For the past few years the buzzword around human resources departments, and in management handbooks, has been GenerationY. This generation of employees, born after 1982, are the best educated generation ever.
They were the first to have been brought up with computers, worldwide connectivity, the internet and e-mail. Many of them have two tertiary level qualifications before entering the workplace. They are willing to work as part of a team and are eager to work for organisations where they feel they are not only contributing to their own careers and pockets, but also to society.
But according to Avril Henry, managing director of Avril Henry, an organisation committed to developing leaders and improving work environments, these positive attributes are not always viewed favourably by older generations whose job it is to hire and develop GenerationY professionals.
'Most people don't understand GenerationY,' Ms Henry said. 'They are seen as being disloyal, restless and irresponsible.'
Ms Henry said that these views could stem from the fact that GenerationY employees tended to switch jobs more often than previous generations.
'What causes conflict in the workplace is that senior management, who are principally baby boomers [born in the '50s and '60s], and board members, who are even older than them, have always been loyal to their chosen profession or organisation.' As such, they expect the same level of loyalty from future employees.
