The Millennial Misinterpretation

The article Why Millennials Are Who They Are—and What Employers Can Learn from Them written by Christina Folz left me with quite a sour taste in my mouth. It is presumptuous, and most importantly, inaccurate. The generalizations, assumptions, and stereotypes are bold and sure to leave myself and other Millennials feeling offended.

The first claim in the article is that Millennials are impatient and entitled. First off, in a corporate environment it is conducive to success to be slightly impatient. It is partnered with and prompted by an intense drive to accomplish tasks quickly and efficiently. Secondly, it is not fair to generalize all Millennials as being entitled. We are an extremely success-hungry generation and lots of us have worked very hard through high school and college to achieve good grades, scholarships, internships, and more. As an extremely hard-working individual, being stereotyped as entitled is offensive and inappropriate.

The article continues to assume that Millennials do not respect tradition or authority. While we are very innovative and appreciate change, we do in fact respect tradition. As a member of a very involved community, I witness and partake in rituals across many organizations, therefore, I can disprove this assumption. Also, our generation is extremely respectful of hierarchies. While we do like setting goals and pushing our ways to the top of an organization, we respect our principals, professors, and superiors.

It is unfortunate that there are people that make such negative statements about the generation that is now entering the workforce. There are in fact many adjustments that will need to be made with the generational shift, but it will make for more successful and lucrative companies in the long run. Therefore, the Traditionalists must adopt open minds, unlike this blunt article.