In 2016, more than 700,000 students graduated from college, and are now venturing out in the real world. That’s a whole bunch of Millennials being unleashed on the working world!
And while they are starting out in their careers, many experienced employees worry about the changes that can be brought upon by the young generation. There’s the issue of age gap, different interests, contradicting work tactics, and different personalities. This is why it’s inevitable there are some traditional work ethics being overlooked by Millennials today.
1. Punctuality
Time is something that has lost its value. In today’s connected, digital society, things are available all the time, any time – and this on-demand nature of our lives can leave some of us feeling like time is less important. Why call on time when you can just email? Why arrive to meeting 5 minutes early when you can just text and say you’re running late? Unfortunately, this relaxed attitude to timekeeping has become commonplace among younger professionals, but punctuality is something that is still very much expected in the workplace. It’s a basic requirement to keep appointments, arrive to work on time, and show respect well in advance when you can’t meet deadlines.
2. Patience & Perseverance
Job hopping is commonplace. It’s no longer taboo to stay in a job for only one year before making a shift to a new company, or requesting a promotion within your current one. However, there’s a big difference between landing a new job for the right reasons, and jumping across the pond simply because you want a little bit more money. Longevity in a job is incredibly important to helping you build a career upwards, rather than making lateral shifts. Perseverance – sticking it out when things get tough – is a necessary skill for all human beings to succeed. If you give up when things get easy, how do you expect to ever reach the top?
3. Ignoring Proper Process
You might not like the way things are done where you work, but sometimes process has its place. Impatience, procrastination and defiance are not desirable traits for any employee – and they sure aren’t going to win you any favours for moving up the ladder. If you truly believe a work process is out of date and antiquated, instead of simply moaning about it to your colleagues or not following it properly, why not come up with an effective solution you can then pitch to your boss? Complaining for the sake of it won’t get you anywhere, so use your initiative, or suck it up and get on with the job at hand.
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