Earnings
8 09 2009One of the primary complaints about Generation Y is that we exhibit an unparalleled sense of entitlement. If you Google “Generation Y entitlement,” it returns some 57,000 results.
We all know that the truth is not all Millennials are like that - just as it’s the case that not every Baby Boomer has a stellar work ethic. The trick is to find young employees who don’t feel unduly entitled to benefits, pay, seniority, etc.
Many Gen Ys have been given the vast majority of what they’ve ever had. Whether it’s money, a car, praise, or various trophies and awards, they’ve been given these things their entire life, simply for showing up. They didn’t have to sacrifice to get them, they just got them, and there is little anyone can do now to convince them that their attendance shouldn’t guarantee them those treasures.
As working with these people so beautifully illustrates, there is a world of difference between getting something and earning something.
So, when you’re interviewing, ask a potential employee:
“Tell me about a time you earned something. Tell me about what it was, what you did to get it, and what it meant to you.”
If you’ve ever worked to earn anything in your life, you’ll know the difference between an answer from someone who has had to sacrifice and toil to get something he wanted and someone who was handed a prize.
After the potential employee has showed you that he’s acquainted with the concept of earning, ask him this:
“What would you like to earn if I hire you?”
The answer to this question won’t just give you a taste of a potential employee’s ambitions, it will show you what they expect just for showing up, and what they know they will have to earn.
Hire the young people who expect to earn money for their work, not the young people who expect to get paid for showing up.
Good point, but when they have been handed things their entire lives how can they expect to suddenly change after 23 years of programing. I couldn’t tell you how many people I know complain about the current state of the job market but are not making any effort to get a job. Instead they complain that it is the economy’s fault for not having one waiting for them. On the other side the some who are in their positions not from hard work but from “connections.” I am fully aware that’s the way things are… but unfortunately it doesn’t really motivate these new workers to work any harder because they haven’t had to earn anything yet anyway so the only motivation an employer can offer is $$$.
The example I have provided in many arguments about about this topic is this:
The reason man made it to the moon in the 60s was because they were driven and motivated under their regard for success and not monetary reward. If the Gen Yer’s of today were put forth on this challenge I can’t help but think that their only motivation to be successful would be a chance to be in a Pepsi commercial or worse…a reality TV show.