Ten Rants: Why the Younger Generation is the End of All that is Good in the World
Bopping along the internet superhighway, I came across this article that laments and analyzes the desire–nay, the dire need–of twenty-somethings everywhere to be constantly and consisently praised.
“Oh, you wondrous you! Good job! You acutally showed up at work today!”
“You’re so special!”
“Hey, great job today! Way to go!”
I’ve read article like this one before; I have come across articles like this for the past several years now, so this is no great surprise, and I sincerely doubt it’ll be the last one. And each and every one of these irritate the hell out of me.
I admit that the work environment is changing, that things differ between generations, but as a twenty-something, I do not need constant praise, nor do I know many of my age group who do either. Maybe I just hang around with an odd crowd, but I’ve had discussions with my friends over the idiotic things companies sometimes do to show their appreciation, and we’re all pretty much in agreement with the following:
1. “Workers under 40 [...] want near-constant feedback.”
Pish. Yeah, like we all really want Big Boss hovering over our shoulder. Leave us the hell alone and let us get some work done. Constant interruptions to check on how we’re doing or toss us a compliment or two like we’re some pet poodle is annoying. If we run into trouble, we’ll holler. If we complete a project, and it really is excellent, it’s fine to let us know, but for heaven sakes, let us finish first.
2. “[Employers are] being taught by employee-retention consultants such as Mark Holmes, who encourages employers to give away baseball bats with engravings (‘Thanks for a home-run job’) or to write notes to employees’ kids (‘Thanks for letting dad work here. He’s terrific!’)”
Yeah, that? Don’t do that. Those get ridiculed. All the baseball hats and coffee mugs that say “I’m special!” either end up at Goodwill or are kept only because of their practicality. Otherwise, they’re a complete joke. Don’t give us little trinkets and gifts. If you really appreciate us, give us a raise. That’s how we’ll know you’re happy with the job we’re doing.
