A few days ago, I attended an all day workshop for people conducting job searches. The workshop leader was a very knowledgeable woman who spent more than a decade in corporate human resources. It was actually quite fascinating to hear from the other side how we are perceived when we send out resumes and interview.
Early on, in this mini course, the topic arose how high salaried Baby Boomers have been replaced by “Millennials,” a much younger generation of worker, generally with inferior salaries. But the workshop leader told the Baby Boomers not to worry because the current trend developing is that hiring managers are finding they don’t like the work ethic of Millennials. For this reason, there is a shift back to hiring Boomers as companies find they are able to restaff some of the previously eliminated positions.
I don’t typically follow trends in the workplace, so I found this phenomenon fascinating. Hiring managers, which are most likely Baby Boomers themselves, do not like the work ethic of Millennials. Why I asked myself? And then the answer came to me.
For many years, the world has been shifting in its attitude toward life and work, and more importantly how they interrelate. More and more, people are creating virtual offices, allowing themselves to work at home. Companies are beginning to realize this can be cheaper than having people come to an office. Management is beginning to play a larger role in working green, shortening workweeks to keep people off the roads, if possible. These are just a few examples of how things are shifting. Of course there are people who, accustomed to the old ways, are resistant to these changes.
During my 20 plus years working, I have seen a large array of corporate cultures, but there has always been one part of human behavior that existed everywhere. For lack of a better description, I will call it the “misery loves company” gene. As a writer, I am always observing. It didn’t take me long to discover that no one wants to be seen as the slacker. I have noticed even when a nine to six schedule is being worked, and six o’clock arrives, many people will sit at their desks whether or not they still have work to do. No one wants to be the first one to leave the office. It’s the same behavior that I’m sure highway patrol officers laugh about. Many times I have noticed them driving at fifty or fifty-five in a 65 mph zone, and even though it is perfectly legal to pass, practically no one will. I am more than happy to work long hours when necessary, but if my work is done, I will exit at quitting time just like I pass highway patrol when they are creeping on the interstate.
Years ago, one of my best friends worked for Disney. I remember it was a Friday at five pm and we had arranged to travel to Mammoth, California for a ski weekend. As we were walking through his office preparing to leave, more than a few co-workers looked at their watches as if to say, “I cannot believe you are considering leaving at 5pm on a Friday.” Most of those people would probably have said they were joking had we confronted them about their comments, but as another friend of mine always used to say, “There’s a little truth in every joke.” I found the questions frustrating and I was furthered bothered by the amount of people asking them. Especially because I knew my friend was the ideal corporate employee. I can still recall when he worked for PepsiCo, and he reprimanded me for ordering a Rum and Coke. Because we were out with his co-workers, he informed me that I should be ordering a Pepsi and Rum. And yes, he was serious.
Honestly, I wasn’t surprised about the “Are you leaving so early?” questions at Disney. For years, I had heard nothing but horror stories about their corporate culture. In my temping days, I reluctantly accepted a 6-week assignment in their consumer products division. From what I had heard, they purposefully understaffed and overworked. Although it was just a temporary assignment, I worked 55 hours in my first week. I was also invited to work on my first Sunday of the assignment. It just so happened that the following Monday morning, a fire alarm drill took place. As all of the employees gathered outside of the building, conversations about the weekend popped up. The manager with whom I was working, when asked about his weekend, quickly quipped, “I worked.” It was a strange thing to listen to because I couldn’t tell if he was bragging or complaining.
After hearing him answer to several people about his weekend, I realized he was doing both, complaining that he had no life, but also bragging about what a hard worker he was. This is a strange and twisted psychology of many corporate cultures. People are miserable inside when they work ungodly hours, but they wear this misery as a badge of honor. How could you not feel despair when your entire life becomes about the pursuits of others? I actually found it sad because this manager confided in me that his fiancée broke off their engagement because she didn’t understand about his intense work schedule. Again, I couldn’t tell if he was bragging or complaining, but I’m pretty sure it was both. Needless to say, corporations love workers with this work ethic. Workers who are prepared to let everything in their life fall apart as long as they are rewarded on their jobs.
As I sat in this seminar, wondering why hiring managers didn’t like the work ethic of Millennials, I realized this new generation of workers had shifted their thinking. The mindless devotion to furthering a corporate goal is not in their DNA. Whether this will be good or bad for the new economies emerging remains to be seen, but I am hopeful that a new workplace will emerge where all of us can better integrate our lives between work and play.
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