What Young Workers Really Want

Here is a clip from a post by David Batstone at Right Reality Blog:

"Managers frequently vent to me their frustration with a new generation entering the workforce. A hospital director in the Midwest put it this way: "I give my young workers instructions how to complete a task, and they have no qualms telling me that they don't want to do it that way."

The 20-something worker indeed has a unique approach to authority. They do not as a rule show disdain, or even rebellion, but tend to elevate their own opinion to an equal plane with a boss or supervisor. In that regard, they are accustomed to having a voice that counts. Titles and hierarchy mean much less to them than it did for earlier generations.

The threat of losing their job is not quite as daunting to this generation, either. They have grown up in an affluent era, so perhaps they take financial security for granted. Yet it is also the case that they are not willing to sacrifice their lifestyle and personal identity for a paycheck. For that reason, managers who are using the old carrot-and-stick approach with this crowd do not find much success.

Above all, younger workers are less likely to channel their passions into a job. They are apt to see work as a means to an end. The work week gets them to the weekend, and that's when the fun begins. They are wise to the transitional economy. They know that employers will not show them loyalty over the long-term - they have watched their parents pass through an uncertain career. So they see the job as a short-term contract that can be renewed, by both parties, as long as both parties are satisfied. This generation serves as its own free agent."

Sound familiar? It does to me. What do you think?