Young Adults In The Work Place

Curious, those of you working in environments employing those getting started on their career paths (20s), how do you find their work ethic?

Very hard to generalize, but based on my experience, they seem to have quite a different perspective than us old guys.


On average they tend to be less willing to make personal sacrifices for the job, tend to want more detailed prescriptive directions, and tend to be less focussed on the work.



For example they all seem to believe that extensive texting and/or internet chatting at work is not only acceptable but expected. While those technologies were not around when I started out, the equivalent would have been spending a couple hours a day chatting to my friends on the phone. Not only not accepted, but I wouldn’t have even considered it.

Service seems to be lacking and being dependable.

I'll come out and say it, in general the work ethic SUCKS! They've been coddled, were never subjected to disciplinary measures for bad behavior (nun with a ruler worked for me). In the Midwest where a more conservative model is followed, the economy is growing (Minneapolis/St. Paul is an example). We've started referring to them as the entitled generation where I work. There are exceptions, but not many.

horribly work ethic. late, texting and in general not giving a shit about the job!!

My kids are in their 20's and they bust their ass.
My daughter is a single mom and she got up at 4:30 AM to take the little one to day care then she went to clinicals. Was the top in her class etc.

My boys are the same way.

I'd say most of their friends are like that too. So not all of that generation is lost.

horribly work ethic. late, texting and in general not giving a shit about the job!! Originally Posted by soxfan

LMAO, now I know what's wrong with me. . . I'm too damned young!

Seriously, to the OP and the question at hand. I've noticed the opposite with some of the young management types I work with. They really don't have a life outside of work and sports, every bump is an emergency necessitating endless conference calls and "teams", their fear of not meeting a target date is palpable (not a good thing if a buyer can sense it). They have no patience, nor "feel" for taking the human factor into account, preferring programs and spreadsheets to dictate every move.

So, considering this and the other responses, I'd say on average, the new crop is average, every generation has had its slackers, its workaholics and we lucky few who can be the former but convince others we're the later!

. I've noticed the opposite with some of the young management types I work with. Originally Posted by Iaintliein

Most of the ones that I work with also seem to be the "high achievers" & at least within that set there seems to be a high work ethic and a "get the job done" mentality.

Their does seem to be a lot more time spent on things like "career planning," "mentoring" and "development" vs. an understanding of if you performed well when the time was right you'd get a tap on the shoulder & be promoted.

Since '08 there is still a push to get promoted faster, etc. but not the same open threats to leave for greener pastures.

For example they all seem to believe that extensive texting and/or internet chatting at work is not only acceptable but expected. . Originally Posted by EJunkie

There does seem to be an increasing integration between work time and personal time to include personal texting, surfing the net and running errands (like picking up drycleaning or even a hair appointment)

I attribute this to the changed expectations around their time and accessibly. As I wrote in a recent technology thread, employees are "on call" well into the evening via there Blackberrys, etc.

I'll also throw out a taboo subject that also pissed me off when I was a (childless) pup: mention anything to do with "kids" (teacher conference, day care problem, sick kid, doctor appointment for kid, honor roll lunch)) and the employee could leave with out any consequence. I longed for a sense of "fairness" but wasn't brazen enough to act on it due to corporate norms. I don't know if that sense of fairness drives it, although I've heard annecdotally it does.

They have no patience, nor "feel" for taking the human factor into account, preferring programs and spreadsheets to dictate every move.

That's why you get paid the big bucks and office....to have the feel for the human factor. I don't think that has ever changed, just the analytical tools & access to data these days are just so much stronger than they were.

In europe people usually get started in their career path at about 15 years old. 20 seems a bit old :-)....Some of them are then already finished with their path :-) and have own companies :-)

As an aside I think this (lack of work ethic) has been said about every new generation* to enter the workforce since longer than I can remember, I bet if some of the old fellas stretched their memories, they'd remember the same being said about their generation.

*really this gets said every couple of years anytime some new fad (like texting) emerges

As an aside I think this (lack of work ethic) has been said about every new generation* to enter the workforce since longer than I can remember, I bet if some of the old fellas stretched their memories, they'd remember the same being said about their generation.

*really this gets said every couple of years anytime some new fad (like texting) emerges Originally Posted by atlcomedy

Perhaps, but I know there has been a shift.


My comments are focussed on the OP time frame of those starting their careers; so I’m referencing summer students, co-ops and new hires in probation. My experience is in an environment where all of the people in these groups are in programs leading to or have MBAs, Engineering degrees, or IT degrees.


The most noticeable shift is that 20 years ago we would meet to try to identify the 10 – 20% of the group that showed no initiative. In my company we look for people who can take a relatively well defined outcome and a relatively less defined process and figure it out.



We now meet to find the 10% or so of the group that shows that kind of initiative.

In europe people usually get started in their career path at about 15 years old. 20 seems a bit old :-)....Some of them are then already finished with their path :-) and have own companies :-) Originally Posted by ninasastri

My European counterparts are lazy and arrogant. In at 9, out by 5. They simply will not work past 5. Conference call? It will be during European working hours - Asia and US be damned. They hate the Americans but any progress is made by the US. The EU is simply the gatekeepers of the process. BTW, we have to work 10 years at my company before you get 4 weeks vacation, in EU they get 4 weeks right off the bat.

To answer the original post, it depends on the job and the employee.

Today's young people seem to believe the lies of Disney, the Kardashians, the Democratic party and Nike. They are identifiable by their tattoos. If you graduated in the upper part of your class or have a special talent you'll likely do OK. But there aren't many factory jobs paying $40 an hour anymore. Nor can you make 80K a year dealing blackjack in Vegas. If you were 22 working a miminum wage job and knowing the 8% in FICA taxes your paying you'd never get back how would your work ethic be?

Now get off my lawn.

My kids are in their 20's and they bust their ass.
My daughter is a single mom and she got up at 4:30 AM to take the little one to day care then she went to clinicals. Was the top in her class etc.

My boys are the same way.

I'd say most of their friends are like that too. So not all of that generation is lost. Originally Posted by Marcus Aurelius

That is the same people i know. My stepbrother went to evening school to be able to study next to a very demanding job and after he finisehd school he studied next to the same very demanding job. Now he is in the middle management of some of the best computer companies of austria doing business with foreigners. He started that with 18 and is at his peek now with 34 (he is my stepbrother so its possible we are the same age).

My sister made learned a profession when she was 15, now has worked herself into a great position where she gets a lot more money because of her work experience and her skills she learned during her job, and she does another job at the side to save up some money (and no - she is not escorting - she knows what i do, but she would never ever do that job herself - besides i would not want her to and never let her)

Same to me. I left home when i was 15 and ever since i have busted my ass working several jobs at the same time and studying. I would have never ever worked as escort only, i hate being dependent on that sort of income. Ok i was not as quick with university like my stepbrother but eventually i got it done too, besides psychology is something different than computer science. So - the spoiled brat syndrom is nothing i know.

My European counterparts are lazy and arrogant. In at 9, out by 5. They simply will not work past 5. Conference call? It will be during European working hours - Asia and US be damned. They hate the Americans but any progress is made by the US. The EU is simply the gatekeepers of the process. BTW, we have to work 10 years at my company before you get 4 weeks vacation, in EU they get 4 weeks right off the bat.

. Originally Posted by gnadfly

Seems to be a gross generalization. But yes if we compare american work ethics and european work ethics generally speaking, you might be right. Americans live for their jobs (again generalizing) and europeans work for their living. I - for one - prefer american work ethics, but that is because i love it here and i love my job. Also, you have to see that people in europe generally get paid less for the same jobs like americans, but we have more social benefits. So the motivation to stay past 5 is something not supported because you simply don`t get paid. The amount of taxes yo have to pay for a little more hours don`t justify it. We have very stupid and restrictive contracts here (at least in austria and germany). Swiss are probably exceptions, but then again , you earn by far more in switzerland then anywhere else. But you are right: Americans have to work harder than people in europe to have the same living standard. Good example is one of my exes: He is an attorney in Austria and said he would never ever move to the NYC because to have the same living standard he has in Vienna he would have to work more than twice as much and he is plain and simply not interested in that. (And i have dated two attorneys - one in Manhattan and one in Vienna - who coincidentally work in similar legal fields, so i have good comparative measurements)

May i ask which countries you are referring to? Oh Italy? Spain? You forgot "siesta" (hehehehehehe) and la dolce vita.

Besides - in at 9 and out at 5 is normal. We have regulations. It depends on the contract on how long you are allowed to work and how much overtime the company pays. Or how the contract is with overtime included. If overtime is included you are not allowed to work more than 10 hours a day. If you do , the company gets fined.

So what you are talking about is not "lazy" , it`s savings on part of the company. Its called "all inclusive contract". They are legal, but the drawback is that people are not allowed to work more than 10 hours a day. Bummer. People would gladly work more if they get paid for on an hourly base. The guys you are talking about are certainly not the CEO`s or the managers of said companies , but just regular employees, right? I used to work like that. Sometimes i would be working later (illegally) and write the time off on other days, but since now everything is electronized (swipe badge when coming in and out) you can`t do that anymore. So it`s mandatory you leave at 5.

Service seems to be lacking and being dependable. Originally Posted by shorty

are you talking about 20 year old providers ?