Attracting the twentysomething worker – May 28, 2007
Generation Y is focusing on personal life values over a traditional work ethic. This may be because of culture clashes, diminishing protestant work ethic, gender equality, economic prosperity, and interestingly, as the writer in the article below points out, a realization that we can not depend on a bright, sunny future, so we should enjoy today. So what is the outlook?
Never mind that they often need an entire team – and a couple of cheerleaders – to do anything. For some of them the concept “work ethic” needs rethinking. “I had a conversation with the CFO of a big company in New York,” says Tamara Erickson, co-author of the 2006 book “Workforce Crisis,” “and he said, ‘I can’t find anyone to hire who’s willing to work 60 hours a week. Can you talk to them?’ And I said, ‘Why don’t I start by talking to you? What they’re really telling you is that they’re sorry it takes you so long to get your work done.’”
