I heard about your speech at the LinkedIn conference where you said millennials are no different from 20-somethings from years ago. That’s BS and everyone knows it! Kids today are impossible. They are totally narcissistic, entitled and don’t want to work hard. Their parents spoiled them, and I don’t want to hire them, but we need entry-level people so I feel stuck having to put up with their nonsense. What to do?
I call BS! Can young people be pains in the butt? Of course they can; I was — and still am, according to some people, truth be told! They are young and inexperienced and idealistic, and the ones who have had success in school, activities and internships are confident and ready to take on the world. That’s what we want from them — that spirit.
And, listen, if you want to talk about bad behavior, I’ve dealt with plenty of experienced folks at all levels of management who have been allowed to create soul-crushing work environments. So before we cast aspersions on the behavior of the kids, let’s remember how many people leave jobs because of their bosses. These same kids will stand on desks and do cartwheels for the teachers whom they respect. Promote leadership like that at work, and these 20-somethings will transition more quickly and change the world, too.