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Very true about the texting... seems anyone 30 and other is glued to their smart phones... just my observation working in a hospital.
I don't have a smart phone and when management asked why... I told them I don't want to be distracted... which is funny because management posted signs all around the Hospital restricting cell phone use to certain areas and only on break... for all the good that does.
If they really wanted to curtail it they could establish a policy that cell phones must remain in your locker during your shift...
I would hire all older people. They aren't glued to Facebook and the Internet and actually work hard. Get off that smartphone and roll those sleeves up if you want to impress the older bosses that don't want to see time being wasted.
I know older people including my own parents who are glued to social media, internet, smart phones and tablets (my father only uses his smartphone though.) Fox Business cited two studies that show teenage millennials stopped signing up for Facebook while 50+ year old boomers signed up in droves. It's not exactly a millennial exclusive activity. I'm sorry that my anecdotal and actual evidence disagree with your narrative.
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Originally Posted by Ultrarunner
Good point... it is something I've never really looked into and an area where I should.
It's not because it don't fit the narrative of the mainstream media. You may find CNBC articles like this one but when you watch HLN who had entrepreneurs on one of their shows. I believe it was called Make It In America and it was directed a to mothers who wanted to be entrepreneurs or mompreneurs as well as indie musicians who went to Kickstarter for funding their cds and music videos. It doesn't fit most narratives but there are good number of millennial entrepreneurs that are under the radar.
"It isn't rocket science, companies need people who will produce and not abuse valuable company time, and older employees are better at doing that than younger ones."
Not exactly. If a job is measured by time alone then results go by the wayside. The era of punching a clock and doing xyz ended long ago. Sometimes results mean you stay late, come in early, on weekends and stay attached to work in using your smart phone. When I see older generations stop looking for work due to drug records, criminal background checks and credit checks it gets worrysome. Yes it does matter if you have a DUI form 1987, are 15,000 in debt and was caught dealing in the 70's.
" I know my job.....I've been in the same business, on and off, for the past 25 years and have learned a few things."
But the problem with that is frankly there is no variance. If I see a business with everyone like that then I'm probably not going to contract with them. You have to have different experiences in todays economy and be able to adjust to modern realities. There's a city councilor in western Mass that doesn't use email. Apparently he has a background in the postal service and refuses to use it. The trouble with that is email is the official communication in the state and therefore he has to use it otherwise there's no records and that triggers a serious investigation. Taxi cabs right now are butting heads with Uber and Lyft but instead of petitioning the government to lower regulations they want to increase regulations on those two. Also remember is that employers generally do not have training programs in the same way the did a generation ago and high levels of experience bank on where it came from. Anyone that was an accountant at enron probably isn't an accountant right now.
"My cell phone is in my pocket and the only time it comes out is to check what time it is. I do not take personal calls at work, nor do I make them. I am being paid to work, not socialize."
that' s all well and good but businesses have to socialize to market themselves. If a business doesn't have a website at this point what exactly are they waiting for? Why are there thousands of people being hired for search engine optimizations and online reputations?
"I never call off. They know they can depend on me to be there when scheduled. I think I have only missed two days in two years, and I was too sick to go in both times."
But that's not exactly an issue these days. From a forensic accounting perspective you actually prefer to have people take time off so that way you can check their work without a bias. I used to work for a company where it got to be a bit of a game. District manager, regional, regional vice president etc. People calling each other up asking what they looked for. It makes more sense to do it unannounced
Add in some racism, some homophobia, sexism etc Some of the most racist and sexist people I've met in my life were easily 45 years old or older.
"I would hire all older people. They aren't glued to Facebook and the Internet and actually work hard. Get off that smartphone and roll those sleeves up if you want to impress the older bosses that don't want to see time being wasted."
Again try marketing without the internet. TV is not going anywhere. Cable is gradually dying off. You have to market with the internet in order to be relevant. If I can't find what your business does online then there's no reason to do business with you. Just because you do something does not specifically mean it is being productive. There's a difference between results and efficiency. I had managed a guy that would refuse to do what we wanted him to do. He'd do things totally not needed that did not contribute to operations to the point where my supervisor BEGGED his to fire him. He was almost yelling at him to do so. Yes he might have done work but the results were horrible. This guy would have been happy to xerox blank photocopies all day! It is no wonder why the company has developed robots to replace much of his work.
You cannot fear technology it is simply a tool that makes things easier, faster and cheaper. At no point have we ever rolled back technology. Sears is not going to make a big comeback in their catalog business.
I remember one day at work a customer was upset after talking to a coworker because she thought she was using her cell phone while at work. It is a COMPANY issued phone/walkie talkie. You have to answer the phones as there is no voice mail so what did she expect. The customer has no idea what a cell phone is let alone what it does.
"There's not a better value in spending thousands of dollars training you when you're going to leave in a year. So from that perspective, there's no difference in hiring you or the 70 year old. With the 70 year old, you don't waste time training them..."
Really? Because I *DID* have to train some around that age. Why? Because these were housewives who last worked in the late 1970's and their husbands did most of the work for the next 30 years. Just because someone is older doesn't mean they have more work experience. There are plenty of people that are nearly 100% dependent on their spouses and/or their kids. You have to invest in training for everyone, it is a cost of doing business. Why invest? Because some other company will and the production value of training is pretty high since it is much easier to make audio/visual and interactive products. We're not staring at a GANTT chart from the 1960's here folks.
I read your lengthy post twice and still aren't sure what the hell you were saying. All I know is that for the past 50 years I have been steadily employed in various careers while a lot of people find it easier to make lengthy excuses why working hard, being dependable , and learning your craft are not the way to get ahead.
The best I can say is it could be industry dependant...
Don't forget the railroad engineer that was texting as the train crashed...
Or the mayor of the city of Oakland that crashed her car and the investigation is centered around cell phone use.
Plenty of my friends work in the valley and the corporate culture there encourages just about all things new in the tech world... this is how they make a buck.
On the other hand... working in a Hospital with everyone walking down the halls texting away is not appropriate... and it is almost NEVER those over 40 and almost ALL under 30.
I find much of technology marketed for the masses to be a distraction....
It kind of funny in that I am Engineering Director and deal with the latest in medical technology daily and there comes a point where one really has to question why...
I keep some old tech around... like still have a few manual crank OR tables and 99% of the time they sit in the corner... it's the 1% of the time they are super stars... never fail... 100% reliable unlike their 40k counterparts... and simple things like being able to take a BP reading without using a $5,000 monitor that will only work as long as you have power...
Many of our older staff recently retired.... these were the ones willing to stay late, come in early, made sure the supplies were set for the next day before leaving home.
The new grads are bright, tech savvy and happy to be here... that said, they are not as committed to schedule changes... surgery is an art... sometimes cases go long... sometimes complications are found... an oldtimer would have never said I need to leave by 5 to pick up my kids... NEVER... they would have a backup plan in place because for better or worse they were dedicated... and maybe this is the crux of the issue... many younger workers are not just that dedicated to "A Job"...
There is work time and non-work time and being flexible is no longer commonly found... at least in my little corner of the medical profession.
Okay, listen up, all you old people. Turn in your key and your ID badge. Put on your coat and get on the bus - the one marked NORTH. When you get there, climb on that ice floe and prepare to sail off into the unknown. You know that you've outlived your usefulness.
Now all you newly-employed young folks, take heed. In another 30 years or so, the bus will be coming for you.
But if it is a financial drain, is that really discrimination?
Life is discrimination... it is just certain types of discrimination are illegal...
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All I know is that for the past 50 years I have been steadily employed in various careers while a lot of people find it easier to make lengthy excuses why working hard, being dependable , and learning your craft are not the way to get ahead.
playing devil's advocate
