|
This was how the latest book, Y in the Workplace, describes the workplace world of today's youngest employees–dubbed Generation Y. It is estimated that there are some 40 million of them working in companies and government in US, and the figure is expected to hit 58 million by 2014. With that many people, this young generation is already making waves.
Q: Just who are these people, and what is Generation Y?
Gen Y refers to people who were born between the second half of the 1970s and the first half of the 1990s, although some experts say these dates are debatable.
Several other terms for this group have been tossed around, including Echo Millenium Generation, iGeneration and so on. Gen Y are the successors to Gen X, who are people born before Gen Y and after the baby boomers who start from 1946.
Gen Y are children of the Baby-Boom Generation, but they may find themselves working in the same office as people their parents' age as well as the Generation Xers. This creates a generation gap among American workers – particularly in their views of the work-life balance.
Q: What characteristics do Gen Yers bring to work?
Well, they're accustomed to receiving praise and being high achievers, so Gen Yers can be a bit self-entitled in the workplace. Unlike the older generations, who may have invested themselves more deeply in their work and may have been more obedient to their managers, Gen Yers may demand to have a rich social life and expect their coworkers to accommodate more flexible hours.
At the same time, this group of young workers may also expect their opinions on projects to be heard and appreciated. On the one hand, Millenials may be seen as disrespectful, but on the other, they may also bring the fresh ideas and dynamism necessary for companies to remain competitive.
Q: What do they want from their work that's new?
Old assumptions about what employees value in the workplace don't always apply to Gen Y. New York based consulting firm Deloitte found that friendship is such a strong motivator for Gen Y workers that they will choose a job just to be with their friends. Also, according to Deloitte, more than half of workers in their 20s prefer employment at companies that provide volunteer opportunities.
英語詞彙解析
arrogant傲慢的
crave渴望
distractible不專心的
dub號稱
flip-flops 夾趾拖鞋
successor 繼承者
vertical垂直的'
merit價值
wander徘徊
BONUS
sth-savvy
是指對某事很精通，如
computer-savvy
Although he's majoring in computer science, I wouldn't exactly say he's computer-savvy.
雖然他的專業是計算機，我並不能確切地說他是個電腦通。
making waves.
產生影響力，引起關注
She may be a new member of the student council, but she is already making waves with her criticism of everything.
雖然她只是學生會的一名新成員，她對每件事情指手畫腳這一點已讓她備受關注。
settle down
定居 專心於
I think it's time for me to get married and finally settle down after all these years of living abroad.
這麼多年在國外漂泊，我想現在是我該結婚和安頓的時候了。