So much has been written about the millennial generation, particularly when it comes to the workforce. Millennials are roughly those born in the early 1980s to early 2000s, although that number varies depending on what chart you consult. Millennials, who make up a hearty one third of the workforce, have gotten a reputation for being many things, from lazy and impatient, to entitled and addicted to technology. And themselves. But isn’t every generation just a product of their times? Wouldn’t today’s baby boomers be the same way if they grew up in the same world (and with the same technology) as the millennials?As a millennial myself, I know that life is substantially different now than when my parents were my age. I can only guess how it will be different for my six year old daughter when she is my age. This is particularly true when it comes to technology and how it has transformed the way we work. Today, workers have the option of working from home, working from their mobile phones and so on. While I know there’s a good handful of millennials out there who may indeed be lazy, impatient, entitled, and narcissistic, let’s not let those few ruin it for all. This is true anytime you put one label on a large group of people. I believe one of the reasons that millennials are being perceived as impatient and entitled is because they change jobs every few years, rather than showing “loyalty” to one employer. Do these people realize that millennials are entering a workforce in which company retirement pensions do not exist? It’s pretty hard to make the argument for the loyalty when you think of it that way. Loyalty should run both ways. If you want to see millennials from a different perspective, just take a look at some of the challenges that they face: - While they are the most educated generation (and therefore burdened with student loan debt), millennials are poised to be worse off financially than previous generations.
- Millennials are more likely than any other generation to have to move back in with their parents for economic reasons.
- It’s widely believed that millennials may not get to take advantage of the current programs that they pay into and support, such as social security.