The seeming over-confidence and intense demands of Generation Y (dubbed Gen Why?) is, to say the least, proving to be a challenge for employers.
There's a growing perception that this generation believes it can have it all and is not embarrassed to ask for it. Put simply, they want to get the job done on their own terms and, unphased by hierarchies, have a strong tendency to challenge managers. There's no doubt that this is resulting in a clash of values.
So it's time to really gen up on Gen Y and help managers understand the generational differences and not get frustrated by them.
Our special, themed issue on Gen Y this week - and our dedicated home page area on Personneltoday.com/geny packed with video clips and a whole range of features - sets out to get to the bottom of the myths and realities surrounding them - a generation that will make up the majority of the workforce within a decade.
Forward thinking HR leaders have accepted that this 'internet generation' see things differently and have been doing everything to lure them in - from innovative recruitment campaigns, games and virtual worlds for training, to offering a wider range of benefits that have more relevance.
Of course, ignoring this demographic's desires may mean you lose them to competitors. But are we bending over backwards too far, too soon in responding to their every whim?
If the attitudes of Gen Y have been driven partly by the lack of a major downturn in the economy over the past decade or so, that could all be about to change. And our own exclusive research among Gen Y-ers throws up some real surprises and suggests that their expectations and priorities may already have changed.
And as Alan Warner corporate director, people and property at Hertfordshire County Council, says, the results should send warning signals to employers about whether their benefit packages are fit for purpose.
