Millennials

[Bestoutwest]

I know this is hard to believe... but as supervisors we have to also figure out how to handle older generations. The technology gap of the older generations is becoming more and more of an issue among other things..

Remember that old saying... one person's strength in another person's weakness.

Not hard to believe at all. Ignorance of any rapidly and ever-changing technology has never been a crime or seen as a negative aspect of any part of society or industry. Being too lazy to embrace it tho, is on par with expecting employers to make special exceptions with how a parent raised the current young workforce. If it's the parent's fault they were raised that way, it's equally the employers' fault that the millennial's self absorbed outlook and lifestyle is perpetuated and even accepted.

I used to think the supervisors' coddling reactions in those millennial YouTube videos were 100% satire but thru this thread's illumination, I'm now of the understanding they are not satire at all and really are legit training vids on how to kiss a millennial's back side and assuage their delicate egos.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/201 ... df094a1e87

What choice does an employer have? There are not more baby boomers entering the workforce. You better learn how to handle millenials or you will not be in business.

No one is kissing their backside. They just value different things and see things from a different perspective. When it comes time to negotiating employment those things need to be kept in mind.

I know they have videos of some truly stupid people online but that's not the whole group.

Im out in west texas right now in an oil boom and there is no shortage of 20-30 years olds out here. I cant tell you how many young men are walking in my door and flat out saying... I know I dont have much experience but Im here to work. If you will give me a shot, Ill bust my butt. You can look at their resumes and their progression from one job to the next, climbing their way up. Its actually very refreshing. You ask about hours, call outs, etc... they all say no problem and emphasize... Im here to work. Some of them have not had a day off in 6-9 months. We just hired one who got fired because he wanted 3 days off to go home to his grandmothers funeral. He's a be nice good guy... that company screwed up. Some have kids and are looking for steady schedules. When I tell them they will be working 10/4 they start smiling... and 2 weeks vacation... they are trying to hold it back.

These guys are busting it out here... you can look at them and they are tired. They have gotten a good dose of life in a hurry.

I think "blue collar" millennials are different than "white collar" millennials. I also don't think they're all bad. We've got a couple that work their tail off. It's just that they expect a bit more than a paycheck, insurance and retirement. Of course, HR departments and retention programs have not helped either. The big money corporations have caused a trickle down problem that other companies have to follow. Micron here in Idaho has gyms, therapists, a dentist, chiropractor and other stuff on campus. No wonder everyone wants it all, all the time.

 

[ddd75]

After the destruction of the towers and the pentagon there were young men volunteering to go fight. I know one that volunteer in the national guard graduate in May and was in Iraq by July. Would not have turned 18 until November. So I would challenge you old heads that think you know everything to ****. There a bunch of these kids that are not buying the BS put out there.

thats almost 20 years ago.. this is an entire different generation. the millennials aren't that bad.. but gen Z is a different story.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Let me get this straight. The millennials are born after 1-1-2000?
What is the gen Z?

 

[Brute 23]

After the destruction of the towers and the pentagon there were young men volunteering to go fight. I know one that volunteer in the national guard graduate in May and was in Iraq by July. Would not have turned 18 until November. So I would challenge you old heads that think you know everything to ****. There a bunch of these kids that are not buying the BS put out there.

I agree.

There are a few really stupid millenials walking around and every one is stereo typing the whole group because of a few.

I agree with the white collar vs blue collar and I will add city vs rural kids.

Some of those perks like gyms, in house doctors, daycare, ets pays dividends for your company. That's not babying your employees.

 

[hurleyjd]

After the destruction of the towers and the pentagon there were young men volunteering to go fight. I know one that volunteer in the national guard graduate in May and was in Iraq by July. Would not have turned 18 until November. So I would challenge you old heads that think you know everything to ****. There a bunch of these kids that are not buying the BS put out there.

thats almost 20 years ago.. this is an entire different generation. the millennials aren't that bad.. but gen Z is a different story.

The person I mentitioned just turned thirty 1 year in Iraq,1 Year in Afghanistan, and 1 year in Africa. Between deployments he worked in the oil patch when it was going great and then the gravy train stopped.



om

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Thank him for his service on my behalf.

 

[TexasBred]

I'd be embarrassed to pretend to know what " a millennial" is or was.

Now that you mention it, just what is a millennial?

They are Generation Y. Technically, I am one but I don't identify as one. Early 80's children through mid-90's.

I think we just found the problem. An identity crisis. A millennial who refuses to accept the fact that he is no different than those he is suppose to be grading. Get'em snowflake,

 

[herofan]

Lawsuits and big company's HR departments have led to the babying of the whole workforce. That started long before millenials entered the market.

The younger generation is always viewed as having some shortcoming. That said - - most new hires work to live, not live to work. I never learned that one. Short term you can try to hire older workers with a traditional work ethic, but eventually they will either retire or die on the job... Are many US employers happy to just have someone show up?

Big company HR here is worried they will not be able to hire and retain enough minorities. So they set up undocumented quotas, promote the unskilled, and end up with reverse discrimination... Does this seem like progress?

I don't disagree with you on most of that. Do you expect some one to live to work?

I don't care what some ones motivations are as long as they fill the position set out by the company.

I agree. As someone else mentioned, in years past the motivation to work was to support your family, a house, food on the table, etc., and you worked whether you liked it or not, which by my definition, is working to live.
These days, some of us older ones try to romanticise work as something so divine that you should devote every waking moment to it and center your life around it, and anything less is just a lazy bum. I don't care what someone's motivation is as long as they do their job and do it well.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I debated on whether or whether not to enter this conversation. Probably shouldn't, but here it goes.

I'm a millennial. I think. I was born in 1981. I don't think actual age is the single biggest contributing factor to the stereotypes. However age does somewhat coincide with changes in society. IMO, the single biggest contributing factor to the mentality and habits/patterns/actions of millennials or anyone else is the way they were raised. If you were raised and taught responsibility and taught how to work then you fit in just fine. Too many kids were "handed" too much. I also think one of the previous posts (can't remember by whom) about blue collar/white collar and city/rural raising also plays a role in it. My kids do good in school. Not bc they like it. But because it's expected of them and they know theirs consequences if they don't. They have chores. Daily and weekly. They have responsibilities. They also have been taught that money doesn't grow on trees. They all have cows, that I gave them, and I pay all maintenance costs in exchange for them helping out. They also have cows that they bought. And they have a log that we use to teach them about expenses, debits, gross sales, net profit, etc. They understand that you don't spend more than you have. They have been taught to give. They have been taught to receive, graciously. They have been raised in church. And taught who is really in charge.

Another thing is being taught or thinking that you have to be like everyone else. Not here. Example. My kids are 15,13, and 9. None have phones. Nearly all of their friends do. Are phones bad? Maybe. Are they the only problem. No. I just don't see where they need one. And whether they like it or not, my kids understand,
or at least respect, my decision. You don't have to have something just because someone else does. You have things because you need them. Or because you've earned them.

Lastly, every person is different. Doesn't mean you should coddle them. But different people respond to different things. Find the strong traits and exploit them. Give praise when it's earned. Give criticism when it's earned. But be careful not to forget the praise. Don't baby them. Don't reward mediocrity. But give praise when it's deserved with the equal enthusiasm that criticism is given. Can't be one sided.

Am I the perfect parent? Not even close. I may have even expected too much from them at times. I probably don't do enough "fun" things with them. I probably should have skipped fixing fence some days and took them fishing or hunting more. Do I have the perfect kids. No sir. Will they turn out to be good adults. I sure hope so. But I have taken up time with them instead of expecting someone else to raise them for me. Same as I was raised. Money can buy a lot of things. But your time is the most important thing you can give someone. Anyway that's enough outta me.

 

[Ryder]

JMJ you made a fine post. Seems like you are doing a fine job.
One small issue is probably one of just semantics.
You say give them "praise" when appropriate.
I would say give them the "recognition" they are entitled to.
To me "recognition" seems a little more mature and authentic, whereas "praise" seems to be manipulative and could become condescending.
But again, probably just a matter of semantics.
Anyway, I extend recognition and admiration to you for a job well done. :clap: :clap:

 

[JMJ Farms]

JMJ you made a fine post. Seems like you are doing a fine job.
One small issue is probably one of just semantics.
You say give them "praise" when appropriate.
I would say give them the "recognition" they are entitled to.
To me "recognition" seems a little more mature and authentic, whereas "praise" seems to be manipulative and could become condescending.
But again, probably just a matter of semantics.
Anyway, I extend recognition and admiration to you for a job well done. :clap: :clap:

:tiphat: Ryder. Yes. Recognition is probably a more appropriate term. In my normal lingo I would have said it like this. "Make sure you tell them they done a good job and you're proud of them when they deserve it, with the same emphasis as you would chew their azz when they screw up"

 

[Caustic Burno]

I debated on whether or whether not to enter this conversation. Probably shouldn't, but here it goes.

I'm a millennial. I think. I was born in 1981. I don't think actual age is the single biggest contributing factor to the stereotypes. However age does somewhat coincide with changes in society. IMO, the single biggest contributing factor to the mentality and habits/patterns/actions of millennials or anyone else is the way they were raised. If you were raised and taught responsibility and taught how to work then you fit in just fine. Too many kids were "handed" too much. I also think one of the previous posts (can't remember by whom) about blue collar/white collar and city/rural raising also plays a role in it. My kids do good in school. Not bc they like it. But because it's expected of them and they know theirs consequences if they don't. They have chores. Daily and weekly. They have responsibilities. They also have been taught that money doesn't grow on trees. They all have cows, that I gave them, and I pay all maintenance costs in exchange for them helping out. They also have cows that they bought. And they have a log that we use to teach them about expenses, debits, gross sales, net profit, etc. They understand that you don't spend more than you have. They have been taught to give. They have been taught to receive, graciously. They have been raised in church. And taught who is really in charge.

Another thing is being taught or thinking that you have to be like everyone else. Not here. Example. My kids are 15,13, and 9. None have phones. Nearly all of their friends do. Are phones bad? Maybe. Are they the only problem. No. I just don't see where they need one. And whether they like it or not, my kids understand,
or at least respect, my decision. You don't have to have something just because someone else does. You have things because you need them. Or because you've earned them.

Lastly, every person is different. Doesn't mean you should coddle them. But different people respond to different things. Find the strong traits and exploit them. Give praise when it's earned. Give criticism when it's earned. But be careful not to forget the praise. Don't baby them. Don't reward mediocrity. But give praise when it's deserved with the equal enthusiasm that criticism is given. Can't be one sided.

Am I the perfect parent? Not even close. I may have even expected too much from them at times. I probably don't do enough "fun" things with them. I probably should have skipped fixing fence some days and took them fishing or hunting more. Do I have the perfect kids. No sir. Will they turn out to be good adults. I sure hope so. But I have taken up time with them instead of expecting someone else to raise them for me. Same as I was raised. Money can buy a lot of things. But your time is the most important thing you can give someone. Anyway that's enough outta me.

Well said your actually generation Xennials known as X you are a few years younger than my youngest.
Your parents were Boomers or Baby Bust generation. My grandkids are the Igen and millennials.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I debated on whether or whether not to enter this conversation. Probably shouldn't, but here it goes.

I'm a millennial. I think. I was born in 1981. I don't think actual age is the single biggest contributing factor to the stereotypes. However age does somewhat coincide with changes in society. IMO, the single biggest contributing factor to the mentality and habits/patterns/actions of millennials or anyone else is the way they were raised. If you were raised and taught responsibility and taught how to work then you fit in just fine. Too many kids were "handed" too much. I also think one of the previous posts (can't remember by whom) about blue collar/white collar and city/rural raising also plays a role in it. My kids do good in school. Not bc they like it. But because it's expected of them and they know theirs consequences if they don't. They have chores. Daily and weekly. They have responsibilities. They also have been taught that money doesn't grow on trees. They all have cows, that I gave them, and I pay all maintenance costs in exchange for them helping out. They also have cows that they bought. And they have a log that we use to teach them about expenses, debits, gross sales, net profit, etc. They understand that you don't spend more than you have. They have been taught to give. They have been taught to receive, graciously. They have been raised in church. And taught who is really in charge.

Another thing is being taught or thinking that you have to be like everyone else. Not here. Example. My kids are 15,13, and 9. None have phones. Nearly all of their friends do. Are phones bad? Maybe. Are they the only problem. No. I just don't see where they need one. And whether they like it or not, my kids understand,
or at least respect, my decision. You don't have to have something just because someone else does. You have things because you need them. Or because you've earned them.

Lastly, every person is different. Doesn't mean you should coddle them. But different people respond to different things. Find the strong traits and exploit them. Give praise when it's earned. Give criticism when it's earned. But be careful not to forget the praise. Don't baby them. Don't reward mediocrity. But give praise when it's deserved with the equal enthusiasm that criticism is given. Can't be one sided.

Am I the perfect parent? Not even close. I may have even expected too much from them at times. I probably don't do enough "fun" things with them. I probably should have skipped fixing fence some days and took them fishing or hunting more. Do I have the perfect kids. No sir. Will they turn out to be good adults. I sure hope so. But I have taken up time with them instead of expecting someone else to raise them for me. Same as I was raised. Money can buy a lot of things. But your time is the most important thing you can give someone. Anyway that's enough outta me.

Well said your actually generation Xennials known as X you are a few years younger than my youngest.
Your parents were Boomers or Baby Bust generation. My grandkids are the Igen and millennials.

Parents were both born in 1963. I think that's boomers. Not sure. They got an early start. Too early really. But even though they divorced early I was never allowed to play sides. That's another big problem today. Divorce was never part of the masters plan and when kids are allowed choices bc one parent is more tolerant or lenient, then, more often than not, they will take the easiest route, which is usually the wrong path.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Yep boomers.
Boomers ended 1964.