Jennifer Blanchard

A Generation Y Perspective

Workplace Predictions for When Gen Y Takes Over

While doing research this afternoon, I came across a May 10, 2009, article by Penelope Trunk (the Brazen Careerist) called “When Generation Y Takes Over.” Trunk discusses three trends she predicts forthe workplace when Generation Y is running the show:

1. Middle managers will work longer hours—Trunk says Gen Y will parent less and spend more time at work. She believes Gen Yers will think it’s OK to work instead of attend their kids’ school plays or to work through dinner on occasion.
2. Entry-level employees will avoid technological complexity—Trunk thinks the generation after Gen Y will be more simplistic and this will translate into technology being simpler, as well.
3. People will assume employers are looking out for the interests of employees—She says in the future there will be an extreme demand for quality talent, so employers will cater to employees in order to retain and hire the best of the best.

Read the rest of Trunk’s thoughts in her article.

Although she makes some good points, I can’t say I fully agree with her.

Instead of rebutting her opinion, however, I thought I’d make my own predictions for what the workplace will be like when Generation Y takes over. Here’s what I see for the future:

• Work will be something you do, not somewhere you go—Most companies in the future will not have brick-and-mortar locations. Employees will work remotely from home or from a coffee shop/the beach/their bathtubs/another state/country…you get the idea.
  
  
• Emphasis will be placed on quality of work, not on hours spent behind a desk—Generation Yers hate being judged based on time. So in the future, the workplace will be run by people who believe that the quality of your work is a lot more important than how long you were at your desk. It will be a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) all the way.
  
  
• Work-life balance will be a reality—Employees in the future will finally be able to enjoy their careers without their lives getting in the way and finally be able to enjoy their lives without their careers getting in the way.
  
  
• Employers will actually be looking out for interests of employees—Generation Y is a caring generation. And in the future workplace, this generation will care about employees. They will reward them for a job well done, they will bend over backwards to retain good talent and they will offer competitive benefits packages to hire the best of the best.
  
  
• Available technology will be used to its full advantage—Instead of shying away from technology like many companies do currently, when Gen Y takes over, technology will be embraced. There will be more video/online conferencing, more e-mail and instant messaging in place of pointless meetings, more phone/Internet usage, etc.
  
  
• Everything will be greener—There will be more recycling in the workplace, brick-and-mortar locations will be few and far between, technology will replace the need for people to drive to work, etc.
  
  
• More companies will offer volunteer opportunities—Gen Yers love to give back to their communities. So when they take over the workplace, this love will translate to more company-sponsored volunteer opportunities.
  
  
• Employees will be paid and promoted based on the value they bring, not on seniority—For most companies currently, you have to put in your time to reap the benefits of a higher position or a raise. In the future, employees will earn an income based on their experiences, skill sets and what they add to a company.
  
  
• There will be a lot more self-employed people—Generation Y is an entrepreneurial-minded generation. So it won’t be a surprise in the future when many people are working for themselves instead of for large corporations.
  
  
• Companies will offer more educational opportunities—Generation Yers are life-long learners. That will translate into more educational opportunities within the workplace in the future, such as more training or more educational assistance.  Companies may even cover an employee’s entire cost of attending graduate school.
  
  
• Companies will have a much more positive outlook on everything from the economy to retaining employees—Gen Yers, for the most part, tend to have a positive outlook on life. This will translate to the way companies think about and do business in the future.
  
  
• Retirement will be a thing of the past—Since employees of the future will no longer be working like they are now, they will most likely never want to retire, because they will love what they’re doing and because they have so much freedom and flexibility.
  
  
• Employees will finally be treated like the adults that they are—Today, it’s commonly believed that your employer owns your time. Having employers measuring time and keeping tabs causes employees to feel like children. In the future, that will not be the case. Generation Y hates being treated like kids, and this dislike will translate to the workplace. Employees will finally have a say-so in when they work, how they work and where they work, allowing them to be the adults that they are.
  
  
• Employees will have jobs they love and are passionate about—Although many employees have this currently, in the future, more people will be doing what they love because Generation Y is so passionate and so focused on having a job that fulfills them. This will, in turn, translate to lower turnover rates, higher productivity and employees being more engaged in their work.

I don’t know about you, but I’m very much looking forward to this new workplace.

 

 

The information contained in this document is for general, informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. This information is not a substitute for the guidance of a professional and should not be relied upon in reference to any specific situation without first seeking the advice of a qualified HR professional and/or legal counsel regarding applicable federal, state or local laws. HRTools, Insperity and their respective employees make no warranties, express or implied, and make no judgments regarding the accuracy of this content and/or its applicability to a specific situation. A reference or link to another website is not an endorsement of that site or service.