Millennials: A boil on the butt of the work ethic

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

6 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

I have met, hired, fired, worked with and mentored many Millenials and find most of them to be childish, entitled adult wannabes with a poor work ethic.

How about the ones from West Virginia?  Just curious......

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, TomTom said:

doesn't even know how to troubleshoot issues on their computer?

yep when they can't work out their own phone then the young are ok

#wasntlikethisinmyday

[TomTom + 183]

2 hours ago, Jan van Eck said:

Oh, sure they do.  You carry the thing outside in the back yard and whack it with a 10-lb. sledgehammer.  Solves everything. 

destroying company assets - yea, that's why we love to hire the older generations...

[J.mo + 165]

9 hours ago, Meredith Poor said:

Meaning you don't know any of these people personally. I'm presuming you don't have any kids or grandkids.

With the US unemployment rate below 4%, 'corporate entities' are trying to fill their convenience stores and burger joints with minimum wage drones, and finding out that university educated young people have some self respect. Frustrated employers then start slapping all kinds of 'entitled', 'spoiled', and 'lazy' generalizations on a group of people whose greatest privilege is American citizenship.

I've been in job interviews where it was clear in a matter of seconds that the HR people were used to hiring warehouse workers and truck drivers, and had no idea how to interview a programmer. This isn't the 1950's. Bad employers get written up on GlassDoor. If your 'corporate entity' is treating young people the way this blog post starts out, it's getting written up. Those that don't understand Millennial thinking might have to do some research. Or they might have to hire people in HR that understand this group of people.

I disagree entirely with you. I own a convenience store. There is a difference between self respect and foolish demands. 

Also, to touch on low unemployment statistics. Employers Simply are complying and lowering standards to accommodate these people. Simply because they have to, and they need bodies. Productivity is down, 

5 hours ago, butasha said:

Unemployment is low. Very low across most of the US. Supply and demand rules apply to the job market just like it does to every thing else. 

The younger generation has a wealth of opportunities and the employers that don’t adapt to this will suffer.

As with everything else in life this will change and I bet the millennial generation will adapt. Or at least the those capable of adapting will thrive and those that don’t will come to whatever equals a forum like this in the future and bitch, bitch, bitch. 😏

You are either part of the solution or you are part of the problem. Corny old quote that we have all heard many times in life but it is spot on.

 

 

To touch on the glorious number that many enjoy to reference. Unemployment is low, simply because entities have realized that they must lower standards and comply to the group of people simply because they need bodies. Productivity is down, part time jobs are more relevant. The Obama generation has 0 drive to achieve. They win through submission and default. In my store I have 2 options. Lower my standards, hire 10 employees for the job of 3. Or, complete the work and tasks myself. Guess which I choose. 

It is not to have 10 sniveling overly entitled unrealistic "drones"

9 hours ago, Meredith Poor said:

Meaning you don't know any of these people personally. I'm presuming you don't have any kids or grandkids.

With the US unemployment rate below 4%, 'corporate entities' are trying to fill their convenience stores and burger joints with minimum wage drones, and finding out that university educated young people have some self respect. Frustrated employers then start slapping all kinds of 'entitled', 'spoiled', and 'lazy' generalizations on a group of people whose greatest privilege is American citizenship.

I've been in job interviews where it was clear in a matter of seconds that the HR people were used to hiring warehouse workers and truck drivers, and had no idea how to interview a programmer. This isn't the 1950's. Bad employers get written up on GlassDoor. If your 'corporate entity' is treating young people the way this blog post starts out, it's getting written up. Those that don't understand Millennial thinking might have to do some research. Or they might have to hire people in HR that understand this group of people.

I completely disagree with you. I own a convenience store, and there is a difference between self respect and foolish demands. 

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

18 minutes ago, TomTom said:

destroying company assets - yea, that's why we love to hire the older generations...

Think of it as "asset downsizing."    Works for me. 

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

10 hours ago, DayTrader said:

''Ooh the youth of today''

''Wasn't like this in my day''

''They don't know how lucky they are''

 

Jeez. Cry me a river.

DT,

You can say what you want, and usually do, but the fact is that many of the Millennials suffer from a very poor work ethic and a constant need to be mollycoddled and assured that they are valuable. End of story!

Yes, they may have many technical skills which are valuable in this day and age, I never said otherwise. The problem is getting them to use them without being forced to treat them as adolescents!

I agree that their parents are generally to blame, but pointing the finger does not solve the problem now.

What happened to pride in your work or loyalty to those that hired you? The idea that the majority of the companies that are hiring Millennials are somehow mistreating them or ‘keeping them down’ is nonsense. When this is brought up it usually is a result of the employer not buying into the Millennial entitlement clause.

Rewarding people for poor behavior is never a good idea.

The old adage that ‘if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem’ cuts both ways...

Now get your ‘Millennial supporting’, old guy bashing arse back to your computer and make some of those ‘short’ deals!😄

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

9 hours ago, Jan van Eck said:

How about the ones from West Virginia?  Just curious......

What is the point you are trying to make? I have actually spent a lot of time in Summers County.

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

1 minute ago, Douglas Buckland said:

What is the point you are trying to make? I have actually spent a lot of time in Summers County.

Not attempting to make any "point,"  I was genuinely curious as to your experiences with that age group in WV.  The underlying question, unspoken, is whether there are any differences in geographical areas.  

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said:

Now get your ‘Millennial supporting’, old guy bashing

Haha mate I'm joking, go back to start of thread lol. I'm just being a mixer and adding to that.

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

1 hour ago, Jan van Eck said:

Not attempting to make any "point,"  I was genuinely curious as to your experiences with that age group in WV.  The underlying question, unspoken, is whether there are any differences in geographical areas.  

Sorry Jan, was just trying to figure out the connection wit WVa....a bit touchy lately😂.

From what I have seen, from MY experiences (Note: This is an opinion), I have found that those in the Millennial classification, from rural backgrounds, tend to exhibit much less of the millennial characteristics than those from urban backgrounds.

I can only ASSUME (must be very careful what you say on OilPrice any more) that this is due largely to their parents being blue collar and idea of parenting in a rural as to an urban setting.

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

1 minute ago, Douglas Buckland said:

I have found that those in the Millennial classification, from rural backgrounds, tend to exhibit much less of the millennial characteristics than those from urban backgrounds.

I would agree.  I have only been to WVA twice, each for three days, and found in particular that the folks there are a lot more savvy than as portrayed in the (admittedly insolent) urban press.  In particular I watched a parade, I think it was Memorial Day, in Morgantown, and was impressed by the fitness of the parade marchers.  I did not see any fat-slob teenage girls anywhere, those kids in the drill teams were totally fit.  And in speaking informally with the residents further downstate, I found them to be quite nuanced.  OK, so this was not in the Hollers, but that remains a minority of the State population.  Those were interesting trips.  I don't see myself getting back there in my lifetime, it happens when you get old.  Cheers.

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

1 hour ago, DayTrader said:

Haha mate I'm joking, go back to start of thread lol. I'm just being a mixer and adding to that.

Can we start a new thread, ‘Day Traders: A boil on the butt of....just about everything known to man, especially old, millennially bashing guys’?

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

2 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

I would agree.  I have only been to WVA twice, each for three days, and found in particular that the folks there are a lot more savvy than as portrayed in the (admittedly insolent) urban press.  In particular I watched a parade, I think it was Memorial Day, in Morgantown, and was impressed by the fitness of the parade marchers.  I did not see any fat-slob teenage girls anywhere, those kids in the drill teams were totally fit.  And in speaking informally with the residents further downstate, I found them to be quite nuanced.  OK, so this was not in the Hollers, but that remains a minority of the State population.  Those were interesting trips.  I don't see myself getting back there in my lifetime, it happens when you get old.  Cheers.

You are absolutely correct! Hollywood has portrayed West Virginians as backwards hillbillies. And fools have bought into that portrayal.

I met some of the smartest, most ‘switched on’ (oilfield term) people I have ever met in West Virginia....some of them back in the ‘Hollers’ near Elk Knob!

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

4 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

Yes, they may have many technical skills which are valuable in this day and age, I never said otherwise. The problem is getting them to use them without being forced to treat them as adolescents!

The other way of looking at this is that the older generation are terrible managers if they don't know how to lead millenials. Back when I lived in Georgia, US we used to go horseback riding in the appalachians. We had a saying on the trail - if you are leader, people will follow; if not, well...

The market will sort this - leaders / companies that know how utilize millenials will succeed and the one that don't will fail. Simple. Quit moaning, seriously. 

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

5 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

What happened to pride in your work or loyalty to those that hired you?

To be fair - I have seen very few companies actually be loyal to their employees. Most companies are loyal to profits. Why should employees be different. Be loyal to your family (and yes, that could brothers in from the rig..). But most companies are not worthy of your loyalty. 

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

12 hours ago, J.mo said:

In my store I have 2 options. Lower my standards, hire 10 employees for the job of 3. Or, complete the work and tasks myself. Guess which I choose. 

I have similar challenges in my business, but the reality with your approach (which is not dis-similar to what I choose to do) is that it is not scale-able. You will never build an empire for your family with that approach. Just sayin'

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yERildSsWxM 

this is from the 70s. Maybe this sentiment is cyclical. 

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

Rasmus,

First, I am not moaning, I am sharing my opinion and viewpoint. If this bothers you, perhaps you shouldn’t participate in a forum that encourages this - SERIOUSLY😄

Is there some reason that you feel compelled to defend the millennials?  We are stuck with them so my “moaning” will have no effect whatsoever.

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

2 hours ago, Rasmus Jorgensen said:

To be fair - I have seen very few companies actually be loyal to their employees. Most companies are loyal to profits. Why should employees be different. Be loyal to your family (and yes, that could brothers in from the rig..). But most companies are not worthy of your loyalty. 

Okay, avoid the whole issue, start a company and work for yourself.....wait...that won’t work (pun intended)....you will have become a company loyal to profits while crapping on your employees.

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

18 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said:

Is there some reason that you feel compelled to defend the millennials?

I am a millenial by definition. just barely. But still. 

More importantly, however, I am a solutions orientated person. Simply stating what we don't like doesn't solve anything. 

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

11 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said:

Okay, avoid the whole issue, start a company and work for yourself.

I did. 

And that's is I am passionate about this topic. My values are way older than me, but I cannot expect the world to think like me; that would be expecting that the tail whacks the dog. 

I need to accept todays world if I want to grow my business. 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Rasmus Jorgensen

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

27 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said:

First, I am not moaning, I am sharing my opinion and viewpoint. If this bothers you, perhaps you shouldn’t participate in a forum that encourages this - SERIOUSLY😄

Sorry if I came off wrong. Am busy so trying to multi-task.

[James Regan + 1,776]

33 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said:

Rasmus,

First, I am not moaning, I am sharing my opinion and viewpoint. If this bothers you, perhaps you shouldn’t participate in a forum that encourages this - SERIOUSLY😄

Is there some reason that you feel compelled to defend the millennials?  We are stuck with them so my “moaning” will have no effect whatsoever.

Rasmus quickly rising from his bean bag and now heading for  a ping pong meeting 😂 @Douglas Buckland your in deep s%^T now buddy, Rasmus is a reformed Millennial like an ex smoker the worse kind....

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

4 minutes ago, James Regan said:

Rasmus quickly rising from his bean bag and now heading for  a ping pong meeting 😂 @Douglas Buckland your in deep s%^T now buddy, Rasmus is a reformed Millennial like an ex smoker the worse kind....

Douglas, I think this forum has a Safe Space / Time Out corner hidden away somewhere.  If you feel the need.  Always happy to help : )

[Guest]

As long as there's no one under 30 in this Safe Space