Brett May 4th, 2009
I found an interesting article the other day in the Wall Street Journal titled “Ford Takes Online Gamble with New Fiesta” regarding Ford’s new efforts to court Millennial consumers. The company has chosen one hundred Gen Yers to drive their new Ford Fiesta and post their reviews of the car online through video sites like YouTube. While Ford will have no control over the postings of these viewers, the company realizes that in order to break into the sub-compact market that their rivals dominate, the company could not do business as usual. Their answer to let the product speak for itself instead of trying to manipulate the message is an interesting one. While Ford has pre-screened the sample, I think the fact that such a brand oriented company is relinquishing any control of the marketing message marks a sharp shift in Ford’s approach to win over Millennials. Continue Reading »
Brett April 13th, 2009
We always hear that Millennials are different, and that their constant online interaction is changing the very way they interact. However, I do not know if I believe all of the hype. While older generations may not understand Gen Y’s methods, they should realize that these new communication tools enable people to connect faster and more efficiently than ever before. No longer do countless teenagers and young adults have to miss each other while trying to catch a movie a la an episode of Seinfeld, and can instead always find their friends on Loopt. Also, even though it seems that Millennials are always texting on their phones, a recent OTX study shows that hanging out with friends, going out with a girlfriend/boyfriend, and listening to music are a Millennial’s top activities. Going online, using social media applications, and texting do not even appear on this list, which means the stereotype of Gen Y losing themselves to the online morass must be off.
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Brett March 23rd, 2009
“I just want to have fun.”
You would’ve thought that nuclear Armageddon had come from the way my dad’s jaw dropped as we drove around the winding streets of San Diego.
“What did you just say??” he exclaimed.
I knew that signal…it looked like it was going to be long drive home as the lecture on hard work began…
I’m sure a few of you have found yourself in a similar situation when you gave the ‘wrong’ response to the “What do you want to do with your life?” question. While I was only a junior in high school at the time, the discussion has always stuck in my head (which as I recall quickly turned from a dialogue into a monologue), and the question of what to do with my life after school has always plagued me. I think the same question faces many young professionals when they begin their careers. The thought of entering the job world (for me) has always been associated with a loss of self, like you no longer have control over your own life, and that idea frightened me. Continue Reading »
Brett February 9th, 2009
Many people have wrongly classified Millennials and other young professionals as lazy and self-centered, but I believe this stereotype results from this generation defining success differently than previous generations. Unlike their predecessors, this group has been taught to push the envelope and not simply define success as receiving the golden watch after 25 plus years of service at a company. Millennials have watched their parents work 9-5 each day, only to be later downsized and out of work 20 years into their careers, and as a result, young professionals have expanded their definition of success to places outside of work. A young professional’s accomplishments in their career are only a small piece of the total picture, which now encompasses personal growth, constant learning, a strong family life, and a sense of accomplishment when everything is said and done. Millennials want to blaze their own path and most especially control their own destiny. As Mr. Michael Malone writes in his article “The Next American Frontier” (Wall Street Journal, May 19, 2008), the Millennials have become a generation of entrepreneurs. Continue Reading »
Brett February 3rd, 2009
Employers have been slow to recognize the shift in the American workplace toward increased employee mobility. In fact, most companies have failed to realize that they need to actively recruit talent with as much determination as potential employees look for their own jobs. Too often companies approach both recruiting and employment in a passive way: posting jobs in different media, and waiting until a credible candidate appears. That system no longer works especially for Gen Ys or Millennials, and companies must develop processes that attract new talent to them. Continue Reading »
Brett February 3rd, 2009
Has your mom ever nagged you for being online or playing video games for too long?? Well you are in luck because new research shows that internet savvy Gen Ys (or those who use technology most frequently) see a two fold increase in brain activity when searching on the internet compared with non tech people. Internet savvy participants also had increased activity in the frontal cortex or decision making part of the brain.
Gary Small, a neuroscientist, believes that the increased brain activity allows Millennials to successfully multitask. So when it appears that Gen Ys are ignoring you while listening to their Ipods, Dr. Small theorizes that Millennials might just have the ability to listen to both the Ipod and the speaker. He says the key is not to judge how young professionals and students learn, but rather understand that these people have adjusted to the incredible technology revolution we have experienced over the past 20 years and therefore take in information differently.
On a side note, I have heard that a genius like Einstein only used 50% of his brain, and some people have suggested that the percentage of brain used has a positive correlation with intelligence. A question I am wondering, and would like to hear some comments on is: do you think that because Gen Ys use more of their brain when using technology that they are smarter than non tech oriented people?
Links:
cbs news story
cbs blog article on Gen Ys
Brett February 2nd, 2009
We have all heard the sayings:
“We have flextime for senior positions,”
“We don’t have a starting time for work.”
“We have summer hours.”
Well as I’m sure most of you know these office ‘policies’ rarely translate to all employees, and are mainly used to attract recruits. In many cases, workers cannot use all their vacation time let alone their ‘flex’ time for fear they’ll be labeled lazy and ‘not a team player’. Even going to an appointment can be a hassle with some people having to use sick days to cover these everyday events, leading me to wonder why people assume work has to be like this. Why is the movie Office Space our model for corporate America? Few people enjoy work, and yet no one has attempted to change the system or its basic premises. Even with the advent of tools like the internet or email, people still fail to question whether employees need to sit in their seats from 9-5 in order to be productive. Although many people like the comfort and predictability of the current workplace, this new economy of terabytes and efficiency forces us to reexamine the entire idea of work and how it affects both our professional and personal lives. Continue Reading »
Brett December 19th, 2008
I thought that Top Trends blog had an interesting take on Millennials in the workplace. The author’s viewpoint about the future of work is spot on I think, and goes into why Gen Ys appear to be less loyal than previous generations. Check out the link below if you would like to read:
Top Trends Blog on Millennials
Brett December 10th, 2008
Corporations have had an incredible reluctance to embrace Web 2.0 technology, especially programs employees download on their own. In most cases these decisions to limit the technology affect the organization’s Millennials and other young professionals who typically use these tools. In some regards their fears are well founded: they do not want sensitive data migrating outside their intranet (an opening for hackers) or a loss of worker productivity from using these applications such as Facebook, AIM, etc.
Unfortunately, times have changed. In a global work environment where technology, news, and information move so quickly, employees need many of the tools to keep up with the massive amounts of data. In the emerging real-time corporate world, employees must have access to these applications in order to be part of the 24/7 public opinion conversation. The impenetrable firewall; however, many corporations institute stifles and restricts employee movement on the internet, and prevents employees from exercising flexibility or judgment about what is and is not appropriate. Continue Reading »
Brett November 18th, 2008
Today, young professionals view their jobs within an industry as little more than a commodity. During the shift from the Information Age to the Talent Age, companies have done little to differentiate themselves from their competitors. This commoditization has had a direct affect on allowing Gen Ys to change their jobs so often. Companies offer few compelling reasons for a young professional to show loyalty to the corporation, and many companies view their employees as static and undifferentiated assets, even if they say otherwise. It is assumed that a worker only has X utility and that they will not stay for long, and the whole goal of the corporation is to maximize that utility before they decide to move on to another job. The reasoning goes that since employees will not stay long, there is no value in creating a compelling employer value proposition to the employee. This thinking is a self fulfilling prophecy that makes young professionals feel unappreciated, and thus enables them to leave companies without a second thought.
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