Many of these differences can be attributed to three factors: Media influence, societal expectations, and the natural impatience of youth. Generation X and especially the Millennials have come of age being fed a constant diet of stories about what work should be like – exciting, stimulating and fun. They’ve seen certain occupations dramatized in television shows. Many have come to believe that if their job is not as interesting as they see on TV, they must be in the wrong position.
Then there are societal expectations. Corporate leaders have been lionized in the media over the past 15 years. They have witnessed the creation of the celebrity CEOs. They begin to think to themselves, “Why not me?” Then they go to work and find themselves enduring the mundane and repetitive work that exists in the majority of occupations.
Finally, there is the natural impatience of youth. Many young people long to be in charge from the moment they step into the workplace. Sometime peer or parental pressures to succeed exacerbates this. But with the confluence of these three factors, it’s no wonder that young workers become restless at an earlier time than their older counterparts.
Is there a way to address these differences? Yes, but there are no quick fixes. The first step is to find ways to engage these young people in what they’re doing. How do they fit in? Why does the seemingly boring job they do make a difference? How can they begin to collect the experiences and learn the skills that will serve them later on? How can they find mentors and advisors who can provide the invaluable wisdom they will not receive from classroom learning? Addressing these issues and the concerns they express is a great way to build their engagement and productivity.