In the News: Career Scoop

I recently read an interesting article about how teens and 20-somethings relate to careers. Attracting the Twentysomething Worker in Fortune Magazine, talks about the fact that companies today are having to become more flexible and open-minded if they’re going to hold the interest of the newest members of the workforce.

“They’re ambitious, they’re demanding and they question everything, so if there isn’t a good reason for that long comute or late night, don’t expect them to do it. When it comes to loyalty, the companies they work for are last on their list – behind their families, their friends, their communities, their co-workers and, of course, themselves.”

According to the article, companies are struggling to find a way to attract and hold onto recent college grads, especially because as baby boomers (the generation made up by people currently in their 40s and 50s) start to retire, there is going to be a shortage of workers. Without figuring out how to capture the interest of young workers, these companies are going to be left in the lurch.

Ambitious, demanding and questioning everything? Sounds good to me. Why shouldn’t young workers strive to do a lot and have big dreams, demand the best from themselves and their co-workers and question the workstyles and systems set up a long time ago? But the question is, what should the new “rules” for being on the job be? What is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to work ethics?

Some of the things this new generation of workers are doing differently on the job include:

• requesting vacation or time off in the first few months of a job (for past generations of workers, this would be totally unacceptable)
• requesting to work from home a few days a week
• challenging traditional dress codes, including wearing unusual piercings to work
• refusing to pay certain dues, like working 60+ work weeks just to prove their commitment
• thinking nothing of quitting a job if it doesn’t give them immediate rewards and satisfaction
• putting their personal life before their work life

What are your expectations when you start your career someday? How has this been affected by what you’ve seen your parents experience in their careers?