Serving the New Millennials

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Serving the New Millennials

• Dwight L. Bailey, Psy.D.
• South Carolina State University
• Career Center

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Outline of the Presentation
I. The Nature of Generations II. Who they
are and who they are not III. Implications of
the Zeitgeist IV. Career Centers Serving the
Millennials V. Recruiters hiring the
Millennials VI. Employing the Millennials VII.
Bibliography
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Generation defined

• A generation is also defined as a series of
  birth cohorts who share a common location in
  history and a common peer persona that reflects
  their collective identity as well as a sense of
  having shared experiences.
• (Strauss in Lowery, 2001)

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I. The Nature of Generations

• Cyclical (based on research done between 1433 and
  1584)
• Approximately 20 years in length
• Traits/character/values are framed around the
  zeitgeists of the formative years
• Well established by early thirties
• Strauss Howe (1991)

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Influential Zeitgeists

• WORLD CRISES focus on reordering the outer
  world of institutions
• SPIRITUAL MOVEMENTS focus on changing the inner
  world of values
• People/students develop a peer personality
  shared events in their formative years (ages 10
  18) have an impact on generational value systems

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CAVEATS

• Generations do not abruptly change
• there are transitions
• Descriptive norms not all members of a
• generation fit the mold

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II. Who they are not

• CIVIC GI
• Born 1901 1924
• Formative years 1911- 1942
• Won WWI and built powerful corporations
• Heroes

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Who they are not

• ADAPTIVE SILENT
• Born 1925 1942
• Formative Years 1935 1960
• Matured into conformist adults after growing up
  as overprotected and suffocated youths during the
  Depression and WWII
• Artists

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Who they are not

• IDEALIST BOOMER
• Born 1943 1960
• Formative Years 1953 1978
• Reflect self-indulgence and an inward focus
• The most visible generation of the century
• Came of age during the consciousness awakening of
  the 60s and 70s
• Prophets

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Who they are not

• REACTIVE Boomlet, 13th Generation, Generation
  X
• Born 1961 1981
• Formative Years 1971 1998
• True children of 60s and 70s
• Grew up as under-protected and criticized youth
  during the Boomers consciousness awakening
• Older members of this generation are criticized
  for their risk-taking behaviors and their
  alienated, caustic view of life
• Nomads

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Who They Are

• CIVIC
  Millennials
• Born 1982 2002
• Formative Years 1992 2019
• Similar in peer personality to the GI/CIVIC
  generation of George Bush
• Currently being nurtured, protected and
  disciplined to keep them from harm

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The Current Generation

• Millennials
• Echo Boom
• Generation Y
• Generation Next

• Generation Tech
• Boomer Babies
• Generation Why?
• Generation.com

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Critical events, factors, trends in their
formative years

• September 11, 2001
• Clinton Presidency
• School Violence
• National Security Levels
• Oklahoma City Bombing
• Million Man March
• Virginia Sniper
• McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds

• Bush vs. Gore Election
• War in Kosovo
• War in IRAQ
• Death of Princess Diana
• Rodney King Riots
• Monica Lowinsky scandal
• Corp scandals
• Celebrity trials

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Critical events, factors, trends in their
formative years

• MOVIES
• The Passion
• Harry Potter
• Shrek
• Mosters Inc
• The Hobbit

• The Simpsons
• The Rugrats
• South Park
• Madonna kisses Brittany Spears
• The Panthers go to the super Bowl
• Janets Wardrobe malfunction

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Critical events, factors, trends in their
formative years

• Fast computers,Road runner access, Palm, mp3,
  Cell phone, two way pager, laptop
• Text messaging
• Instant messenger
• Camera Watches
• X-box, Nintendo
• DVD capability in vans and suv

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Implications of the Zeitgeist

• Students Rate-Important or Very Important
• 73.6 - being very well off financially
• 69.8 - ability to make more money
• 70.3 - to be able to get a better job
• 71.3 - to get training for a specific
  career
• 43.1 - developing a meaningful philosophy
  of life
• (H.E.R.I., 2001)

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Implications

• Students Rate-Little importance or Not important
  
• becoming an authority in their chosen field
  (59.9)
• obtaining recognition from their colleagues for
  contributions to their field (51.3)
• having administrative responsibilities for the
  work of others (37.2)
• (H.E.R.I., 2001)

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Implications

• Frequently bored in class (41.1) and
  academically disengaged
• Students increasingly concerned about college as
  a means to an end, but not as concerned about the
  learning process itself
• Majors and career paths often decided by parents
• Parents make choices between internship and
  summer school
• Graduating seniors choose jobs near their family
  

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Implications

• Students are more focused on local activism and
  service learning or community service and less
  focused on national, international and global
  matters
• (H.E.R.I., 2001)
• this has change significantly in the aftermath
  of Sept. 11

• 47.5 participated in organized demonstrations in
  2000
• 82.6 performed volunteer work
• 57.1 performed community service as part of a
  class
• Keeping up with political affairs low (31.4 vs.
  60.3 in 1966)
• Increase since Sept. 11

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Implications

• Using technology intensely and keeping up with
  changes in technology
• Uses a computer more than 20 times per week to
  complete a tasks and or recreationally
• 93.0 between 18 and 20
• 82.5 between 15 and 18
• 74.4 between 12 and 15
• 57.3 below 12

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Millennials Are

• Conventional....Rule Driven
• Confident..w/ little RWE
• Sense of EntitlementLack Resourcefulness
• Sheltered...Not thick skinned
• Community MindedStay close to home
• Ends Oriented.Not means
• Fast orientedNot Quality
• Team- Oriented..Synergy-connected
• (Howe Strauss, 2000)

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Career Centers Serving the Millennials

• Technologically sophisticated presentations
• Use of wireless technology
• Virtual fairs
• Teleconferencing ability

• Use of on-line services, newsletters, job
  postings, chat rooms, bulletin boards, black
  boards

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Career Centers Serving the Millennials

• Traditional, classic and attractive offices with
  21st century amenities
• Coaching

• Give them the rules
• Use assessments to help make informed decisions
• Bridge gap between reality and expectations

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Career Centers Serving the Millenials

• Service learning
• Service to university
• Global programs, study/intern abroad

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Recruiters Hiring Millenials

• Create opportunities for open dialog with
  students
• Give candid feedback to staff about student
  performance
• Dispel myths about what is negotiable

• Clarify culture of the organization
• Technologically sophisticated presentations
• Use of wireless technology
• Virtual fairs
• Teleconferencing ability

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Employing the Millenials

• Introduce and enforce rules
• Communicate your high ethical standards
• Provide opportunities to work on teams
• Allow for community service involvement

• Emphasis the importance of quality over speed
• Encourage the learning from the process
• Reward based on effort not results

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Bibliography

• Argetsinger, A. (2001). At colleges, students
  are facing a big test. Washington Post,
• September 17, p. BO1.
• Flacks, R., Thomas, S.L. (1998). Among
  affluent students, a culture of
• disengagement. Chronicle of Higher Education,
  November 27, p. A48.
• Hansen, E.J. (1998). Essential demographics of
  todays college students. AAHE
• Bulletin, November, 5(3).
• Higher Education Research Institute (2001). The
  American freshman National norms
• for fall 2001. Los Angeles UCLA Graduate
  School of Education and
• Information Studies.
• Howe, N., Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials
  rising The next great generation. New
• York Vintage Books.
• Keeling, R.P. (2000). In loco whom? Networks
  wired and human. Presentation at the annual
  conference of the American College Personnel
  Association, April, Washington, D.C