Working with Millenials can be a challenge... (video)

[masraum]

Here's an interesting article about working too hard.

BBC - Capital - Why you shouldn’t work at full capacity


Just a few excerpts from the article.

Working too hard is a recipe for burnout. After the initial praise and recognition fade, can you realistically maintain the bar you’ve set?

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t take time off work because nobody could do your job while you’re away? Do you drop all of your personal plans to work late nights and weekends, and feel guilty simply leaving the office on time?

If any of the above sounds familiar, then you may be one of the growing number of so-called “work martyrs” who are drastically changing company culture and leading to a rise in cases of stress and burnout.

“Over time, your company expects you to work at that initial level because that’s what you’ve done before, and you expect yourself to be at that level because that’s what you’ve been putting in,” he says. “But working that hard all the time just isn’t feasible.”

Patel found himself becoming less productive and efficient the more hours he put in. He says it took an emotional toll, too, “because you expect yourself to be at a higher level.”

The current work martyr trend among 18- to 35-year-olds relates to both healthy ego needs (like striving for a sense of accomplishment) and unhealthy levels of anxiety, says Denis. “You hear this popular narrative that millennials are entitled and spoiled but what we’re finding is that they actually have a lot of fear.”

Denis says many millennials entered the workforce at the height of the recession when jobs were scarce. Not only that, they’re dealing with an office culture where technology is ubiquitous, yet its boundaries remain unclear with many feeling chained to their devices.

“There’s very little guidance in the workplace about what’s appropriate [with technology], so it gives us this feeling that we need to be reachable at all times,” she says. “This fuels a kind of hyper-intense desire to prove yourself that’s playing out really strongly with millennials.”

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Bull Shnitt.
A lot of what this guy says makes sense, especially about the effects of social media, but I object to painting an entire generation with this brush. Some handle the new world better than others.
We currently employ 4 millennials who are fantastic employees. In one case the young man is extraordinary. While we have primarily generation Ys on the payroll, the millennials have been no more - and in some cases much less - of a problem than the Ys. The only people we have ever had in the company who where content to work as unpaid interns were millennials. I don't believe millennials are any better or worse than any other generation was at their age. Where we have problems are the Ys, who have a few years under their belt and think they know more than senior management.

This has been my experience as well, but aren't millennials part of Gen Y?
I have two millennials on my team who are wonderful employees to work with and if they continue on their path, will be even better than they are now. Ironically, the pain in the ass in the group is a Gen-Xer the same age as me that fits the description to a "T" of the whiney/needy/special millennials we often complain about. Come to think of it, the ROI on the couple boomers we have on board leave a lot to be desired as well...

[Randalllclund]

I started watching this last night and could not put it down. Fascinating stuff.

I get the impression people really love working there .. like one big extended family.