Generation Me--Revised and Updated

by Jean M. Twenge

  Drew Lichtenberger, a young manager at Northwestern Mutual, made some changes to their college student internship program a few years ago. Many interns found it difficult to see themselves as financial services providers—it didn’t fit their identities. They were having a hard time transitioning from being college students to professionals. He helped them see that they could bring their individual identity and goals to the job. Lichtenberger asked interns, “What’s your worth? What are your gifts? What do you want to do? You need to be finding that. You need to do that for yourself.” Lichtenberger suggests having more personal conversations with employees. “Get him out of the office, sit down, have coffee with him, and just say, ‘Tell me, how did you decide to become an attorney? How did you make that decision? Tell me about your mom. Tell me about your dad.’ You just get to know them.” When managers protest that this type of conversation isn’t billable, or that they don’t have time for it, Lichtenberger has a simple answer: “The companies that will be more successful are the ones that would do that.”

  The online shoe retailer Zappos has found a unique solution to helping their employees find personal meaning. Every year, they publish a book with their employees’ thoughts about the company. Their office space also follows a GenMe principle: everyone’s is the same, with no enclosed offices even for the senior executives. It’s the idea that “everyone is special, so no one is special,” that equality extends beyond race and gender to employee status as well.

  GenMe grew up in an era of praise and grade inflation, which resulted in their highly positive self-views. They expect that praise to continue after they enter the workforce. In the 2012 MTV poll, 80% of GenMe’ers said they thought they deserved to be recognized more for their work, and 92% said their company was lucky to have them as an employee. And 76% of GenMe said they thought their boss could learn a lot from them, compared to only 50% of Boomers—despite Boomers’ 30 additional years of work experience. Drawing from a one-time study of Canadian workers, Sean Lyons and his colleagues concluded, “Millennials appear to be seeking recognition, status, and autonomy in their work, and are less satisfied than other generations with their progress in meeting these goals thus far in their careers.”

  Helping GenMe workers feel valued is a three-step process. First, tell them why what they are doing is important. A common label for this group is Generation Y, but some say it should instead be spelled Generation Why? This generation wants to know the meaning behind what they are doing—not the philosophical, abstract meaning important to the Boomers, but what it means overall. If the task is important, then they will feel important doing it. For GenMe, there is no better motivator. If possible, tie the job or skill to their eventual career goals. If you can tell them how what they are doing will help them succeed in the future, they will listen.

  I once presented my GenMe research to a group of officers in the US Coast Guard. After the talk, one young officer stood up and said, “I want the senior officers to hear the part about explaining why. I really want to know why I’m doing something. It’s not because I’m whining—it’s because it really motivates me.” One of the senior officers commented, “Well, you know, this is the military. Sometimes we’re going to say we need boats in the water, and we won’t be able to tell you why.” “I know,” said the junior officer. “But most of the time, you can.” And that’s the good news: in most businesses, you do have at least a little time to let employees know why what they are doing is important—or at least its larger goal.

  One way to meet this goal is to put GenMe’s skills to good use. GenMe does not remember a time when computers did not exist. They are digital natives—the rest of us just immigrated to this interconnected world. It makes sense to use their technological skills as much as possible. Their impatience might just help them find a faster way to do something.

  Second, give praise when it’s earned. Many Boomers say that when they were young workers, not getting yelled at was the only praise they received. If they weren’t criticized, they knew they were doing a good job. Now young workers want feedback (including praise) for everything—and they want it now. This may sound like entitlement, but it can actually be a good thing for everyone. Why wait to tell Jared he did a good job on his presentation? And why wait to tell him how he can improve it?

  In a video parodying generational workplace training seminars, a dim-witted GenMe employee admits he searched Google instead of relying on the company’s specially commissioned market research. When his manager criticizes him, he says, “I quit. This job isn’t what I thought it would be.” Tongue in cheek, the narrator suggests instead that the manager should offer “overflowing amounts of praise,” then shows her saying, “You’re so smart,” as she pats him on the head like a dog. Satire, yes, but in 2007 the Wall Street Journal noted that many companies were hiring “celebrations assistants” and “praise consultants” to hand out certificates and even throw confetti.

  That’s probably going too far. But the idea that no feedback is praise is also not a great system. The best place is somewhere in the middle: praise for work well done, as soon as possible, but with the same principle for criticism. One idea is the “praise sandwich,” beginning with praise, mentioning places for improvement, and ending with praise. That works as long as the criticism is actually getting through. If not, no more sandwich, just meat. Another tip is to use and instead of but. Don’t say, “You worked hard on this, but . . . ,” as that cancels out the praise in the first part of the sentence. Instead, say, “You worked hard on this, and it would be even better if next time . . .”

  Third and last, give feedback more frequently than the classic model of an annual review. To GenMe’ers, a year might as well be a century. If they don’t like the job, they will have left before then. As formal reviews take up a lot of managers’ time, the solution is probably not more frequent formal reviews. But informal feedback frequently is both expected and appreciated by GenMe. In universities, this has taken the form of four or more tests a semester rather than the traditional midterm and final. It means more grading, but students do better because they realize more quickly what they know and don’t know—also a useful correction to their overconfidence.

  If you’re GenMe yourself, you might wonder how to get your boss or coworkers to give you more frequent feedback or explain more about what you’re doing. The key is how you frame it. Tell them you want to know the why or want faster feedback because it will help you do a better job. Don’t sound as if you’re just fishing for praise or whining about “why, why, why” you have to do something. Let people know it will increase your motivation and drive, and they’ll be more likely to provide the feedback you crave.

  MONEY AND STATUS

  “Millennials: All We Want for Christmas Is . . . Cash,” read the FOX Business headline, reporting on a 2013 poll finding that 94% of 13-to-30-year-olds wanted cash instead of gifts. Further down the page was a link to another story: “Matt Damon’s Miami Estate Is Just as Luxurious as You’d Expect.” GenMe lives between a rock and a hard place: still searching for well-paying jobs in the wake of the recession, but with TV and websites portraying extreme wealth glittering just out of reach.

  In the over-time survey, 58% of high school seniors in 2012 said it was “very important” to have a job where they could “earn a good deal of money,” up from 47% in 1976. And recall that the importance of “being very well-off financially” reached an all-time high among college students in 2013, at 82%. In the study of Canadian 25-year-olds, the 1996 high school graduates were more likely than the 1985 graduates to value jobs that paid well and had a good chance for promotion. As you saw in chapter 4, some of this is practical: with high housing prices and staggering college debt, GenMe needs more just to stay afloat. Yet the wording of these questions—“a good deal of money,” “very well-off”—also suggests a yearning for the trappings of wealth.

  Given that fewer in GenMe say they are willing to work hard, these longings for higher earnings may
also be overconfident. In one study, Tim Kasser and I found that the gap between materialism and work ethic grew larger as the generations transitioned to GenMe. More in GenMe (versus Boomers) were interested in owning expensive material goods such as a vacation home and a new car every two to three years, but fewer said they were willing to work hard. “Our generation wants the job that will make us the most money where we will have to do the least amount of work and have the most time off,” explains Chris, 18. Such jobs are exceedingly rare. Most people who earn high salaries put in long hours. Unfortunately, that’s not how young people see it, perhaps because they were raised on media portraying overnight success and instant fame.

  Some have speculated that GenMe will earn their money by becoming a generation of entrepreneurs. This seems to fit the GenMe personality—do your own thing, be your own boss. Most will not at first realize how much hard work goes into founding a business, but perhaps they will learn along the way. However, it’s not clear that GenMe actually is any more interested in entrepreneurship. In the over-time survey of entering college students, 41% said it was important to “become successful in a business of my own” in 2013, compared to 43% of Boomers in the 1960s. It’s possible that the 2013 prospective entrepreneurs weren’t in college, underestimating the number with this interest, but that’s just as likely to have been true in the 1960s as well. Whether GenMe will go on to found more independent businesses than previous generations remains to be seen.

  If you’re a manager, you know that compensation is always a sensitive issue. You can only do so much to increase your employees’ salaries. Just realize that with this generation’s penchant for job-hopping, today’s competition for talent is fierce. If an employee can get a better-paying job elsewhere, he’s probably going to take it. If you can’t offer more money, perhaps you can offer more time off or more flexible hours, two benefits important to this generation.

  If you’re GenMe yourself and want to get paid more, realize two things. First, your manager would rather you not quit—then she has to spend time and money training a new employee. On the other hand, she’s not going to respond well to constant requests for raises. If you’re considering leaving over pay issues, let her know that and lay out clear evidence of what you do for the company—but you only get once or twice for that gambit. After that, leaving might be the only way to significantly increase your salary. Then consider things other than money: Will this other job be worth making a little more? Research consistently finds that workers who are intrinsically motivated—say, by enjoying their work—are happier than those motivated by outside forces such as compensation.

  HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND IMPATIENCE

  “Where do you see yourself in five years?” the manager asks the young man interviewing for an entry-level position. “I’d like to be the CEO of the company,” he replies. This is an extreme example, of course, but unheard of just a generation ago. A drawing accompanying the MTV survey on GenMe at work shows a “trapdoor” allowing employees to skip four levels while climbing the corporate ladder to CEO. The book Grindhopping, written by GenMe’er Laura Vanderkam, is subtitled Build a Rewarding Career without Paying Your Dues. Whether such trapdoors and grindhops actually exist for all but a minuscule few is another question.

  Many managers find the overconfidence and impatience of GenMe breathtaking. They complain that young workers don’t want to pay their dues, have unrealistic expectations for how quickly they will be promoted, and believe they will be the ones to break the curve. In one study, 40% of GenMe’ers believed they should be promoted every two years, no matter what their performance. In a recent survey of 23,000 Canadian university students, 69% expected to be promoted within the first 18 months in their first job. “People tell me I need to be more patient, that I will get rewarded in time,” says Larissa Kravanja, a 25-year-old Merrill Lynch employee interviewed in The Trophy Kids Grow Up. “But at times, it’s hard to be patient for the bigger reinforcement payoffs like bonuses and promotions.” In the MTV survey, 75% of GenMe’ers believed they would be promoted faster than others. As you might remember from chapter 3, 68% of GenMe high school students expect to have a professional job by age 30—even though only about 20% actually will.

  Overall, GenMe’ers have high expectations around jobs—true to their “never compromise” mind-set, they’re looking for the job that has it all: fulfillment, flexibility, high pay, and everything else they want. “A lot of my friends are looking for the ‘perfect job’ and refuse to settle,” says Scott, 29. “I think our generation all expects to be able to work in the corner office straightaway, just because that’s what they see their parents doing,” observes Emma, 16. In the MTV survey, 90% of GenMe’ers said they felt they deserved their dream job.

  This dream job is often high in prestige and power. More than previous generations at the same age, GenMe longs for recognition and authority. In the over-time survey of high school students, 46% of GenMe in 2012 valued a job “that most people look up to and respect,” compared to only 34% of 1976 students. Twenty-seven percent of those in 2012 thought it was important to have a job that “has high status and prestige,” up from 20% in 1976. In 2007 among entering college students, 42% said it was important to one day have “administrative responsibility for the work of others”—in other words, be the boss—compared to only 26% of Boomers in the 1960s. In a 2012 survey, college career counselors believed that “opportunities for advancement” was second only to “flexible schedules” on GenMe’s list of desired job attributes. But maybe not: High school students in 1976 and 2012 rated the importance of a job “with a good chance for advancement and promotion” about the same. Overall, though, the generational shift is toward a desire for more prestige, and more status. “I feel as though I am somebody and I should be able to take a high-end job such as lawyer/judge or even the CEO of a large business,” says Kristin, 18.

  In an over-time analysis of career preferences by Shawn Bubany and Jo-Ida Hansen, US college students in the 2000s (compared to those in the 1970s) were more attracted to “enterprising” careers—those that involve power and influencing others, such as manager, judge, or school principal. The change was particularly large for college women.

  Many companies want to hire ambitious young employees—and they should. But managers also don’t want to be stuck with employees who are overconfident and entitled. It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish the two, especially in a brief job interview. Management professor Paul Harvey suggests asking job candidates, “Do you feel you are generally superior to your coworkers/classmates, and if so, why?” If the candidate says yes but struggles to explain why—or offers vague reasons—that might indicate entitlement.

  In the spoof Millennials training video, a young worker does “what was asked of her—nothing more, nothing less. She expects a raise and a promotion,” explains the narrator. The young woman hands her report to the manager and waits. “Thanks . . . ,” says the manager, and pauses, remembering her “training.” She then finishes, “Thanks, junior executive manager of data consulting!” The young employee smiles excitedly. “Is that better than assistant manager of junior accounts? Thank you! I’m going to go call my parents!”

  Silly, yes, but a good idea is embedded here. Instead of having promotions and title changes every three to five years, some companies now add more levels that can be achieved in six months to a year. For a generation raised on “everyone gets a trophy” and instant gratification, more promotions at a faster pace is attractive. If the promotions are given for outstanding performance, not just showing up, having more steps on the ladder has no real downside, so it’s a win-win.

  Even in a company with faster promotions, however, it’s unlikely that the new hire will be CEO in five years—and he or she needs to know that. Sometimes it’s helpful for a young employee with a few years of experience to explain the usual career paths to new hires. Aiming high is good, but they also need to know that they will not start at the top.

  For G
enMe: I am not suggesting you become less ambitious, just more clear-eyed. Keep thinking about how to do things better, and keeping thinking about how you can get ahead. Just don’t expect it to happen overnight. Tim Urban, whose piece on “Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy” went viral online, gives this advice: “Stop thinking you’re special. The fact is, right now, you’re not special. You’re another completely inexperienced young person who doesn’t have all that much to offer yet. You can become special by working really hard for a long time.” I’d go a little less extreme—you can make a contribution in your job right now, and you can keep working toward your goals. But Urban is right that building a career takes time. For all but the lucky few, it does not happen overnight. And that’s okay—especially if you like what you do, getting there can be the fun part.

  AND THE UNKNOWN: TEAMWORK

  When I give talks on generations at work, people often ask me about GenMe’ers attitude toward teamwork: “Aren’t they better at working in teams because they did that in school?”

  I went looking for data on teamwork—I wanted to know whether this generation truly did more group projects in school, and whether they wanted to work in teams more. I found virtually nothing. One of the few studies that looked at teamwork was a one-time study of adult employees that compared Boomers to those born in the 1970s and early 1980s (GenX and the first wave of GenMe). They found that GenX/GenMe was more likely to agree with statements such as “in the long run, the only person you can count on is yourself” and “if you want something done right, you have got to do it yourself.” Thus, if anything, GenX/GenMe was less interested in teamwork. The authors concluded that the workplace needs new models around teamwork that emphasize the contribution of the individual—pretty consistent with the other findings on GenMe.