Millennial Entitlement Attitudes – Why do those in the Millennial generation seem to have such a sense of entitlement?

Millennials sometimes receive a bad rap about this issue. As this generation has come of age over the past 20 years, they have been immersed in a non-stop world that seems to focus on convenience and entitlement. They hear it from advertisers. The media has preached it endlessly. Some have grown up with over-protective parents. Then there is society in general. Rather than enforcing existing rules and policies, many institutions have allowed themselves to be manipulated by young people who are determined to get their way. This has sometimes been enabled by parents who ask those in authority to bend the rules rather than allowing their children to learn about the consequences of their actions. It is only natural then that when these individuals go to work that they would expect the same kind of treatment. The three critical keys to dealing successfully with these individuals are selection, clear expectations and consistent enforcement of established practices. In this age of the detached worker, employers are finding that choosing the right people in the first place can add thousands of dollars to the bottom line. Develop assessments that reveal the work beliefs of applicants of all ages. Once on board, set clear and specific expectations that provide young people with a clear understanding of their responsibilities as well as their rights on the job. Finally, enforce these expectations consistently. Without this, selection efforts and clear expectations become meaningless.