Analyzing and Understanding Generation Y In the Workplace

¶ … Generation Y in the Workplace

Clifford and Behrstock's (2009) policy brief and study report aims at aiding district, state, and notably -- school-level heads -- in acquiring a better understanding of the generation Y (Millennial generation) so as to better support and manage teachers. The goal is improving the learning-teaching process, for present as well as future student generations. Drawing on studies from the educational field and beyond, this report explains how leaders at the school level can make sure the profession of teaching profits from millennial teachers' talents. It starts with a review of workforce and sociological research on this generation (i.e., Gen Y/Millennials), following which, it offers literature review results of strategies to retain emerging Generation Y talent in the nation's private sector. This is followed by a recent analysis of practices for new-teacher support and retention. Lastly, it provides strategies that may be implemented by efficient school leaders for supporting all of their teachers, particularly those belonging to Gen Y (Behrstock & Clifford, 2009). This study's purpose was quantification of generation-based preferences for leaders' behavior. Leadership behavior preferences linked to generational themes constituted the study's dependent variable, with the 5 themes being (a) Flexibility, (b) Fulfillment, (c) Work Environment, (d) Technology, and (e) Monetary Benefits. Meanwhile, education, generation and ethnicity were taken as independent variables (Rodriguez, Green & Ree, 2003).

Different Perspectives on Work

Generation Y employees are typically impatient, probably due to the fact that they grew up with rapid-moving technology. Furthermore, they are accompanied by a feeling of entitlement, which forms the main complaint of several employers. Generation Y workers crave affirmation. If they are publicly praised, they will flourish. Though they exhibit ambition, they have different priorities. Whilst they show no loyalty to the mission statements or organizations they work at, they display considerable loyalty to individuals in their workplace. They desire to get acquainted with their superiors and vice versa. Older generations are usually characterized by a dualistic attitude towards play and work. But the delineations are different when it comes to Gen Y. They feel it is necessary to establish friendships and rapport with their superiors and coworkers. Focus on individuals is another differentiator, which is manifested in diverse ways.

While Gen Y employees are usually more positive about working than those of the prior generation, they are often less satisfied with their employers and jobs, compared to Gen X (Eisner, 2005). Gen Y seems to have a greater interest in psychology -- understanding themselves as well as how this affects their performance at the workplace. They are also slightly more individualistic when it comes to their opinions at the workplace. A harsh reality connected with Gen Y personnel is: while they might be wholly engaged, it sometimes doesn't suffice to make these people lifers at an organization. They are quite happy with being motivated and engaged through the sense of independence they enjoy when involved with tasks. However, this doesn't essentially imply that they feel they have a long-term commitment to the firm they work at. They realize the fact that time pressures and globalization require them to maintain updated skills. Their attitude towards knowledge and truth is postmodern, and they believe all things are relative. To put it in a nutshell, Generation Y simply wishes to understand things (Dunne, 2011).

Research Question

Do Gen Y personnel display intra-Generation Y differences with regard to job-related values? What does this imply?

Conclusion

As Gen Y is progressively dominating the teaching workforce in terms of its numbers, its retention and support is crucial. The educational sector can't afford to lose talented teachers. Renewed attempts are needed for ensuring current students are taught consistently by highly efficient educators. It is the responsibility of educational leaders of the present age, namely, administrators, teachers, and school principals, to establish supportive conditions to aid next-gen teachers. School leaders significantly influence workplace experiences, career pathways, and instructional approaches of teachers. School administrators are in charge of channeling financial and human resources towards schoolrooms, professional learning, and assigning workloads and classes. Evidence-based school leader strategies for supporting highly efficient teachers are outlined in the section below. For every strategy, Gen Y educators' unique wants and needs, as presently understood, are specified.

Emphasis for Generation Y