The Great Generational Divide
Yesterday, while I was walking around downtown I saw a twenty-something armed with a squeegee standing at a busy intersection. He was offering to clean windshields for money, much to the dismay of most of the drivers stopping at the red light. This happens to be a fairly normal occurrence in the downtown streets of most major cities.
In the few minutes that it took for the light to change and for me to cross the street, I witnessed first-hand the squeegee kid approach a vehicle from the passenger side and proceed to clean the windshield. The driver then opened his (driver-side) window and raised his arm above the roof line of the car with money in hand to indicate he was prepared to pay. Up to this point everything seemed status-quo.
What happened next is what took me by surprise. The squeegee kid refused to walk around the car to collect his dues. Through his exaggerated hand gestures and disapproving facial expressions it was evident that he expected the driver to pass the money through the passenger’s window.
The squeegee kid displayed a sense of entitlement, as in his mind he had earned his money and didn’t need to go out of his way to collect it. In other words, it was the responsibility or duty of the driver to make more of an effort to pay for the service.
The light turned green and no money changed hands.
This sense of entitlement happens to be a core attribute of the Generation Y population (those born between 1980 & 1994). The generational divide caused by the Gen-Y (also referred to as Millennials) is one that is forcing employers to rethink their strategies from talent attraction to recruitment to retention. The Gen-Y makes up 20% of today’s population which is the largest generation since the baby boomers. This is a generation of employees whose work ethics, priorities and social interactions tend to be seen as foreign to their elders. This generation of employees is hard working and often times look for ways to leverage their innate knowledge of technology to work better and faster than those around them. However, they also have high expectations of climbing the corporate ladder quickly and believe they deserve the position that they want despite a lack of qualifications.
Ready or not, they are entering our workforce and together we need to adapt and work towards understanding each other.
Do you have a generational divide story? Tell us about it!
Tags: gen x, gen y, generational divide, millennials
September 29th, 2008 at 11:39 am
In my personnal oppinion, there is a big deech between the generation y and ours, for instance in my country, the father wait to little time, and sometimes after the boy finished the elemenary school, he sent him to work and bring some money for the house; on the other hand, our generation was more patient; due to, ussually the first job on which started, was the final job for retirement; and now on, the father need to help in the echonomical way the sun(s), and he(or they) dont have to much patient and they move from one job to another in order to try to raise the position and economic status he(or they) want. In addition, the porno, drugs, freedom, the big and fabulous and extratospheric earnings for sport players, t v and movie stars, etc., these facts increase the economical expectations of the actual generation; as well as, they want everything that is in fashions, cars, entreteinment. etc.; but ease and with the minimum effort.
September 29th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Some companies (Shell, Chevron, etc.) ask of how you find the ad? They mention several human resources companies like Job.com, etc. without listing your PennEnergyJOBS as one of the sources. I want you to get credit for your excellent effort. All the best.
Kindest regards, Aladdin
October 7th, 2008 at 7:05 am
I agree with that squeegee kids . I think that it is right way of doing business and improving your skills. Because if your brain will think about financial side of work it won`t produce new ideas in your work and in your business life.As a member of the Gen-Y I think : if big companies will give chance to this ambition generation they will bring profit to company and themselves. In the end both sides are happy.
October 7th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Gunel j,
I do agree with your comment… It is a matter of acceptance on the part of both the employers and the Gen Y’ers. I believe that the Millenials have a lot to offer the global workforce and can and are great contributors today. The fact is, we don’t have a choice but to learn how to work together. With each new generation that joins the workforce a new variety of work habits, personalities and social behaviors accompany them. It’s a question of finding the common denominators and learning to bridge the differences.
I appreciate your comment and I wish you success in your career!
October 21st, 2008 at 11:39 am
Gunel, I do share your view as regards to the younger generation. Everything about them is different, they see life from a different perspective. All we need to do as the older generation is to keep advising them. What an old man can see while sitting down cannot be seen by a young man who climbs the highest mountain. Thanks and God bless you.
April 6th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Dear Sir, Most respecfully and humbly its good singe for every one , who want to do hard and who want todo any thing for there feuture, im An Engineer one of huge Oil&Gas Surey Company, an other hand i have gane lot of experience there as acting Admin as Camp Boss as Party Manager,