for frickin loyalty... Loyalty my rear
 
In the article in the OP, the CEO said they offer to pay for their tech schooling (welding) so they can get paid $50k. Wouldnt that be considered offering advancement, and loyalty?

Also, most of them didnt quit, they got fired for not showing up or showing up late. Starting wage was $13.50 for people with a HS degree. So Dala, your points don't really fit here.
 
That Yale thing is cute though, but let's be a bit more realistic.

For example, a years worth of tuition at Montana State University is ~$6,800.

Minimum wage is $8.05. That would be about 2 and a half hours a day, every day of the year to pay for tuition. Super unreasonable.
 
I actually think millenials work harder than the previous generation. My fathers generation and the one before are responsible for the massive national debt. I think the baby boomer generation will be remembered as the silver spoon generation and my generation and the one afterward will work hard to pay off their debts.

That said, i also think millenials are more self-focused. David Brooks had a great editorial where he discussed the social ecology of pre-ww2, pre-black equality, pre-womens rights era america versus the social ecology of today. Basically he says our society was much more leary of the faults of the self and more likely to believe in a purpose or an idea of something greater than themselves. As we began to, very rightly, give women and minorities more equal rights and transitioned out of the depression, we began to give many disenfranchised people a belief in themselves. We began as a country to believe in the the golden inner version of oursleves. Combine this with an urge to relax and finally be able to have things after the depression, naturally we transitioned into an era of the big me. The big me is the era where one seeks success in life. This is where Brooks thinks we are, in an era that is still anachronistically affected by a bygone era. The problem he sees is today, it is more competitive, less purpose driven, more existential. He thinks there needs to be a bigger focus on a more deep commitment to the inner self and character.

I dont know if hes right but its an interesting thought. I do wonder though, is there an ancient summerian tablet somewhere that says my generation is better than the next one? Leave us millenials alone!
 
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