Generation Y also referred to as Millennials are born between the 1980s and 2002. They’re generally characterized by increased use of digital technologies, media, and communication. They can also be classified according to their social and economic status.
Pros:
1. Technically creative: Millennials are more focused on new world-view and they’re inventing new things into the world. They are very proactive.
2. Tech-savvy: Almost 80% of generation y members are tech-savvy who rely on social media to leverage opportunities. These youngsters are very enthusiastic and full of energy in the workplace.
3. Innovative: These are more determined in making the world a better place by correcting the wrongs of the past. They try to make it right by coming up with several innovative ideas.
4. Open-minded: Millennials are described as more open-minded and supportive of equal rights of people including gay rights.
5. Catch on to new ideas quickly: They are very quick on catching up with new changes and can easily adapt to rapid technological changes.
6. Promote cultural competence: Gen Y is believed to have the ability to drive the company’s culture. They can easily build culturally competent teams through their diversity skills.
7. Generous generation: They’re exceptionally generous and they hold the key to making the world a better place. They have shown a lot of willingness to vote in presidential elections compared to the previous generation.
8. Increased flexibility: Gen Y workers are very flexible and score highly in workplace flexibility. This is great for companies that have flexible working hours instead of a 9 to 5 schedule.
9. Support sports: Millennials support sports activities than generation X. they participate more in physical sports activities than gen X.
10. Confidence: Compared to Gen X, millennials are described as confident, and self-expressive. They are open to new ideas and knowledge.
Cons:
1. Long-term commitment: Gen Y tends to struggle with long-term commitment and can rarely focus on one clear goal. They tend to have unrealistic expectations of work-life.
2. Trust: Millennials are not easily trusted. Generation x tends to be given 70% votes on management and is believed to be the strongest manager whereas Gen Y only gets 5% of the votes.
3. Teamwork score: Generation Y members score the lowest as team players and in productivity at the workplace according to research and findings listed in the NBC News article. They need frequent supervision to succeed.
4. Lack of experience: Millennial managers do not have adequate experience in the workplace and companies need to invest more in developing positive management qualities among those managers.
5. Inpatient: They expect to have quick and easy results from whatever task they set themselves to do. Their very impatient and this makes them unable to cope with reality.
6. Self-obsessed: Millennials are self-centered than any other generation and view themselves as more important and attractive than others.
7. Not rich: Gen Y finds it difficult to emulate the older generation’s financial success and is taking too long to get rich and wealthy.
8. Lazy: Gen Y is labeled as lazy, narcissistic, and tends to move from one job to another with minimal accomplishments. They have the traits of narcissism and a sense of entitlement.
9. Politically disengaged: Millennials are more focused on material values rather than on politics. They’re more concerned about getting more money, fame, and other extrinsic factors like a position in society, rather than intrinsic values.
10. Unpredictable: Their career paths are always unpredictable and dynamic. They are not satisfied with working for a long period in the same place.
