Are young professionals influential in the workplace? Yes, absolutely. If you were to ask this same question a decade ago, the answer would be quite the opposite. We’re responsible for changing traditional methods of communication (think IM, text messaging, emails at odd hours), we’re bolder and more demanding than previous generations and as a population we have a ‘smarter than thou’ presence (this of course attributed to being immersed in technology since birth). More importantly, we’re adaptable to the changing times. Let’s take a closer look at the stats and psychographics around Gen Y @ work, shall we?

• Within the next five years, Gen Y workers will make up 40% of all American workers.
• We’ve grown up in an era of technology and being told we can be and do anything we want to.
• Gen Y’ers are filled with a sense of immediacy – we live in the here and now. We need our work to be important, enjoyable and with tangible results.
• More than half of Gen Y workers prefer to work at companies that allow volunteer work to be included as an extension of their work responsibilities. We want to know we’re making a difference and we want to measure it.
• We’re BIG on being efficient with our time (c’mon on now we have lives outside of work, right?). We’re generally annoyed at the many inefficiencies we see at work and feel we’re the savior to fix them all.
• We’re becoming more and more demanding of changing what the 9-5 day looks like. We’re looking for jobs that has the options for flexible hours, macro-management, and work from home opportunity (atleast for a couple days during the week).
• Our biggest complaint? That companies don’t let us plug in our laptops, cell phones, Blackberrys (aka Crackberrys) and of course, our iPods into their networks. The inability to do so basically means we can’t exist at work. We need our mobile technology as much as the older generations needs their 8 cups of coffee in a day.

• We may not seem to be paying attention. But we really are. We’re masters of multi-tasking!

Is there anything we missed that you’d like to add? Comment below!



Source: Boston Herald, Deloitte Survey, Lowell’s Concours Institute
Photo Credits: Hendimion, Delgoff