The concepts of ‘work’ and ‘job’ have undergone a sea change over the past few years. Our parents’ generation believed in the ‘One life one job’ concept and we see numerous cases from that generation where they have spent their entire lives in one organization.
The work ethic has evolved over the years and the concepts at the workplace have also changed. The ‘Pentium’ kids (those born with a computer at hand all the time) are most comfortable with communication and digitized mediums and have very different concepts relating to the age-old definitions:
Loyalty – While our Parents generation believed in spending one life in one job, the Millennials are most comfortable with their own development and look at constant and accelerated growth for themselves. This is the reason we see a lot of resumes these days with an average of 1.5-2 yrs per job. Organizations are also waking up to this fact and are realizing the value of employees who can contribute well over a period of 2-3 years.
Respect – Our Parents grew up with the concept of respecting seniors at the workplace because of their age and the fact that a senior might have a spent a decade more than them working in the organization. Gen Y, on the other hand, has a practical approach towards the concept of respect, They respect you if they feel the need to. Respect at the workplace is earned by your actions rather than the number of grey hair that you have.
Communication – Our parents grew up in the age where there was no Internet, no mobile phones, no ‘Google’, etc. The Pentium kids take all these things for granted and resources such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other networking mediums are available 24X7.
Work Timings – The conventional work timings of 9 to 6 which existed a few years back have also seen major changes. There has been a blurring of lines between working at office, working from home, working on the move, and so on.
Networking – With resources like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc, gaining momentum, the way we network has also revolutionalized. While networking was restricted to office parties for the previous generation, this has turned into a 24X7 activity with ‘always available’ tools gaining ground.
The greatest challenge for the HR department lies in the fact that the expectations of these two sets of employees have to be brought together. The top management team has typically been brought up on the previous generation values but they. in turn, have to manage the millennial employees with a different set of expectations. The HR team has to ensure that both sets of employees are educated about this. It has to be clearly communicated to both sets that different people may have different styles of working. No one style is really wrong. One has to maximize productivity by trying to make the best out of both and breed creativity rather than contempt.
The work ethic has evolved over the years and the concepts at the workplace have also changed. The ‘Pentium’ kids (those born with a computer at hand all the time) are most comfortable with communication and digitized mediums and have very different concepts relating to the age-old definitions:
Loyalty – While our Parents generation believed in spending one life in one job, the Millennials are most comfortable with their own development and look at constant and accelerated growth for themselves. This is the reason we see a lot of resumes these days with an average of 1.5-2 yrs per job. Organizations are also waking up to this fact and are realizing the value of employees who can contribute well over a period of 2-3 years.
Respect – Our Parents grew up with the concept of respecting seniors at the workplace because of their age and the fact that a senior might have a spent a decade more than them working in the organization. Gen Y, on the other hand, has a practical approach towards the concept of respect, They respect you if they feel the need to. Respect at the workplace is earned by your actions rather than the number of grey hair that you have.
Communication – Our parents grew up in the age where there was no Internet, no mobile phones, no ‘Google’, etc. The Pentium kids take all these things for granted and resources such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other networking mediums are available 24X7.
Work Timings – The conventional work timings of 9 to 6 which existed a few years back have also seen major changes. There has been a blurring of lines between working at office, working from home, working on the move, and so on.
Networking – With resources like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc, gaining momentum, the way we network has also revolutionalized. While networking was restricted to office parties for the previous generation, this has turned into a 24X7 activity with ‘always available’ tools gaining ground.
The greatest challenge for the HR department lies in the fact that the expectations of these two sets of employees have to be brought together. The top management team has typically been brought up on the previous generation values but they. in turn, have to manage the millennial employees with a different set of expectations. The HR team has to ensure that both sets of employees are educated about this. It has to be clearly communicated to both sets that different people may have different styles of working. No one style is really wrong. One has to maximize productivity by trying to make the best out of both and breed creativity rather than contempt.
