Coming on the heels of Dan Hull’s slightly negative reaction to the proposition that the world should change to suit the whims of our most youthful new members of the workforce, the original newsmagazine 60 Minutes, whose primary correspondents have a combined age of 497 years did a segment last Sunday on a group it calls the “Millennials”.
Edit: Hull has thrown me a bone by sharing a slice of the Hull McGuire vernacular: Hereinafter, Millennials shall be known at Simple Justice as “The Slackoisie.”
Before cutting to the videotape of the segment, you should note that it was originally broadcast in November, 2007, and updated for May, 2008. A few things have changed between those dates, and as I watched the segment, I wondered whether one critical assumption still held true.
The clout of the Millenials (what we previously called Gen Y,I believe) is in the claim that as they enter the workforce, there are far more jobs than Millenials to fill them. In other words, they may be a bunch of narcissistic, self-absorbed babies, but we need them anyway.
Do we still need them? One of my issues with 60 Minutes is that, while they court controversy well, they rarely challenge the self-serving statements of their interviewees directly. As the video shows, the consultants who are busily earning some very good fees from companies by advising how to make Millennials “feel good” about their work, the only thing that seems to matter to the members of this group, attribute some wonderful qualities to them.
Are Millennials really so wonderful? Let’s see: They’re well educated, but inherently lazy. They are techno-savvy, but don’t see themselves as serving anyone but themselves. They are the most talented generation? Says who? Are they talented in treating your clients with respect? Not that I can see. And they have to be taught how to eat with a fork and knife? They have to be cajoled into showing up for work every day? This seems to be a significant gap.
Now it’s one thing if there aren’t any competent, non-whiny warm bodies left on the face of the earth to fill the open slots in business. But at the moment, I suspect that there are more bodies available than before, and that employers will be more than happy to cut out the balloon parties on Friday and gently explain to their employees to either get to work or go find their perfect job. Elsewhere.
Anyway, enjoy Morley Safer’s take on kids (talk about irony) and wonder, if this is our future, are we in worse trouble than we thought?
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The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work Much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in ” Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of my issues…
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in ” Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of my issues…
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in “Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of my issues with…
I had to sit through a ludicrous presentation last semester where a high-priced consultant taught all the “millenial law students” not to wear visible piercings at our summer associate gigs and to remove our iPod headphones when senior partners were talking to us. I don’t know what marketing genius came up with this “millenial” concept but I hope their kids come back to haunt them for making me sit through that garbage.
Luke,
Was this really necessary? Are the “millennials” that dissociated with the reality of the workforce. I seriously don’t understand how they can truly believe that they play by such different rules.
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in “Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of my issues with…
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment on Generation Y, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in “Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of…
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment on Generation Y, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in “Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of…
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment on Generation Y, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in “Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of…
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a recent 60 Minutes segment on Generation Y, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in “Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of…
The Greatest Generation interviews the Lamest.
Or, Work much? About a 60 Minutes segment on Generation Y, originally aired in November and updated this past Sunday, Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice has a few thoughts in “Millennials: It’s Awesome to be Us”. Excerpt: One of my…
I was born in 1981, so I think that I’m in the Millennial generation. I actually appreciate your posting because I’ve heard it from SO MANY different attorneys over the last few years. All the new associates want good hours, high pay, and lots of responsibility without actually earning those things, etc etc. I’m sure you know the drill.
I consider myself different (perhaps naively) because I have a good work ethic and worked throughout my teenage years in a family business. It’s frustrating to constantly be painted with the brush of being a person from this generation because although I would LOVE higher pay and more responsibility, I know I’m not entitled to those things.
When do attorneys who have that negative mindset start to see past it, though? I graduated in ’05 and clerked for two years and am now an associate in a small firm. I work weekends, am dedicated, don’t take much time off, and try to be cheerful and helpful around the office. Yet, I still hear from the partners in the office how they don’t believe people in my generation (and, by implication, me) are capable of loyalty or hard work. That attitude certainly doesn’t engender any feelings of loyalty in me!
You will be noted. You will be rewarded. You will be trusted. You will be appreciated.
Trust me, your work ethic will serve you well.
Interestingly, this clip ends with the showing of appreciation and praise. This is not a millenial concept. This is a concept which transcends generations and has been lost in the work place. The millenials are just asking for it to be resurrected.
Before I became a lawyer I worked (very hard) for a particular company and my income was derived from commissions only. But when you were rewarded for a job well done it included incredible lavish conventions in exotic places…lots and lots of recognition and all this translated in $$$.
It is one thing to feel pride in your work…but there is something very different about external recognition and saying, ‘if you don’t appreciate me’ I’ll move on to where I am appreciated.
Is it just taking a different form? (I’m also not discussing the hovering parents, moving home or any of that brought up by Safer. In addition, in the beginning the ad executive discusses the two types of millenials. But Safer just seems focused on the ones coddled, lazy, etc.)
I know too many millenials who are brilliant, hard workers and they can’t create ‘locked up.’ Just because we may have to adapt a little bit…the rewards may be beyond our wildest dreams.
I’ve talked to parents about their kids who are like this…there is definite envy that they can say, “I’m going to pursue my dream…not settle.”
Could there be a little of that going on here? 🙂
Do you think making excuses like this is how the parents started the problem in the first place?
Scott, how is this making excuses?
Employers have lost the art of showing their employees appreciation..going through an extended period of depersonalization and disrespecting those who put their whole lives into these companies. The days of the gold watch and retirement dinner are long gone. Now they are stripped of their benefits, robbed of their pensions and health benefits and kicked to the curb.
Employees, however, are expected to be grateful to have a job and work their butts off. I’m not a millenial, unfortunately, not by a long shot, but I have watched this transition, working for companies who valued their employees to companies where if you didn’t like being treated poorly for dismal pay, there were ten that look just like you waiting outside the door groveling for the jobs. Corporate America got fat and happy.
So, the tide has turned and this generation is saying we’re not going down that road. This is has nothing to do with work ethic…it has to do with self worth.
But I can see how this might be confusing 🙂
Scott, along these lines you might appreciate this blog post (click through to the NYT Book Review) where this 17 year old (millenial) takes on the establishment and garners the attention of top publishing houses.
He challenges your way of thinking as being dismissive of his generation….
http://tinyurl.com/4ogfpg
I think you may be confusing the use of incentives to achieve goals, a long-standing method used to motivate (most often involving commissioned workers) and incentives to show appreciation for showing up this morning.
This generation is saying, praise me or I’m going to hold my breath until I turn blue. They will do just enough to buy lunch and Super Mario Brothers Smash II, and then leave work to go play it. That’s not self worth; it’s being infantile.
Now I am confused. How does a 17 year old who writes a letter proclaiming the future is his mean anything? Thus far, he’s written a provocative letter. Try me again when he writes something over 300 words.
Our 2 cents: It’s privilege to work–and a privilege to practice law. It’s not a right. There are clients who need to be served, and served well. It’s that simple. Employees of any generation must adjust to the workplace they are in, especially in a service industry. Employees deserve respect–everyone does. But it’s time for employers to get off their knees, and tell employees want they need from them. That’s totally okay. We have challenging businesses to run.