Gen Y and work

I was talking yesterday with a fellow who was happily telling me how much people love working in his organisation. “No-one ever leaves”, he said, with a self-congratulatory smile. Then there was a pause. “Except the young ones” he added wryly. I asked why the “young ones” leave. “Oh – because they’re bored, because they want to try something else, because it’s all too hard for them, because they want to travel – you name it.”

Ah, there it is – the Gen Y dilemma. Ask your average baby boomer manager about managing Gen Y and they typically shake their heads with horror stories of lack of focus, expectations beyond the established norm, high maintenance needs or just plain mystifying behaviour. The prevailing view seems to be that people who are too young to remember the last time that times were tough (the recession we had to have) just don’t have what it takes to stick at something for the long haul. And of course, the long haul is what it takes to succeed… doesn’t it?

I’d like to put a couple of things on the table. The longest I’ve ever held a job is 3-and-a-bit years. And I left that (in my twenties) because I wanted to travel. And I’m (just!) a baby boomer. And I recall some people in older generations at the time telling me I was being a bit irresponsible. So I have to admit, I sometimes wonder if it’s possible that differences between older generations and Gen Y’s just come down to the old generation gap – with new buzz words.

But then I think about changes that have been happening for years in the world of work, and I’m not so sure. While Gen Y was still at primary school, commentators were talking about the rise of the “portfolio” worker – someone who didn’t seek a full-time, permanent job, but instead treated their career like an adaptable and ever-changing smorgasbord of paid work – someone who was more focussed on maintaining their future employability than their current employment. It was widely accepted back then that this was the way of the future.

So why are we so surprised that some of our bright young things have embraced this concept and are busily making it their own? Why do we persist in trying to mould Gen Y’s in our own image, complete with our absolute faith in the “hang in there and work your way up” approach? This new generation has been brought up to believe that anything is possible. Here’s a novel idea – what if they are right? What if instead of trying to make them more steady and responsible, like us oldies(!), we tried to come to grips with new ways of working, and new ways of defining jobs? What if we made it possible for people to build more flexible and dynamic working lives – at any age? It could mean the death of the full-time, permanent, wage-slave – is that such a dreadful thing?

Job Satisfaction?

Some years ago, I was working with a young man who had come to me for some help to plan his next career steps. He had decided to drop out of university, because he felt his studies were going nowhere. And he needed the money that paid work would give him.
One of the first questions I asked him was “What do you want to get from work?” He looked puzzled, and asked me what I meant. He said he’d only thought about the money he’d have if he got a job, and not about anything else the job might give him.
As we talked, he smiled to think of what he might be able to learn, what new attitudes and understandings work might give him. He smiled to think about a working life that was deeply satisfying. It was an entirely new concept for him. Scary stuff!
Our work often defines us. It’s one of the first questions we ask the people we meet: “And what do you do…?” We have a right to expect such an important part of our lives to be satisfying and fulfilling.
If you don’t wake up every morning thinking something good will come from work today; if you don’t come home in the evening feeling you have achieved something worthwhile – then maybe it’s time to take stock of how your career is working for you.
I’m a counsellor by trade, so my instinct is to ask you some questions to get you started.
What is your current job giving you?
What are you getting from work beyond a pay packet? What skills, knowledge, understandings or even what contacts are you accumulating that are useful to you, no matter where you are?
What have you got to offer?
Get some feedback on the skills, knowledge and qualities you have that are valued by those around you.
What’s important to you?
Decide which of all of these you value the most. Think about what you do that makes you feel good – things that feel easy – never a chore. Remember what you value most won’t necessarily be what others think is important: sometimes others value our ability to do stuff we’d avoid if we could!
Who have you told?
Put it out to the universe! Talk to people about those things you value most about your work. Talk about how to fill your working life with those things, and get rid of some of the dross. People nearly always have more and better ideas than you expect.
Do I have to change jobs?
Don’t forget to think about how you might be able to change and improve your current work situation – sometimes we underestimate what possibilities are available, right where we are. Or sometimes we don’t even ask. The grass might look greener on the other side of the fence, but maybe all our own backyard needs is a little more attention to make it grow.