New Workers in a New Economy: Making Your Mark on the Workforce

It seems like every generation has a story about how much better things were, or harder working people were, or how much safer/more relaxing things were in the past. Many of these blanket statements are demonstratively false. Crime has steadily fallen over the past 20 years, people work more hours and are slightly more productive than in years past, and advancements in science, travel, and technology have opened up opportunities never before experienced. That they are wrong rarely seems to stop them from being repeated, and they seem to impact the corporate world just as much as the public world. At work, new generations are labelled as entitled, lazy, and less productive than employees of the past. These statements are just as easy to disprove as the social examples given above.

This is good news for the new generation of workers. They are typically very motivated, and will take any opportunity offered. However, this new group of workers is already dissatisfied with the corporate world. Over 13% want to work for themselves, well over that number in older generations. By making minor adjustments to the working practices currently used, companies can adapt to accommodate a new generation of hardworking and ambitious employees. Older generations need not worry: studies indicate that while the older generation of workers see younger ones as lazy and incompetent, the data suggests that younger workers still look up to them. It’s time the older generation gave them a reason to.