Company cultures are changing

[Serious Conversation]

This case is an extreme outlier. I'm sure you could go back in time to where it was more appropriate to accost women, discriminate against racial minorities, and drink on the job as signs of a great era.

[reneeh63]

Originally Posted by High Altitude

Unearned, no, times/culture is changing. Smart companies adapt, take advantage of the situation and use it to their benefit.

Only if the worker is getting their work done - either by putting in their full hours or being EXTRAORDINARILY efficient. Face time and then taking long lunches won't cut it for long unless no one is looking...and if that's the case the company will be going downhill due to lack of productivity and paying too many high salaries and benefits with no work getting done.

[High Altitude]

Originally Posted by reneeh63

Only if the worker is getting their work done - either by putting in their full hours or being EXTRAORDINARILY efficient. Face time and then taking long lunches won't cut it for long unless no one is looking...and if that's the case the company will be going downhill due to lack of productivity and paying too many high salaries and benefits with no work getting done.

Of course you have to get your work done. No one is talking about accomplishing less.

Being at work a strict time period does not equal getting your work done for a lot of jobs.

[tnff]

Originally Posted by High Altitude

Unearned, no, times/culture is changing. Smart companies adapt, take advantage of the situation and use it to their benefit.

Mostly it's the boomer generation complaining, as usual, that it's not all about them. X & Y were too small and too soon to be a threat to boomer self indulgence, but millennials are a large enough group, and are coming at the right time to do so.

[cupper3]

Originally Posted by tnff

Mostly it's the boomer generation complaining, as usual, that it's not all about them. X & Y were too small and too soon to be a threat to boomer self indulgence, but millennials are a large enough group, and are coming at the right time to do so.

Those millennials that want what they think they are entitled to better start their own business.

There are plenty of boomers, X,Y and millennials who will take the 'entitled' group's place in a heart beat, and will do well at it. I will not hire anyone who thinks they are entitled to anything other than being paid a fair wage for a fair job done. (plus regular benefits of course)

If they do better than a fair job, they will be rewarded. Do worse? You have a chance to improve, but if the improvement is not occurring, you need to find a different place to fulfill your entitlement. That includes being at work during work yours, and doing work. Leave your cell in your car. At work it will get taken away, and they know that before they sign on. It's part of the employment agreement. Facebook/Twitter etc. are blocked from company computers.

In reality, most people of any ilk are decent people who do provide a fair days work.

[tnff]

Originally Posted by cupper3

Those millennials that want what they think they are entitled to better start their own business.

I agree with everything you said but the first part. Just drop the word millennials and it's good to go. I haven't run into any more "entitled" millennials than others. It just seems some older generations keep hammering them down so I'm for giving them their fair shot.

[YourWakeUpCall]

Originally Posted by tolovefromANFIELD

I think your example of out of control office behavior is an indicator of your own confirmation bias. You're using a San Francisco start-up that has a fantasy land valuation as an example of a bigger problem.

Millennials are not destroying office culture. They are resourceful, independent, unimpressed with structure and processes and therefore are a perceived threat to a status quo.

That's precisely the problem. Some structure/process will always be necessary. It's hard to grasp the spectacular arrogance required for someone with minimal work/life experience to proclaim they know the best way to run things. Unbelievable. In fairness, young people have always been like this - myself included. They'll grow out of it.

[tnff]

Originally Posted by YourWakeUpCall

That's precisely the problem. Some structure/process will always be necessary. It's hard to grasp the spectacular arrogance required for someone with minimal work/life experience to proclaim they know the best way to run things. Unbelievable. In fairness, young people have always been like this - myself included. They'll grow out of it.

While I pretty much agree with you, it does seem the process has gotten out of hand over the last few years. In some ways automation has made it so easy for management to ask for things, that they are now asking the silly. While having some process is needed, have a multiple page written process to schedule a meeting with the boss is a bit out of hand (true story at my work).

[jade408]

I haven't worked with many millennialist. My last job had a few and they were great. They still had some of those traits typical to millennials: want to feel important, want to share input and have it taken seriously, want office perks like flexible schedules and casual clothing. But they were good at separating work time and personal time. They worked hard and were motivated.


Now at my current company I am running into the other, entitled, millennials. They are self-centered and want everything their way. They want a prize for things they should be doing. They are disengaged unless you design for their mindset. They feel like they should have outsized influence on process and procedure. In a nutshell I have now met those annoying millennials and I can do with out them.

[nybbler]

Pretty incredible. A lot of offices have parties with alcohol, and sex goes on in offices whether it's allowed or not. But most SV and SF companies are really strict on the smoking thing.