A couple of weeks ago, Dan Hull at What About Paris? questioned the work ethicof the incoming class of lawyers, suggesting that it might not be entirely up to snuff. It was a fairly tame piece of work, Dan recognizing that these budding geniuses would be too busy playing Super Mario Smash Brothers and Grand Theft Auto 36 to bother to notice that he was making fun of them.
But after a while their Wii remote batteries needed recharging, so they skimmed the ‘net to see what their job prospects looked like since they’d run out of Doritos and needed a job to buy another bag. Coming upon Dan’s comments, they were outraged. How dare this Hull guy question their work ethic (pass the cheetos)?
Let’s see what our future has to say:
I love the implication that Baby Boomers were all work ethic back in the day. Look, I didn’t live through the ’60s, but I’ve seen the films. Don’t give me this “back in my day, we’d work for 300 hours a week, and our only pay was a nickle and swift kick in the pants, and we were glad to have that” crap. And if you want to start stereotyping generations, then you get to explain why, in your day, reasonable minds could differ on the moral propriety segregated schools, lunch counters, water fountains, and restrooms. (I mean really. There was a legitimate pro-segregation movement — with U.S. Senators on board. I’m not making this up.)
Many of us “Gen-Y-ers” work our butts off, and those who don’t, well, they won’t be around the office when those of us who do are running law firms and complaining about the young associates and their new-found sense of entitlement.
In sum, quit talking ’bout my g-g-generation. It’s not our fault some hack is trying to sell a worthless seminar.
What a whiny loser. Try learning history from the books instead of movies.
This is a horrendous slander by greedy, entitled and narcissistic baby boomers. It’s also a scheme by which they make another easy and undeserved buck. “Hey, those Gen Y people are lazy but if you pay me $xxx I’ll help you work with them.”
As a Gen-Yer dealing with financial problems and a dearth of opportunity which you, you grotesque old cretins couldn’t have imagined coping with, all I have to say is two words.
F*&k YOU.
That’s right, bite the hand that fed you, you ingrate. At least we had the balls to spell out our curses when we were young. The only reason we can’t do it now is that we can’t remember stuff. You want proof, read this:
Even as a Boomer, I feel it is short-sighted and egotistical to tell the Gen Y-ers that “it is your problem” and “your job to adjust to us.” Of course it is not. The world progresses, and the way business is done now is much different than the way it was done in the past. Who brought about these changes? New generations of workers who had new – not worse – ways of working. We can all learn from each other; in fact we have to, if we want continued success in our practices.
Business hasn’t changed. You put your money on the table and you get something in return. The only thing that’s missing on you, boomer wannabe, is genitalia.
I find it extremely interesting that the knee-jerk reaction to the above e-mail is to say “I’m older and I sign the checks, so why should I bother with keeping my employees engaged in my business?” The e-mail in question is offering a seminar to show how to manage Gen-Y employees in such a fashion that you keep them happy and productive.
Do employees have a right to be treated in a way that keeps them happy and productive by their employers?
No.
Does an employer have a duty to manage its workforce in a way that keeps employee morale high?
No.
Is it in a firm’s interest to retain particularly intelligent, competent, and productive employees?
Clearly.
Of this class of employees, who is more likely to remain with the firm – the employee who is happy, motivated, and feels that the firm’s culture parallels his or her own values; or the employee who feels unhappy, unappreciated, and has difficulty communicating these concerns to their superiors?
If you want to find and keep the best people, you have to make them feel like your office is the best place to work, and for the vast majority of people that goes beyond the size of their pay check, especially when other employers will match the salary.
Ah, we’ve reached the nadir. How about this concept: If you want to drive around in a BMW to show all your buddies how cool you are, get your butt to work and do your job.
No, workplace revisionism does not depend on changing the “firm’s culture” to “parallel” the slacheoisies’ and make him feel “happy”. If you were half as brilliant as you attribute to yourselves, you would understand that your happiness does not translate into a better workforce, just a happier overpaid workforce that doesn’t perform.
Susan Cartier Leibel has already explained to me that you refuse to stay on the leash, having watched mommy and daddy suffer the indignity of a corporate culture that ate them up and spit them out. So you’re not having any of it. I got that part.
But your answer is that you want the benefits without the responsibilities. You want to come and go as you please. You want no consequences when you are non-productive, when you fail the client because it’s inconvenient to you. You want a seat on the executive committee by the end of your first week. Get a life.
We are a profession of effectiveness, not efficiency. Clients don’t care if you feel good about yourself. They care that you attend to their representation timely and effectively. Clients come to lawyers to help with their problems, not yours. That’s why they pay us.
Does this make you sad and lower your self-esteem? Bummer.
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I think that last guy you quote has it pretty much right. The working conditions you provide for your employees are just another part of your compensation package. Just as some people will take a lower salary for better benefits, other people will take a lower salary and benefits for better working conditions. If that’s an attractive trade-off for their employer, he’s going to have to know what they want.
If the Gen-Y hype is true, then it doesn’t matter if they’re all whiny needful jerks, they’re still the only people who are going to be applying for entry-level jobs, and you’re going to have to deal with that.
I think you’ll have to choose between (1) providing the working conditions they desire, (2) paying them extra to work the way you want them to, (3) searching carefully for employees who fit your needs, or (4) not hiring anyone and letting your business shrink.
It sounds like you prefer the third option (or maybe the second option when you talk about driving the BMW), in which case you don’t need to know or care what Gen-Y wants. But not every business works like a small criminal law practice. To a company that hires cubicle dwellers by the thousands, it might be worth changing a few rules to cut turnover by 15%.
It’s a business decision, nothing more.
The Slackeoisie
Passion for Mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week noises from the “no artificial time-constraints” and “clients-come-later” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law had some fun with…
Let’s say we’re talking about, oh, law. You’re a client. You’re entire world is about to crumble around you. You can’t eat. You can’t sleep. You turn to a lawyer who you believe is worthy of your trust. You pay the lawyer a substantial sum of money. You put your life into his hands. You put your children’s lives into his hands. You feel that you’ve done everything you can do, and now it’s in the hands of your trusted lawyer.
The days comes to appear before the judge. You dress nicely. You come early to be sure that you’re there on time. You sit silently, with your hands folded in your lap. And you sit. And you sit. And you sit. One by one, all the other defendants’ names are called. They go up to the front with a lawyer at their side. You quietly look around, side to side, behind you, and side to side again. The trusted lawyer is nowhere to be seen. And you sit.
Finally, you are the last person sitting in the audience. Your name is called. You look around. No lawyer. You walk up front and tell the court officer, “but my lawyer isn’t here.” He says, “step forward.”
The judge asks you, “Where’s your lawyer?”
“I don’t know,” you respond.
The judge booms, “I don’t appreciate lawyers who can’t be bother to show up. He must really hate you if he won’t even stand next to you in court. You must be one incredible low-life piece of scum.”
You’re shaking. You’re near tears. You’re scared to death the judge is about to put you in to teach you and your lawyer a lesson.
In the meantime, your trusted lawyer had a late night out with a buddy who was celebrating his birthday and just really couldn’t handle going to work that day. It was, you know, like such a drag, and he knew nothing was going to happen in court. I mean, like, the judge would get over it, right? Like, what was he going to do, put you in jail or something?
Moral of the story: This may be okay with some people, but not with me. As a lawyer, I have a responsibility to my clients that comes before my personal wants and desires. In exchange for being given the privilege of practicing law, I gave up the ability to put myself ahead of my clients. It’s that simple. And the same applies to every lawyer, whether they realize it or not.
The Slackeoisie
Passion for Mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week noises from the “no artificial time-constraints” and “clients-come-later” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law had some fun with…
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time-constraints” and “clients-last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law had some fun…
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time constraints” and “clients last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law had…
Yeah, but the seminar that started all this was aimed at all kinds of employers, not just lawyers. I’m not so sure about lawyers, either. If the one of the in-house lawyers in the Procurement department takes the day off with a hangover, it’s usually not a big deal.
My point was that there’s nothing unethical about wanting easier working conditions and taking them when you can get them. You don’t have to hire them, but they don’t have to work for you. It’s just the job market.
Scott, I invite you to read my blog this Monday as I discuss my take on the millenials and the work force. Then you can have your turn with me 🙂
Oh, and invite Dan, too. ;-P
Thank you for your invitation, but as you know, I always read your blog Susan and would never miss a post. I will let make sure that Dan does too.
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time constraints” and “clients last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law…
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time constraints” and “clients last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law…
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time constraints” and “clients last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law…
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time constraints” and “clients last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law…
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time constraints” and “clients last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law…
The Slackeoisie
Passion for mediocrity. See Scott Greenfield’s inspired “The Slackeoisie Fight Back”, capping off a week of noises from the “no artificial time constraints” and “clients last” crowd. The Gen Y issue hits nerves. This past week Above the Law…
If you coined “Slackeoisie” yourself, that must make you this year’s frontrunner for a blogging Pulitzer. Bravo.
I wish I had, but the honor goes to Dan Hull at What about Clients?
It’s 6:00 PM. Do you know what your summer associates are thinking?
Yes, summer at law firms, Congressional offices, businesses and government agencies mean new interns and clerks–and new blood and fresh air for more senior people who hire them. But the season is also useful for evaluating talent, developing talent and…
“How about this concept: If you want to drive around in a BMW to show all your buddies how cool you are, get your butt to work and do your job. ”
This is exactly the issue with a majority of the Gen Y. This sense of entitlement is nauseating. No one is owed anything in this life. You want it, you earn it. I’ve dealt with too many Gen Y employees that, after 1 year of mediocre performance, become incredulous when they are given the average or no bonus/raise. These things are in place to reward, not things that are already entitled.
(Note: Experiences described above not from the legal field)
“What a whiny loser. Try learning history from the books instead of movies.” In movies the history is “re-worked” just for the commercial type to attract the public. Not all the actions in the history movies are real. Even the most good history movies has some modified actions.