Search funds: a fast track to the boss’s seat?
Posted On May 29, 2014
I was listening to NPR the other morning, and this story came on during the Planet Money segment. It tells of two young Harvard Business School grads who turned down job offers to instead solicit search funds, where investors back individuals in their efforts to search for a new business opportunity. Not very different from a private equity group paying a salary to deal finders, but different enough to take notice. These are young folks, Millennials, with very little business experience. Also, they are not just looking for leads on businesses ready for acquisition; they are looking for businesses to… Read More
Categories: Entrepreneurship, Generation Y / Millennials
Millennials and Boomers may work alike, but they don’t vote alike. Or do they?
Posted On May 8, 2014
I am frequently asked whether the differences in the generations are true differences or simply differences between ages. It is also a common belief that individuals grow more conservative as they grow older, however statistics do not necessarily bear that one out. The Pew Research Center recently reviewed 30 years of voting trends, comparing the percent of young (age 18-29) and older (age 65+) voters who voted democratic in each election between 1972 and 2012. With the exception of the 1972 Nixon election and the 2008 and 2012 elections of Barack Obama, the gap between the ages has only been… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generation Y / Millennials, Voting Behavior
A new take on engaging employees
Posted On May 6, 2014
Anytime you set about offering advice on a topic, someone will be out there offering opposing advice. When you hire a contractor to work on your house – he invariably points out what the person before him should have done differently. So, it’s not surprising that there are some differing views on how to handle the needs of different generations of employees in the workplace. My first book on managing across the generational divide is titled “Motivating the ‘What’s In It for Me?’ Workforce” and focuses on ways that business leaders can adjust to engage Gen X and Millennial employees…. Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Work, Workplace
Adultolescence and KGOY – what’s at risk?
Posted On April 24, 2014
I’ve talked here fairly frequently about the trend toward extended adolescence – younger generations holding off on typical adult milestones such as getting married, having children, and even moving out of their parents’ homes. There is a flip side to this, known as KGOY (kids getting older younger), where today’s children are entering into adolescence at younger and younger ages. Nine-, ten- and eleven-year-old children are now “tweens” interested in and exhibiting more behaviors that are typically considered teenaged than child-like. With the entrance and exit of adolescence being pushed earlier and alter, adolescence itself is getting stretched. That is,… Read More
Categories: Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Training Industry, Work, Workplace
Game on: How one generation is changing the face of business
Posted On April 15, 2014
This is fascinating. We all know that technology has drastically impacted the daily workings of the business world. And we know the stereotype of today’s youth walking around with faces and fingers glued to some kind of mobile device or game system. Businesses are taking note. According to Gartner, by the end of this year (2014), a full 70 percent of Forbes global 2000 will be using some sort of gamification (an app or other software that uses game theory to influence behavior). This is up from only 20 percent in 2012 – a significant change in two short years…. Read More
Categories: Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Training Industry, Work, Workplace
Are millennial women more optimistic about their career prospects?
Posted On April 10, 2014
Possibly not. While my work focuses primarily on generational differences, not gender one, this Chicago Business story about getting more women into the c-suite piqued my interest. Would the optimistic nature of the Millenial generation translate to greater belief in their ability to break the glass ceiling? According to a Pew Research study cited in the article, 62 percent of Millennial women surveyed assumed that having children would make it harder to advance in their careers. Seems the times are not changing as much as many had hoped. Yet, I can’t help but think that while Millennial women may not… Read More
Categories: Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Women, Workplace
Coworker preferences – where gender and generation collide
Posted On March 18, 2014
In December, the Pew Research Center released the results of a snap survey that asked whether individuals preferred to work with male or female co-workers. Whether politically correct or simply honest, the overwhelming majority (77%) expressed no preference. However, of those that did express a preference, males and females both stated a preference for working with males. But then they dug deeper and analyzed the responses by generation… Interestingly, the survey indicated that Millennials are “significantly less likely to prefer working with male coworkers than other generations.” And Millennial men are nearly twice as likely to prefer working with mostly… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Work, WorkplaceCareer Guidance in Schools Under Fire
Posted On February 12, 2014
As we continue to redevelop our website we’re not focusing too much on the blogs. We hope the new website will be operational early in the new year. In the interim we’re accepting guest blogs. Enjoy this, the first guest blog from over seas: Too many young people are leaving school without a clear idea of what careers are available to them and how to gain the relevant qualifications. A series of damning reports has highlighted failings in the National Careers Services. Critics include education watchdog Ofsted, the director general of the CBI and the president of the Association of… Read More
Categories: Blog, Generation X, Generation Y / MillennialsWhat makes a good work environment for Baby Boomers? Ask the NIH
Posted On July 2, 2013
A lot of HR time is spent figuring out how to attract the best and brightest young talent – what are the perks and expectations that can bring the next workforce stars to your business? The AARP, however, wanted to know who was doing a good job attracting the bright, experienced talent that is already available in the Baby Boomer generation. In their recent ranking of the Best Employers for Workers over 50, the National Institutes for Health topped the list. The NIH is joined by four more health care companies in the top five. The AARP attributes the dominance… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generation Y / Millennials, WorkplaceWhat do Millennials want? More awesome.
Posted On June 4, 2013
Even while being diagnosed as the most narcissistic generation ever, Millennials continue to have an altruistic streak which showed up in the results of a study by the National Society of High School Scholars, which published its 6th Annual Career Survey Results last week. Yes, the Millennials heading to college this fall have big dreams for 2017. They want to work for Apple, DreamWorks, Disney and Google. But their number one preferred company to work for: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. True to their generational traits, it is not just about the paycheck – they want to feel good about… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Generations