The problem with gen Ys at work

JUNE 03, 2015
News.com.au
NOBODY likes a ‘yes’ man.
Millenials are being urged to stand up for themselves in the workplace after a new study found young professionals were more than twice as likely than baby boomers to be pushovers in the office.
According to LinkedIn, which surveyed more than 1000 Australians as part of a global survey into ‘New Norms’ at work, 65 per cent of people aged 18-24 described themselves as a ‘yes employee’, compared with just 32 per cent of baby boomers.
More than a quarter (28 per cent) said they agreed with their boss even if they thought there was a better way of doing something, compared with just 10 per cent of baby boomers.
Sally-Anne Blanshard from career coaching firm Nourish said it was disappointing to think an entire generation was being raised as ‘yes’ people.
“They don’t have as much life experience, let alone workplace experience, so it’s natural they won’t be able to challenge things as much as their gen X colleagues,” she said.
“Having said that, by not speaking up they might be potentially damaging their careers even more. We have to help these people find their voice in the workplace.”
She said it wasn’t surprising given the high number of graduates competing for jobs that many young professionals felt pressured to keep their heads down and agree with the boss.
“Unfortunately, a company of ‘yes’ employees will likely have a negative impact on the work delivered by the business. To get the best out of employees, it is vital managers promote a culture where staff feel empowered to speak their mind even if that means disagreeing with their boss.”
Her key tip for millenials is to find an ally in the workplace, and older mentor with a little more experience who can help you speak up for yourself.
“Being proactive is important, and be savvy commercially. Read the papers, be aware of what your competitors are doing. Be interested. Don’t just rock up to work, do your job and go home,” she said.
“You want to be a career climber or you’re going to be in cruise control.”
Sydney professional Georgina Thompson, 23, said it was natural to take on board comments from older colleagues. “I don’t necessarily, think it’s a ‘yes I’ll do whatever you say’, but you should take on board anything anyone who’s had more experience or been around longer has to say,” she said.
The study also found that one in five professionals said they make an initial impression based on an online profile picture, but that figure increased to nearly half (47 per cent) of millenials, driven largely by the selfie trend.
More than one in five professionals (21 per cent) said they were thinking more carefully about their profile picture on LinkedIn than Facebook, and 27 per cent believe it is important to keep their professional and private social media profiles separate.
Women feel under pressure to impress, with double the amount of females (35 per cent) as compared to men (18 per cent) feel they are judged more on what they wear to work. More than a quarter (29 per cent) of women believe men have it easy in the wardrobe department compared to men (17 per cent).