Business

New recruits in the labor force are those born in the late 1970s to the year 2000.  They are also known as the Generation Y.  They are characteristically bright and cheerful with a very positive attitude and outlook in life, thanks to their upbringing by Baby Boomer parents.

The Millennials were reared with love, attention and openness by parents who were also like best buddies to them.  In  this environment they grew up to be comfortable in a workplace setting that is diverse and team-based.  They recognize and appreciate differences of each one.  They build on strengths and help improve weaknesses.  They choose to work with friends or make friends among their co-workers.  As they are more inclined to working with a team, they avoid or weed out discord.

According to Ray Williams (2009), there are 50 million GenXers, 85 million Baby Boomers and 76 million GenYers in America today.  He said, that GenXers have been in and out of the workplace to accommodate kids and outside interests while Baby Boomers juggled out between job and family.  The Millenials, on the other hand, dictate the kind of workplace they want to be in.  They are equipped with the talent, skills and confidence to negotiate their way into the exact job they want which is less complicated, less demanding of their time, with room for both professional and personal growth, and one which is not in conflict with their values.  Other Millenials become entrepreneurs.  Their one big difference from the previous generations is the balance in work life and life away from work that they seek and are able to achieve.  Similarly, Millenials will not stick to a job with no promise of further growth and therefore long-term employment may not necessarily be for them unlike for their predecessors.

The Millenials are not pushovers and neither are they the kind who would accept the losing end of the bargain.  They work hard for as long as they are challenged, as they hate boredom like nothing.  Multi-tasking suits them fine because they are challenged by the variety of tasks that they set to finish.  They welcome feedback constantly.  They have respect for their older and senior co-workers hoping to learn from their experience but they expect their ideas to be also solicited and considered.  They are adaptive to change and go for continuous learning and acquiring new knowledge.

There are various challenges and opportunities that confront the Millennials in this age.  Technology allows them certain flexibility in the workplace.  Telecommuting gives them the capability of working anywhere while staying connected to the rest of the people on the job. A virtual office is also possible at this age when email, instant and text messages as well as the internet help people to reach others at the press of a key.  Computers have shrunk the world and video conferences let partners around the world meet at a moments notice.  We have been led to a rapidly changing world of global business, international relations and e-commerce, at the speed of thought.  The Millennials are up to the challenge because of the enormous advances of electronic technology including PDAs and iPods.  With these electronic assistants, the Millennials are able to manage their schedules and leave time for rest and recreation, thus a more balanced life.  In between work and off hours, they are able to squeeze in sports, time with friends and community or church activities.

I consider myself a 50-50 millennial.  I belong to this age of computer wizardry and admittedly modern gadgets make working easy.  I also find working in a team both a challenge and a fulfilling exercise.  The only think that does not make me a full fledge millennial is that I am still working to balance out my life with the activities that I have.