Workplace of the Future – Defined by Gen Y

Workplace of the Future

The workplace of the future will be defined in next 10-15 years by Gen Y. The current workplace was defined by baby boomers and their parents, and not much has changed in the last 40-50 years. Yes, there have been technological changes, but the basic concepts that define a workplace have not changed much until recently.

Today, Gen Y makes up 36% of the American workforce. There are projections that in a little over ten years they could make up 75% of the worldwide workforce.

Whether you like it or not, Gen Y will re-write the rules of the workplace. In my honest opinion, for the good!

Some people say that 2014 will be the Year of Workplace Reinvention. Pam Ross wrote in her article on the Huffington Post:

“The Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) challenges traditional management strategies. Jody Thompson, and Cali Ressler, co-creators of the ROWE, describe it as “a management strategy where employees are evaluated on performance, not presence.” In a ROWE, workers can work wherever, whenever, and however, they choose to, as long as they achieve their results.”

Does that sound like an environment in which a Gen Yer would thrive?

Millennials (Gen Y) Are Rewriting the Rules of Management

In an article posted on Chief Learning Officer, Millennials Are Rewriting the Rules of Management, the author Ladan Nikravan states:

“Because Millennials feel a bond with globalization and diversity, they tend to believe a diverse group, with an assortment of ideas, comes up with a better solution than a lone leader. This is changing traditional management practices.”

Brad Karsh, author of Manager 3.0: A Millennial’s Guide to Rewriting the Rules of Management,  said in the article:

“…we focus on millennials and how this generation will lead. We have talked to thousands of Millennials across the country, and there are a few things that we heard time and time again that just aren’t working when it comes to management. A few ideas and icons that don’t work at work for Millennials include:

• Corporate ladder
• Bureaucracy
• Overly formal communication
• Inflexibility
• Lack of diversity
• Boring work

Millennials aren’t afraid to say these elements of the business aren’t working, and they’re standing up for the new rules of management and fostering a positive work culture. As millennials take on management roles, they are pushing for new ideas and values.”

Outsourcing and Crowdsourcing

Back in the 1990s, outsourcing became the fear of just about every worker. Today, outsourcing or globalization is a fact. When you include the new concept of crowd-sourcing, where you can find groups of people from around the world who can and will do micro-tasks for you, the concept of a traditional workplace pretty much disappears.

This is the brave new world that Gen Y will be bringing to the workplace.

Are you ready?

Please read the rest of the Multi-Generational Workplace Series.

Marc Miller  

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