Millennials are NOT slackers!

[MU82]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/study-refutes-notion-millennials-huge-000000703.html

Discuss.

[WarriorInNYC]

The article has nothing to do about whether or not millenials are slackers.  Its only about they tend to take less vacation than they are given.  Just because someone doesn't use all of their vacation in a year, doesn't mean they aren't a slacker.

One question I have about the study is if they looked at previous data for similar generations after they entered the workforce.  For example, when baby boomers just finished school and entered the workforce, did they not take as much vacation as they were given?  It could potentially be more about individuals entering the workforce typically don't take as much vacation as they receive versus only this generation.

Full disclosure: I'm considered a millenial

[brandx]

Us older guys know that the younger generation are slackers. I mean, we rode the bus to school for 2 miles each way even when the temperature dipped below freezing.

[MU82]

The article has nothing to do about whether or not millenials are slackers.  Its only about they tend to take less vacation than they are given.  Just because someone doesn't use all of their vacation in a year, doesn't mean they aren't a slacker.

One question I have about the study is if they looked at previous data for similar generations after they entered the workforce.  For example, when baby boomers just finished school and entered the workforce, did they not take as much vacation as they were given?  It could potentially be more about individuals entering the workforce typically don't take as much vacation as they receive versus only this generation.

Full disclosure: I'm considered a millenial

Oh, I agree the study can be considered far less than perfect. Few of these kinds of things are.

I'm a big fan of not painting entire groups of people with a broad brush, so I like these studies nonetheless.

[mu03eng]

Oh, I agree the study can be considered far less than perfect. Few of these kinds of things are.

I'm a big fan of not painting entire groups of people with a broad brush, so I like these studies nonetheless.

As much as I rag on the millenials as a general group....I'm completely baffled how we can lump a group of people together who's oldest member graduated high school 2 years before the youngest member was born. Perhaps it made sense when societal and technology changes where slower but I just don't think it makes sense anymore.

My brother and I were born 5 years apart and are both considered millenials but his experience and mine are very different. He's only heard of 5 1/4 floppy disks whereas I had the joy of loading 12 of those things just so I could play Freddy's Rescue

[muwarrior69]

The article has nothing to do about whether or not millenials are slackers.  Its only about they tend to take less vacation than they are given.  Just because someone doesn't use all of their vacation in a year, doesn't mean they aren't a slacker.

One question I have about the study is if they looked at previous data for similar generations after they entered the workforce.  For example, when baby boomers just finished school and entered the workforce, did they not take as much vacation as they were given?  It could potentially be more about individuals entering the workforce typically don't take as much vacation as they receive versus only this generation.

Full disclosure: I'm considered a millenial

In my day when you went on vacation you were really on vacation. No email, no texting, no cell phone, no tablet or laptop. Ah...the good old days.

[mu03eng]

In my day when you went on vacation you were really on vacation. No email, no texting, no cell phone, no tablet or laptop. Ah...the good old days.

It's making a comeback....there is definitely starting to be a backlash to the 24hour work engagement in some segments of the corporate work environment.

[MerrittsMustache]

Most people just entering the workforce take less PTO because they aren't married with kids. When I was just starting out in my career, as a 21-year-old single guy, my responsibilities were pretty limited, as were my resources. I wasn't going on any week-long vacations or taking a day off to get things done around the house or staying home with a sick kid, etc. I was going to work. I don't think that I'm an outlier in that arena either.


"Moreover, the survey found millennials to be the most likely to forfeit their vacation days, with 24% reporting they’d either forfeited days last year or weren’t sure if they had, compared to 20% of generation x and 17% of boomers."

The bold, underlined portion was the most telling aspect of this article. If an employee is unaware as to whether or not they used up their PTO then it's not so much hard work and dedication as it is obliviousness and irresponsibility.

[Benny B]

How many Millenials contributed to the study?

Many: Obviously it's biased because Millenials must be slackers.
Some: Obviously, they couldn't find enough Millenials who aren't slackers who could contribute.
None: Obviously, because no one wants a slacker working on their research study.


Therefore, the study itself (and not its contents) is unequivocal proof that Millenials are slackers.


#End of discussion.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

It's making a comeback....there is definitely starting to be a backlash to the 24hour work engagement in some segments of the corporate work environment.

Yep. Just look at the updates they made to FLSA. Starting December 1, TAMU is going to have to pay me overtime or comp time everytime I check my email after hours. Which is both wonderful and terrible at the same time

[GooooMarquette]

Yep. Just look at the updates they made to FLSA. Starting December 1, TAMU is going to have to pay me overtime or comp time everytime I check my email after hours. Which is both wonderful and terrible at the same time

Scoop all day; work after hours.

Money tree!

[chapman]

I never thought "slackers" was the proper description.  Usually it's "entitled".  Sure, they work hard.  They just expect it to result in a promotion within a year and a throne in two.

[brewcity77]

I never thought "slackers" was the proper description.  Usually it's "entitled".  Sure, they work hard.  They just expect it to result in a promotion within a year and a throne in two.

One of my least favorite trends is telling kids they can grow up to be whatever they want to be. Sorry, but if you're not 6'10" and athletic you won't be the starting center for the Celtics, if you aren't attractive you won't be a model, if you aren't smart you won't be a doctor, and no matter how smart, athletic, and attractive you may be, there's a 99.99% chance you'll never be famous.

It's okay, the world needs ditch diggers too.

[mu03eng]

One of my least favorite trends is telling kids they can grow up to be whatever they want to be. Sorry, but if you're not 6'10" and athletic you won't be the starting center for the Celtics, if you aren't attractive you won't be a model, if you aren't smart you won't be a doctor, and no matter how smart, athletic, and attractive you may be, there's a 99.99% chance you'll never be famous.

It's okay, the world needs ditch diggers too.

Agreed, there is a huge difference between "put in all your effort and maybe you'll accomplish your dreams" and "all you have to do is try and all your dreams come true". We've moved in a direction as a society where we've seemingly divorced potential negative outcomes from reality.

[brewcity77]

Agreed, there is a huge difference between "put in all your effort and maybe you'll accomplish your dreams" and "all you have to do is try and all your dreams come true". We've moved in a direction as a society where we've seemingly divorced potential negative outcomes from reality.

Well stated. I think one of the biggest issues people have with this generation is the inability to handle setbacks and criticism. The truth is sometimes life sucks. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes other people don't like you. And sometimes the work you do is inadequate. None of those are fatal flaws if you learn from them. But if you just internalize them and can't handle life's setbacks...I mean, you'll just never make it in this world.

[dgies9156]

I'm a Boomer and we were just as obnoxious and hard to deal with in the 1970s and 1980s as the Millennials are today. We had our Marquette degrees. We were full of promise. We could do no wrong. Just ask us.

If our Managers were still alive and have clear memories, they would probably talk about those young obnoxious Boomers as well. About how experience trumps book learning and about how something that happened in 1963 had relevance in 1979.

From a Boomer and manager perspective, the difference between Millennial and Boomer was when the Boomers were told to do something, we did it. Perhaps begrudgingly, but we did it. Too often, the Millennial thinks he or she should not have to do something "not in my career plan," and is openly insubordinate. I have more than once asked a Millennial if unemployment also was in their career plan, a comment that usually got what I wanted when I wanted it.

[MU82]

I'm a Boomer and we were just as obnoxious and hard to deal with in the 1970s and 1980s as the Millennials are today. We had our Marquette degrees. We were full of promise. We could do no wrong. Just ask us.

If our Managers were still alive and have clear memories, they would probably talk about those young obnoxious Boomers as well. About how experience trumps book learning and about how something that happened in 1963 had relevance in 1979.

From a Boomer and manager perspective, the difference between Millennial and Boomer was when the Boomers were told to do something, we did it. Perhaps begrudgingly, but we did it. Too often, the Millennial thinks he or she should not have to do something "not in my career plan," and is openly insubordinate. I have more than once asked a Millennial if unemployment also was in their career plan, a comment that usually got what I wanted when I wanted it.

Very interesting comment, lots of food for thought here.

[brewcity77]

I'm a Boomer and we were just as obnoxious and hard to deal with in the 1970s and 1980s as the Millennials are today. We had our Marquette degrees. We were full of promise. We could do no wrong. Just ask us.

If our Managers were still alive and have clear memories, they would probably talk about those young obnoxious Boomers as well. About how experience trumps book learning and about how something that happened in 1963 had relevance in 1979.

From a Boomer and manager perspective, the difference between Millennial and Boomer was when the Boomers were told to do something, we did it. Perhaps begrudgingly, but we did it. Too often, the Millennial thinks he or she should not have to do something "not in my career plan," and is openly insubordinate. I have more than once asked a Millennial if unemployment also was in their career plan, a comment that usually got what I wanted when I wanted it.

Totally fair and likely how every up and coming generation is seen. The more things change, and all that...

[MerrittsMustache]

I'm a Boomer and we were just as obnoxious and hard to deal with in the 1970s and 1980s as the Millennials are today. We had our Marquette degrees. We were full of promise. We could do no wrong. Just ask us.

If our Managers were still alive and have clear memories, they would probably talk about those young obnoxious Boomers as well. About how experience trumps book learning and about how something that happened in 1963 had relevance in 1979.

From a Boomer and manager perspective, the difference between Millennial and Boomer was when the Boomers were told to do something, we did it. Perhaps begrudgingly, but we did it. Too often, the Millennial thinks he or she should not have to do something "not in my career plan," and is openly insubordinate. I have more than once asked a Millennial if unemployment also was in their career plan, a comment that usually got what I wanted when I wanted it.

Excellent post. "Old people" have always had issues with "young people" in the work place and they always will.

From my experiences with Millenials, I've found that they're very hard workers...when it's something they want to do and/or something with good exposure. The general get-your-feet-wet, entry-level work? Not so much. In fact, a couple weeks ago I had a recent college grad in my dept who was doing a tedious monthly report. He's a very bright capable employee but he put in a half-hearted effort on this task and when I spoke with him about it, he actually said, "Can't we find someone else to do this?" I responded, "We did. You."

[dgies9156]

Excellent post. "Old people" have always had issues with "young people" in the work place and they always will.

From my experiences with Millenials, I've found that they're very hard workers...when it's something they want to do and/or something with good exposure. The general get-your-feet-wet, entry-level work? Not so much.

Thank you for your kind words.

I thought back about your comment as well and reflected on when I was young and confident.  I thought was the smartest guy in the room. I worked for a newspaper and, candidly, given the leadership of the paper at the time, may have been one of the smartest in the room (we had a photographer who since became a PhD in Economics and led the grad business program at the University of Alaska). But as Sheldon Cooper's Mom on Big Bang Theory once said, "I told you don't go around telling' everybody."

We had obituaries that had to be written. Stringer copy from the boondocks counties had to be edited and, sometimes, someone even had to take dictation from these verbose correspondents. Someone had to go to watch and report on farmers judging hogs, steers, cows and even lambs. Try writing about obese pumpkins or some grizzled old woman who turned 90 last week. And, someone had to interview Alice in Dairyland at one newspaper that once employed me (trust me -- Alice generally was no catch, she was someone who "enjoyed" dairy products  A LOT).

Four years of college? Summer internships? Lots of money? FOR THIS??? You have got to be kidding?

I'll bet Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein never watched Farmer Higgenbotthem judge championship hogs!

Yes, your friendly neighborhood Boomer had to do that and a lot more crap. And gawd, we complained. The more we complained, the more obits we wrote! These Millennials were pikers in the complaint, whining and entitlement department compared to us! And we had manual typewriters on which to work. At least these Millennials have computers... for heaven's sake.

Anyway, someone had to write the obituaries

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

ill preface this with the fact that I have zero facts to back this claim up. I do think part of the problem may be the millennials such as myself often get higher level degrees before we start working, more so than the previous generation, whether that be a masters, PhD, or if they take their CPA exam or get a MBA.

I think there is a certain expectation when you go to college for 5+ years because advance degrees are almost necessary now, and with that much schooling there is that expectation that young professionals shouldn't be doing all the grunt work.

[MerrittsMustache]

ill preface this with the fact that I have zero facts to back this claim up. I do think part of the problem may be the millennials such as myself often get higher level degrees before we start working, more so than the previous generation, whether that be a masters, PhD, or if they take their CPA exam or get a MBA.

I think there is a certain expectation when you go to college for 5+ years because advance degrees are almost necessary now, and with that much schooling there is that expectation that young professionals shouldn't be doing all the grunt work.

Recent Grad: I have a Master's degree.

Hiring manager:


There's likely a lot of truth in your theory...but it doesn't change the fact that entry-level employees, even those with a Master's degree, still have to do entry-level work. I have an MBA but my boss doesn't. What he does have is 20+ more  years of experience than I do.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I think there is a certain expectation when you go to college for 5+ years because advance degrees are almost necessary now, and with that much schooling there is that expectation that young professionals shouldn't be doing all the grunt work.

This is the biggest mistaken assumption/expectation of those that choose to go straight through into grad school instead of working first. 

An MBA with 5 years experience versus an MBA with 0 years experience are not even close to being the same thing.  The only one's who don't seem to get that are the latter (this isnt new with Millennials in my opinion).

[mu03eng]

This is the biggest mistaken assumption/expectation of those that choose to go straight through into grad school instead of working first. 

An MBA with 5 years experience versus an MBA with 0 years experience are not even close to being the same thing.  The only one's who don't seem to get that are the latter (this isnt new with Millennials in my opinion).

This is 100% correct. Having a grad degree with very limited to no experience is almost worth less than no grad degree and no experience....I get practically the same capability without all the expectation and cost.

I don't think it's unique to millenials, but new generations seem to always assume experience doesn't matter for them that somehow theoretical learning has caught up with practical experience or even that the older generations weren't educated enough to get it right and they know better.

One other thing, a graduate degree directly after undergrad with no experience is a pretty big waste. Without a direct experience in the real world, I don't think you can properly ground/put into context what you are learning in grad school....especially an MBA. 50% of the MBA is about networking anyway, maybe 20% of what I learned in the MBA were things I hadn't already been exposed to in the first 8 years of my career(and I started as an engineer).

[MU82]

Thank you for your kind words.

I thought back about your comment as well and reflected on when I was young and confident.  I thought was the smartest guy in the room. I worked for a newspaper and, candidly, given the leadership of the paper at the time, may have been one of the smartest in the room (we had a photographer who since became a PhD in Economics and led the grad business program at the University of Alaska). But as Sheldon Cooper's Mom on Big Bang Theory once said, "I told you don't go around telling' everybody."

We had obituaries that had to be written. Stringer copy from the boondocks counties had to be edited and, sometimes, someone even had to take dictation from these verbose correspondents. Someone had to go to watch and report on farmers judging hogs, steers, cows and even lambs. Try writing about obese pumpkins or some grizzled old woman who turned 90 last week. And, someone had to interview Alice in Dairyland at one newspaper that once employed me (trust me -- Alice generally was no catch, she was someone who "enjoyed" dairy products  A LOT).

Four years of college? Summer internships? Lots of money? FOR THIS??? You have got to be kidding?

I'll bet Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein never watched Farmer Higgenbotthem judge championship hogs!

Yes, your friendly neighborhood Boomer had to do that and a lot more crap. And gawd, we complained. The more we complained, the more obits we wrote! These Millennials were pikers in the complaint, whining and entitlement department compared to us! And we had manual typewriters on which to work. At least these Millennials have computers... for heaven's sake.

Anyway, someone had to write the obituaries

I had the exact same experience early in my journalism career. Obits, county board meetings, low-level trials, feature stories that nobody gave a crap about. I thought I should be "above that" because I was (in my mind) a rising star who had won awards at Marquette. I learned to just say, "Yessir," and do what they told me to do. Eventually, I paid my dues.