Generation Y: where are you?

Every generation gets their label. “The 68th”, “Generation golf”, “Generation Y”. Can one generalize so much? Are all members of these age groups alike? I guess not. What about Generation Y? They have one thing in common: their age. They are between 20 and 35. This, in my eyes, is their only common link.

They say that generation Y is “post materialistic”. They regard their work life balance as superior than just earning a lot of money and making a steep career. They want work that makes sense, that makes a difference, that´s fulfilling. And they want to have enough free time to meet friends, enjoy their hobbies, caring for kids and family. Self-realization is the key term, flexibility and individual freedom.

That´s at least what scientists tell us. Since the baby boomers have started to quit their jobs to travel the world and care for their grandchildren as pensioners, they create a vacuum. The younger generation can choose between a lot of jobs, and since they are not many, but few, enjoy to be self-confident. If they are well-educated, they have choice and don´t have to accept every job offered to them. They enjoy abundance. This, the scientists tell us, is the reason why our working world is transforming quickly into the direction of sabbaticals, home office, 30 hours work per week.

Is this all true? There are contradictions. The German Bahn DB offered their attorneys either more holidays or more money. 2,6% more money per month or 6 more free days, holidays, holi days, “holy days”. Only a small majority voted for more free days. The younger colleagues voted exactly like their elder colleagues: no difference.

An investigation of IG Metall among their 680 000 members showed: Even the expressed need of less working hours is spread evenly among the age groups. What about self-realization then? Even more elderly want an experimental working culture and regard it important to choose working time and working location freely. This was a result of a study run by TU Munich.

This in my point of view doesn’t mean that everything stays or should stay as it is. The working culture is changing anyway. Every third employee has experiences with home office now. Jobs are changed more quickly. Hierarchies are flattening. More and more contracts are limited. But this is expression more or less by the technical development and globalization, not by the different needs of younger people.

I will give examples with friends belonging to “Generation Y”. One of them is studying environmental studies. She is 22 and just moving to her master studies. Her favorite university offers the whole curriculum in English. Later, she sees herself as a “global player”. Environmental issues are interwoven worldwide. If possible, an English speaking country like Canada or Great Britain.
She also wants to make her doctor title. Why? Her heart is green.

But she knows, that for environmental active groups and institutions, reputation counts. They have to communicate with politicians and company. A doctor title makes a lot more impression. The other one learns in the food industry. When he will be finished at the end of this year, he wants to move to a company selling and distributing organic foods. He managed to include a section of fair trade and organic food in the company he works an an apprentice. His girlfriend already found such a job. She has to drive to her working place nearly two hours a day back and force… They want to perhaps marry and definitely have children. But first they want do consolidate their careers. All these three members of Generation Y in my eyes do a great job in making the world a little better, more sustainable. But he also doesn´t want to sacrifice a good income and good living for that. The first one, still young, worries what to do with all the money she will probably earn one day. The girl is vegan, the boy vegetarian. He owns a small car together with his girlfriend, and the girl cannot imagine this for the rest of her life. They both grow herbs on their window sill and some vegetable in their small garden. Of course organic!

Perhaps one can, as a company, save money for expensive counsellors who wants to convince them that there is a young generation with totally different needs. They also can relax. Young people are as striving as the older people. They seem, on average, very interested in success and career. And this is the reason why they invest time and energy in their education and are willing to spend more time to get to their working place as the older generation. And: many of them like money, but this is for many of them not the center of their life. They seem to have self-esteem enough to bring more sense and fulfillment into their jobs. And their life. And will therewith chance the world to the better.

It´s time for a change, many people feel. Think of climate issues. If average temperatures raise to four degrees above, life as we know it will not be possible any more, and life quality will be low. Think of summer 2003, when thousands of people died mainly in Southern France and Russia because of the unbearable heat. I have the feeling, many young people are self-centered in the best sense. They want an even better world for them - and the coming generations, their children and grandchildren.

we will have also a look for Generation Z in another article. In my opinion one of the intelligent but with big problems.

Whats about you, which Generation you are ?

Peace and much Love,
Hipster Guru