MBA Dissertation
How successful are graduates of Generation Y in securing
employment in their chosen field?
Nicole Rombach
August 2014
2
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of
Dublin Business School for the degree of
MBA in Human Resource Management
How successful are graduates of Generation Y in securing
employment in their chosen field?
Nicole Rombach
Student Number: 10033649
Word Count: 21,817
August 2014
3
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Chapter 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
Background………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Research Focus …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Overall Research Aim and Individual Research Objectives………………………………………………. 11
Value of this Research……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12
Outline Structure…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
Chapter 2…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13
Literature Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Diversity………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Generational Diversity…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
Generation Y………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18
Graduates of Generation Y …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19
Challenges for Graduates of Generation Y……………………………………………………………………….. 20
Transition from College to Work…………………………………………………………………………………….. 22
Expectations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 24
Gen Y on Feedback……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
Challenges for Employers………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26
Opportunities for Employers…………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
A Multigenerational Workforce………………………………………………………………………………………. 30
Chapter 3…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………34
Methodology …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 34
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Research Philosophy……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35
Research Approach ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36
Research Strategy………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
Data collection ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 38
Study design…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 40
Selecting Respondents …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 41
Sampling ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 41
Data Collection Instruments …………………………………………………………………………………………… 42
Research Ethics…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 42
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Limitations of Research …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43
Chapter 4…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………45
Questionnaire Findings: Description, Analysis and Synthesis……………………………………………. 45
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45
Description…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 45
Analysis and Synthesis ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 60
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 68
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….69
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 69
Research Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 69
Research Objective 1 …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 70
Research Objective 2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 71
Research Objective 3 …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 71
Research Objective 4 …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 72
Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………75
Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………81
Appendix 1
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………… 81
1.
Process:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 81
2.
Use of Sources……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 82
3.
Dissertation Formulation …………………………………………………………………………………………. 82
4.
Self-reflection and own learning ………………………………………………………………………………. 82
Appendix 2
Questionnaire……………………………………………………………………………………………. 85
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Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, David Wallace, for his time, support and
constructive feedback he has given me throughout the dissertation process.
Thanks to my parents, without whom it would have never been possible continuing my
studies. I will be forever grateful.
Special thanks go to my fiancé, Thadius, whom was a source of strength and encouragement
to me.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge with gratitude all participants who volunteered in this
research.
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Abstract
However, due to recession and other external influences, that can sometimes be very difficult
to achieve. Many recent graduates find themselves in the position of being unemployed or
underemployed. That raises the question whether young people should pursue a higher degree
at all. [Research Focus] This dissertation investigates how members of Generation Y
perceive their educational history, their opinions and values as well as their challenges in the
labour market. Such a study is important because students should receive advice on how to
better prepare themselves for their professional future. This dissertation will also give advice
of how colleges can be a better support function for their students. Furthermore, employers’
challenges and opportunities will be discussed as well. [Research Methods] The research
methods include an extensive review of relevant literature, together with a collection of and
analysis of empirical data. That data is built on 201 questionnaires. While a link to the
questionnaire was provided onto several online tools, a small amount of questionnaires was
distributed during summer classes at Dublin Business School. [Findings/Conclusions] The
fundamental conclusions are that Generation Y does not have unrealistic career aspirations
and that it is absolutely normal for graduates of Generation Y to go through a so-called
‘transition time’ from graduating college to their first years in the labour market until being in
the career they aim to be in. [Recommendations] The dissertation recommends that students
collect as much professional experience as possible before graduating, whether doing
internships or working part time. Other recommendations include building networking skills,
making use of college’s career service and being open and confident.
Keywords: Generation Y/ Gen Y, students, graduates.
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Each generation goes further than the generation
preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that
generation. You will have opportunities beyond
anything we’ve ever known.
Ronald Reagan
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Chapter 1
Introduction
The researcher begins this dissertation by presenting a general background to her
topic. Then she will outline the focus of her research and provide a rationale for her study.
Following that, the overall research aim and individual research objectives will be clarified. In
the last part of the introduction, the researcher justifies the value and importance that the
study generates for the external audience.
Background
Competition in today’s labour market is extremely fierce. Many young college
graduates have an excellent academic background but lack work experience. The idea of this
particular study occurred to the researcher when she was looking for appropriate jobs upon
the completion of her MBA. She used social media sites such as LinkedIn and Monster. The
ugly truth is that barely any jobs that require a postgraduate degree were listed for graduates
who lack work experience. Employers whom were advertising jobs, in which a postgraduate
degree is a must, required a minimum of two to three years of work experience. Other entry-
level jobs that do not require work experience merely ask for a Bachelor’s degree or lower.
The question that occurred to her was if it would have been better to first gain some work
experience and then to continue the academic career of pursuing a postgraduate level. The
researcher is not alone with this sensation or problem because there are thousands of students
who continue their academic career after having graduated with a Bachelor’s degree.
Also, it currently seems that young people, especially the ones that do possess an
academic degree, have major difficulties finding work upon graduating. This is not only a
phenomenon, but also an actual problem, not just for the young graduates but also for the
entire workforce.
It is comprehensible that individuals who are just in the initial stages of their
professional careers need some transition time into the labour market. Abel et al. (2014, pp. 1-
8) explain that the percentage of recent college graduates who are unemployed or
“underemployed”, which means, working in a position that does not require the individual’s
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degree, has significantly risen, especially since the economic recession. The authors also say
that the quality of the jobs held by the underemployed has declined and still, more and more
graduates feel enforced accepting low-wage or part-time jobs. For example, the Office for
National Statistics in the UK found out that almost half of recent graduates are in non-
graduate jobs. The number has risen from already disappointing 39 percent in 2008/9 to 47
percent in 2013 (Allen, 2013).
There are a number of reasons why graduates have trouble finding their place in the
labour market. One major reason, and graduates certainly have no influence in that, are
economical crises that come and go.
Putting aside the external environment and possible lack of work experience, do they
lack any abilities that are required in the workplace for professional success such as
communication skills, time management, and leadership and problem-solving skills?
Nowadays, it is important for employers that employees not only have hard skills but a
perfect combination between the both, hard and soft skills (Rao, 2012).
Research Focus
Competition for the job market is not only intense among Gen Y’ers. Recent research
from Ernst & Young has shown that although the supply of labour has grown substantially
during the past two years, even employers face a ‘fierce’ battle to attract and retain the highest
skilled workers (Churchard, 2014). Research on unemployment in general is enormous and
information about Generation Y is sufficient and easy to gather. Interestingly, almost
everything that has been published about Generation Y does not come from Generation Y
itself. Conducted research about Generation Y, sometimes also referred to, as Millennials is
mainly attributed to Generation X and older. Hence, most of their findings are based on
opinion and observation. Even if young adults participate in research projects, findings and
analysis are formed by researchers, and they usually are not part of Generation Y. And this is
where another fresh angle of research becomes clear, as the researcher herself is part of
Generation Y.
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The researcher is particularly interested in Generation Y with college degrees,
whether they are about to achieve their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or whether graduates
have already started their career in the professional labour market.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (2013) and McCrindle
Research (2006) carried out large studies about new generations at work and how to
efficiently and effectively create a working environment in which Generation Y feels
nurtured, challenged and respected. Nonetheless, extensive research on aligning Generation Y
with other generations and problems and challenges that Generation Y might has, coming
from college into the labour market, has not yet been conducted.
According to another survey carried out by the CIPD “too few employers are engaging
with young people at school or college to build their employability skills or providing work
experience placements, apprenticeships, internships or entry level jobs for young people“
(Cipd.co.uk, 2013). This could be one reason why graduates struggle to find work. However,
there is some research of leading organisations establishing partnerships with universities and
other learning institutions to “secure a pipeline of work ready candidates, with skills that are
specific to their industry” (Steele, 2014, cited in Churchchard, 2014).
Many employers today are working hard on building a diverse workplace. The
research on diversity is vast, not just in terms of basic forms of diversity such as race,
religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity but also more specifically on diversity at the
workplace. Browaeys et al. (2011, p. 261) state that for example people with different
expertise and experience in certain kinds of projects enrich other people’s knowledge.
“Diversity itself motivates tolerance” and this means that people working together from a
diverse background is a challenge in itself but this challenge creates an environment of
collaboration and flexibility to work under potentially complex conditions. Many
international consultants and managers agree that diverse and global teams are one of the
most consistent sources of competitive advantage (Luthans et al., 2012, p. 166). A large study
carried out by Groysberg et al. (2013) gives insight on how leaders can create diverse and
inclusive organisations.
Because Generation Y has to share the workplace with other generations, it is crucial
that the researcher further investigates the area of generational diversity. She is especially
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interested in soon-to-be graduates and recent graduates of Generation Y. By finding out what
their opinions, attitudes and expectations are in terms of employment she is hoping to provide
a new and fresh angle to existing research. There seem to be some inconsistencies between
opinions of researchers, employers and maybe even parents whether today’s generation has
unrealistic career expectations or not. Therefore this research aims at finding out what Gen Y
really believes, whether they admit being very selective and/or demanding in respect to their
first career or whether that has recently changed.
Although the topic of the study is the researcher’s own interest and as a matter of fact,
she is a graduate of Generation Y herself, this study can be of great importance to other young
graduates. The study will also be significant to older generations, as many companies are
undertaking a huge effort towards making the mix of generations work.
The main research question that the researcher is interested in, is:
How successful are graduates of Generation Y in securing employment in their chosen
field?
Sub-research questions, which will be explored, are:
•
What are the challenges for recent graduates when seeking employment?
•
What recommendations can be given to soon-to-be graduates and recent graduates of how
they can better prepare themselves for the labour market?
•
What is most important when having multiple generations at work?
Overall Research Aim and Individual Research Objectives
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The overall aim of the research will be finding out what college students think of their
academic history, how they value it and most importantly how they perceive their
professional future will look like. Further, this research will assess the current topics of
Generation Y in the workplace, including what challenges and expectations employers have
to face and what kind of guidance can be given to them.
The introduced hypothesis for the research is, that:
Recent college graduates of Generation Y will have to come a long way before being in the career
they are aiming to be in.
Specifically, within the context of Generation Y in the workplace, the individual objectives of
this research are to:
1. Identify the possible causes of failure in securing employment in their chosen field.
2. Explore Generation Y’s expectations and whether they are in relation to their possible
workplace and investigate their views, values, and attitudes.
3. Evaluate critically how successful graduates of Generation Y are in securing employment
in their chosen field.
4. Formulate recommendations to soon-to-be graduates and recent graduates of how they can
better prepare themselves for the labour market.
The first objective is necessary as it is the starting point of the discussion of the researcher’s
hypothesis and the collection and evaluation of secondary data. Objective two and three
together will form the basis of the literature review but also involve the analysis of empirical
data. The researcher will add on to existing research in that area. Finally, as a result of the
literature review, findings and analysis of the questionnaires, recommendations can be given.
Value of this Research
The rationale of asking the questions is that the researcher believes it is very
interesting for current students to know the answer to these questions. It is needless to say that
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extensive research on Generation Y has already been conducted but the aim of this research is
to make students aware of what they might be expecting after they graduate and give them
guidelines of how to prepare for the job market. In practice, the topic might also be of interest
to colleges and employers/managers. They might adjust practices and consider new
opportunities that can be provided for soon-to-be graduates and recent graduates of
Generation Y. This study is neither experimental, nor longitudinal; the areas covered are of
urgent interest because it reflects the current circumstances, non-perceived because of
secondary research provided and perceived because of primary research.
Outline Structure
The next chapter of the dissertation is a literature review only. Although the main
topic discussed is Generation Y and their expectations and challenges, allusion will also be
made to the overall picture, generational diversity and how to manage a multigenerational
workforce. Chapter three covers the methodology used for this dissertation while chapter four
deals with the findings, the analysis and the synthesis of the primary research. In the
conclusion, the individual research objectives will be looked at again, stating whether they
have been achieved or not.
Chapter 2
Literature Introduction
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“The modern business has no place to hide. It has no place to go but everywhere”
(Lane et al., 1997). The international business environment is the most complex of all systems
because it includes everyone, in and outside of an organisation.
Before addressing the main topic, it is necessary to look at the overall picture.
Therefore this chapter starts by discussing diversity in general. There are numerous forms of
diversity and there seems to be no universal definition. For the dissertation, the broad term of
diversity will be narrowed down to generational diversity. Consideration of generational
diversity is crucial as this will be evident in most of today’s workplaces. There are challenges
to having multiple generations at work but if handled accordingly, it can be of great benefit,
not only to the organisation but also to the individual. In order to successfully manage
multiple generations at work, managers should fully understand each generation’s
expectations, values and communication styles. Then it is to align them and find a common
ground so that organisations together can hit the ground running. Generation Y will be
discussed in detail, giving more attention to graduates of Generation Y. Focus will be put on
the expectations and challenges they have. Finally, the whole picture from the employer’s
perspective will be looked at, addressing their expectations and challenges and how these can
turn into benefits for them.
Diversity
Authors and researchers and those people that teach or train about diversity seem to
not agree on a universal definition for diversity, however, most would agree that they do align
with each other. There are various forms of definitions ranging from broad to detailed
explanations. According to Thomas, diversity simply includes “individuals who are different
in some ways and similar in others” (Thomas, 1999, p. 5).
Loden (1996, p. 16) uses primary and secondary dimensions to describe diversity. The
primary dimensions include race, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and
mental/physical abilities and those cannot easily be changed while the secondary dimensions
such as religion, communication style, education, income and geographical location are more
interchangeable.
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Diversity itself is not a new phenomenon but there is a growing recognition that it is
not only considered as a morally good thing but also businesses see the necessity of
embracing it (Clements and Jones, 2006, p. 5). Certainly, embracing it does not mean to
merely include ‘diversity’ in business policies, rather it is to demonstrate day-to-day activities
for people and actually celebrating diversity. This can include the engagement of education, a
training and recognition programme and open communication.
Wynne proposes that there are five different forms of diversity in the EU workplace
and he claims that businesses must be prepared to address all of them. The suggested forms of
diversity are older workers, members of ethnic minorities, members of certain religions,
women and workers with disabilities (Wynne, 2012, p. 32).
There seems to be a disagreement within Wynne’s statement as he says that the ageing
of the population has guaranteed that fewer young employees are entering the workforce
every year. Although it now is more important than ever to retain older employees by keeping
them in good health, productive and motivated as they have the experience and the knowledge
that younger employees yet have to gain, more and more Baby Boomers will soon retire and
younger people will start entering the workforce. And although those younger people bring
fewer and sometimes no professional experience to the workplace, they are to be valued as
well because they have excellent theoretical skills and what is more, they are computer savvy.
Having a working culture of multiple generations is challenging and often times not easy but
it is of significant value if treated appropriately.
Diversity aligns well with a learning organisation. Pedler et al. (1989) describe it as
not simply an organisation, which sticks to a comprehensive training but rather an
organisation “which facilitates the learning of all its members and continuously transforms
itself”. A learning organisation is described as where “one lives and breathes knowledge
acquisition and skill development” – the ultimate extension of ‘learning on the job’ (Price,
2007, p. 516). Hence, it is crucial aligning all these diverse members in the workforce; these
are Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. It needs to be investigated where values
of the different groups of people can be aligned.
Generational Diversity
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The term ‘generation’ will briefly be considered before the topic around generational
diversity is discussed. A generation is an “identifiable group that shares birth years, age,
location and significant life events at critical development stages” (Kupperschmidt, 2000).
Lancanster and Stillman (2005) describe that generations have developed their own
‘personality’ shaped by events, icons and conditions that have an influence on attitudes as
well as values of each person within that generation. Owing to exactly this fact, it is
paramount to not only be aware of different generations but to be able to manage them
accordingly.
Studies and research on diversity are widespread but generational diversity has
received less attention. According to Matin and Tulgan (2002), the newest diversity issue in
the workplace is age diversity. Principal of McCrindle Research, Mark McCrindle, also
believes that intergenerational conflict outweighs gender and cultural conflict as the biggest
issue facing today’s workplace (McCrindle Research, 2006 cited in Dorizas, 2009). Because
most organisations employ a diverse range of generations, this topic needs greater
consideration. Also, as this dissertation’s focus is Generation Y in the workforce, it is
important to consider generational diversity because multiple age groups are at work.
Referring back to the above-mentioned definition about diversity, “individuals who are
different in some ways and similar in others”, the question arises how different or how similar
are the various generations?
Backes-Gellner and Veen (2013) found out that increasing age diversity has a positive
effect on company productivity, however, only if a company’s preference is in creative rather
than routine work. The diversity in terms of interests and attitudes among people of different
ages is huge and more than ever it is important to find common consensus because that is
what eventually will lead to organisational competitive advantage. In order to be able to make
sense of some differences and similarities, some of the beliefs and attitudes of three
generations that are currently in the workforce will be considered.
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This table was adapted from Clare Mulligan, www.claremulliganconsultig.ie
From the table above it seems that the three generations are completely different in
terms of opinions and attitudes relating to the job. However, other aspects such as ‘work-life
balance’ were not considered. Generation Y is famous for demanding a proper ‘work-life
balance’ but Baby Boomers and Generation X also need some kind of balance to remain
happy, creative and productive at the workplace. According to Klun (2008), “work-life
balance is a cross-generational concern – and a key to retaining high performers”. Some main
characteristics of Baby Boomers and Generation X will briefly be discussed before studying
Generation Y in further detail.
Some basic characteristics of Baby Boomers are that they have a strong work ethic;
they are goal oriented and highly competitive (Gavatorta, 2012). They assume that working
overtime is a given as it was during this generation that the normal working week started to
increase from 40 hours per week (Cekada, 2012). Whether one holds an academic degree or
not, Baby Boomers believe that it is imperative to work your way up with experience (Bruce
Mayhew Consulting, 2014). Scheef and Thielfoldt (2004), describe that many companies
experience their major generational difference or disagreement when Boomer managers have
to manage younger employees who, according to their opinion, “don’t fit the mold”. Here
allusion may be made to loyalty. In general, Baby Boomers are considered to manifest loyalty
to their company and Generation Y are typically seen as disloyal to their employers.
According to Gavatorta (2012), Gen Xer’s main characteristics are that they are
extremely individualistic and technologically proficient, and demanding a high work-life
balance. In fact, most literature agrees that this age group is the one that request a balance
between home and work more than any other generation. While Generation X is somewhat
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
Age Group
48-66
32-47
13-31
Career Goals
Stellar Career
Portable Career
Parallel/
Boundaryless
Careers
Rewards
Money, Title,
Recognition, Corner
Office
Freedom
Work that has
meaning
Job Changing
Puts you behind
Is necessary
Is expected
Training
Train them too much
and they will leave
The more they learn,
the more they will
stay
Continuous learning
is a way of life
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similar to Generation Y, Gen X’ers are often renowned for their scepticism and negativity
while Gen Y’ers are more known to be optimistic. Many sources claim similar characteristics
for Generation X and Generation Y but then they state that the generations are hugely
different in terms of values, opinions and expectations. Is that really the case? For instance,
members of Generation X are known to place a high value on family time, a high work-life
balance and that they are eager to learn new skills while having meaningful work. The same is
often said for members of Generation Y. Based on the perception of Generation Y, part of the
primary research will look at whether the different generation are similar or not.
Generation Y
Gen Y’ers are sometimes also referred to as Millenials or the New Boomers, however
“Generation Y” is the term that is most popular. Different literature presents different birth
years for Generation Y. While some authors say that Gen Y’ers are people born between 1984
and 2004, others say they are born between 1980 and 1999. There is no universal definition of
birth years for Generation Y.
Generation Y is an enormously optimistic, educated, energetic and compassionate
generation (Kehrli and Sopp, 2006). They seem to know what they want and they are not
afraid to ask for it. Members of Generation Y are described to be the ‘masters’ of the Internet
because they are extremely confident with technology (Hayes, 2006). They are also
characterised as being incredibly independent (Seidl, 2008) and creative and team oriented
(Blake, 2011).
Generation Y is labelled in such different ways, that it seems there is an abundance of
information. There is no doubt that those young people shape the modern workplace, but if
too much attention is given to the younger working population, older generations might feel
that they are pushed away. Eime (2011) correctly acknowledges “despite the imperative to
engage and attract the younger generation of talented candidates for the future, older,
experienced workers should not be ignored for immediate needs”. In many cases, that seems
to be the case.
More often than not, members of Generation Y are, above all, portrayed as being very
narcissistic. That does not arise from nowhere. Most parents of Generation Y raised their
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children in a way that they received praise for each and every little thing. Erickson (2008)
says that detractors criticise Generation Y “as products of a misguided movement in parenting
and education designed to buffer children from the negative effects of competition and build
self-esteem – an approach, they argue, that has filled them with false self-confidence.”
Whether this rather open statement is to be considered as true or not, it should be taken into
account that those whom label Generation Y as narcissistic despite knowing the term and
meaning of being narcissistic, the definition of the term might change overtime. As some
words are being added or taken out of dictionaries, some terms need new elucidation.
All the attributes about Generation Y, positive and negative, are sometimes not only
contradictive in itself but they also represent a catalogue of generalisations. Every so often
that can be considered extremely criticising. Many authors fail to recognise one important
point and that is the acknowledgement of precisely those generalisations made. Gelbart and
Komninos (2012) consider these generalisations quite serious. Individuals of Generation Y
grew up in different socio-economic circumstances. Some individuals are well educated while
others are not. Some have parents where both were working to build a career while others
may only have had one parent that worked and in some cases, parents were not working at all.
These situations, as well as the financial position, education and general knowledge, affect
and shape each individual. Therefore, it is inappropriate categorising Generation Y, in fact,
any generation.
Graduates of Generation Y
After graduating college, it becomes extremely important to get things sorted and to
plan what will happen next. While some students start reflecting on things while still in
college, for example if they are on the road of achieving their goals, if their goals have
changed, what they have learned so far, if they already know in which industry and what
companies to apply and much more, others only start thinking about it upon graduating
college. Having work experience or not, Twyford (2007) states that “Gen Y graduates are the
future”.
A study carried out in 2006 asking executives and human resource managers of more
than 400 companies on their opinion about Generation Y revealed that college graduates of
today only have “adequate” professionalism, innovation, creativity, critical thinking, and
20
problem-solving skills (Ellin, 2014). Whether Generation Y agrees or disagrees with those
findings of that particular study, it is crucial to concede that this is the perception of
managers.
Generation Y is criticised for their ‘pickiness’ and unrealistic career expectations
(Gray, 2008). Many sources will agree with this statement. However, there are others, such as
Alice Swanson, (professor at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business and
president of Learn to Earn Workshops, which trains college seniors and recent graduates on
interpreting their skills, interviewing and finding their first career occupation,) who as a
matter of fact has talked to hundreds of college graduates, and she came to the conclusion that
the trend of being ‘picky’ about the first job seems to have declined. She explains that
graduates know they need to start low and work hard (Swanson, 2008).
Challenges for Graduates of Generation Y
Many college students work part-time to finance their tuition fees. Often times, these
part-time jobs are not related to their field of studies. They work at grocery stores, fast food
restaurants, restaurants, hotels or call centres. One major challenge for recent college
graduates is that they need to learn to sell their skills in the right way. This leads to the
assumption that these young people will not get any far by merely telling in an interview that
they worked at restaurants during the summer or during college. However, if they explain that
while working at a restaurant for example, they have gained significant customer experience
and work commitment; that is a great benefit to employers (Swanson, 2008).
It might be a big challenge to convert theoretical skills and knowledge into practice,
especially for the ones whom only have little to no working experience at all. Twyford (2007)
explains that in today’s work environment, it is important to “think outside the square and
towards solutions”.
Another challenge but also an opportunity is that even before graduating, it is
important to start networking and building relationships. Many researchers for example agree
that providing an accurate and comprehensive LinkedIn-account can benefit long before
applying for jobs. Schlesinger (2013) says that presenting yourself on LinkedIn can become a
great asset.
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Nevertheless, despite having a decent college degree, numerous graduates are facing
unemployment, underemployment as well as fierce competition from experienced workers
(Schlichting, 2012). A study carried out by High Fliers, a company that analyses graduate
recruitment data from 30 universities in the UK reveal that graduates who had worked while
in college were three times more likely to get a job. Martin Birchall, the managing director of
the company concluded “Work experience is no longer an optional extra for university
students, it’s an essential part of preparing for the graduate job market” (cited in Graduate
Fog, 2013).
Many reports talk about how recent graduates are unsuccessful at finding jobs that are
suited to their level of education (Abel, Deitz and Su, 2014). Regardless whether graduates
are under or overqualified for jobs, have enough working experience or not, one major reason
why graduates fail to obtain a job is recession times. The authors also found out that recent
graduates, if they find a job, have to take on low-wage positions. This raises the question,
whether members of Generation Y should still be advised to go to pursue a postgraduate
degree. Rosemary Guzman Hook, a certified career coach and executive recruiter at Hook
The Talent, Inc., emphasises to not undervalue experience. She said that a Master’s degree
might impress potential employers, but so will the experience (Olson, 2013). By all means, it
is true that for many years it has proven that a college degree was a great benefit but is it still
a great benefit today? Those young graduates that are struggling to find a job might become
discouraged and regretful and start thinking about how it might have been more advantageous
to complete an apprenticeship after graduating from high school. This is a serious issue, as it
would certainly question today’s educational system.
There are also some people, that start studying a certain area of studies that they are
very interested in but already know from early on that their final qualification will not prove
worthwhile because they either cannot live from the income that their job will bring or they
might just not find work in that field. That might leave them with a high amount of student
dept, unemployment or taking on employment that might only be part-time and/or in a
different sector. A general issue is that “43 percent of Gen Y workers are not in the career
they expected to be; 70 percent of recent college grads left their jobs within two years and 60
percent are looking for another.”(Gen Y workers are ready to take off’, 2008). In their study,
Abel, Deitz and Su (2014) investigated the unemployment rate between recent college
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graduates and just college graduates and they came to the conclusion that the unemployment
rate for recent graduates is higher than for the ones that have been out of school longer. This
suggests that it is unequivocally usual for graduates to go through a transition time when
leaving college. With reference to Abel’s, Deitz’ and Su’s (2014) analysis, the resulting
system indicates, that there is a strong tendency that recent graduates experience a high rate of
underemployment upon graduation. However, the high rate of underemployment seems to
decrease as these college graduates get some experience in the labour market. Taking the
aforementioned question into consideration, whether a college degree today is still a benefit,
based on Abel et al.’s findings, a college degree is worth it. Nevertheless, young people
would need to accept that they might have to take on jobs that do not require their degree.
That is part of the transition time, which seems to be inevitable to leave out. Therefore, the
next section of this dissertation will have a focal point on the transition from college to work.
Transition from College to Work
Louisa May Alcott, an American novelist, once said “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m
preparing to sail my ship” (Ryan, 1996, p. 69). Just like Alcott, college students are getting
ready for their life after college. Life after college can be extremely scary but also very
exciting. In McClellan and Parkers’ book, ‘Stepping up to stepping out’ (2012) McAtee
remarks that how the transition experience occurs for students will depend upon a
combination of factors, such as individual circumstances, how the student deals with change
and unknown anticipations and not to mention how well a student is prepared for his/her
change. In his book, ‘Counseling Adults in Transition, Schlossberg (1984, pp. 136 – 142)
suggests a theory which can be used to help students through their transition period from
college to work. Despite the publication year of the book, his theory may still proof valid
today. Schlossberg proposed four elements that are frequently described as the 4Ss: How a
graduate deals with his/her transition from college to work will be influenced by the situation,
the self, the support that a student has and the available strategies such as the different choices
for undertaking future steps.
The training act of predetermined behaviour is also known as ‘programming’. Barr
and Keating (1985, p. 3) explain it as a “theoretically based plan, under which action is taken
toward a goal within the context of institutions of higher education”. This is where student
services of colleges can come into play. They can help students establishing or expanding
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their catalogue or checklist for themselves. By asking the right questions relating to the before
mentioned 4Ss, student’s inevitable process from leaving college to preparing or starting their
career can be made smoothly for them. It will give them support and reassurance in terms of
their important future.
Some people belonging to the traditionalist generation (64 years and older) and fewer
from the Boomer generation (aged 46 to 63) do not understand why young people go to a
university at all. In their opinion they should just learn what people in their generation have
learned, such as becoming a carpenter, blacksmith, bricklayer etc. Many Gen X’ers believe
that young people have no plan what to do with their future and hence, they just enrol
themselves at colleges and universities to study something that is close to their interest.
McAtee (2012) however, puts in plain words that the number-one reason students go to a
university is to get a job. There are students who witness their parents losing jobs and more
and more young people are conscious towards rising prices and weak economic conditions.
That is why the transition from college to work might be the scariest of all.
It can be assumed that many students and/or graduates are not aware that there are
many programmes available to support students in the transition time from college to work.
McAtee (2012) explains that the various programmes range from formal organisations such as
the NCRC (Nationally Recognized Career Readiness Certificate) or Workkeys to more
general workshops. He describes some of the common programme subject matters such as
mock interviews, service learning, internships, and job shadows. Other renowned topics for
example are workshops on resumes, cover letters, thank-you –notes, job search strategies,
networking and salary negotiating training etc. (McAtee, 2012, p. 35). Whatever transition a
graduate may go through, each transition will bring its individual set of challenges, emotions,
and achievements.
Ray and Kafka (2014) recently conducted Gallup-poll study of college graduates that
looked at the links among college experience and graduates’ lives. Their overall conclusion
was that the type of institution students attended, whether small or large, public or private,
very selective or less selective matters less than what kind of experiences students have made.
There was no difference when comparing young adults’ workplace engagement and current
well-being. These findings suggest that life and the experience in college made have a huge
impact of life after college. That comment does not only refer to colleges’ career service but
greatly to student’s abilities to make friends, how to deal with problems and time pressure,
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and how well they work in teams. It can be presumed that college provides one with
experiences that cannot easily be gained at work.
Expectations
Much research has been conducted about Gen Y’s attitudes and their approach to
work. Research on Gen Y by Drake International resulted into the assumption that the salary
is not the only important factor Gen Y’ers weigh up when accepting a job (cited in Twyford,
2007). Gen Y is attracted by “professional growth and development, work-life balance,
variety, social interaction, responsibility and input, and reward and recognition. ” Twyford
(2007) has talked to graduates whom just started their professional career and many of them
are not too concerned with remuneration at this point of time. They want an interesting and
challenging but supportive work environment where they can learn from those with more
experience and expertise. Again, this aligns with what Swanson (2008) has said. “When
you’re starting out, money isn’t the key, it’s where the job can lead is important”.
Recent college graduates frequently enter the workplace with a short-term career
outlook. They seem to have no goals of growing within their job or even within their first
company (Wallace, 2001). This is based on observations of Paddy Nelson, HR director of a
technology company. Wallace also notes that most graduates are remarkably confident and
for that reason, Generation Y feels absolutely comfortable negotiating higher salaries.
Hewlett, Sherbin, and Sumberg (2009) also state, that across all sectors, only 45 percent of
Gen Y workers expect to work for their current employer for their entire career. Is it
reasonable to state that only 45 percent of Gen Y workers expect to stay with their current
employer until retirement? This must be recognised as a generational perception.
Understandably, when comparing the careers of Traditionalist and Baby Boomers, it was
typical and people expected to stay with an employer for a long time but nowadays that has
changed. Many authors are very direct and try to generalise a lot and this could make some
members of the Gen Y think that a lot of what they are doing or thinking is wrong because it
is different from what older generations have done. Similarly and probably more likely, older
generations are prone to think that Generation Y is wrong in many circumstances because
they are so different from their generation. One example of a significant difference between
Generation Y and older generations is the perception and value of ‘feedback’. The next
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section will focus on Gen Y and feedback, as Gen Y employees, unlike other generations,
place a very high value on relationships (Behrstock-Sherratt and Coggshall, 2010).
Gen Y on Feedback
Gen Y members are eager to see their daily contributions have positive changes at
work (Behrstock-Sherratt and Coggshall, 2010). There is an enormous amount of authors that
hold the position that Generation Y needs continuous praise. However, most of the authors
who write about Generation Y are not Generation Y itself. Would Generation Y agree to the
statement that they need constant approval and praise? This question correlates well with an
article that discusses challenges, which employers have with Generation Y. It says that
members of Generation Y, as they were raised, were told daily how special and wonderful
they are and if Generation Y does not hear that praise from their employer for about a week,
they might assume they are not doing a good job. “Complimenting them three times a week
makes a huge difference” (Blake, 2011). It might be natural to approve to this statement,
particularly those people that are not members of Generation Y, but it is crucial to give more
thought to it. Is the statement true? Who all agrees to it? It cannot be denied that it is naturally
for everyone to want to receive praise and recognition and feedback but it is of particular
interest to distinguish between positive and negative feedback. Is Generation Y open towards
negative feedback? The researcher came across a recent study carried out by Joseph Folkman,
a behavioural statistician who investigated whether Generation Y really aims at receiving
honest feedback. His study revealed that 66% of the respondents (1026 surveyed in total),
preferred some helpful, corrective feedback, rather than praise or recognition for a job well
done (Folkman, 2014). Hence, his recent findings do not relate to what many authors say
about Generation Y needing continuous feedback.
Advice that can be given for feedback is that it needs to be well thought out. It must
not only be honest but also constructive. It is neither fair nor professional labelling a young
employee as naïve, idle, or unskilled. Any criticism without advice and direction will generate
feelings of frustration, vulnerability and incapability by the employee (Schlichting, 2012).
This however, should not only apply to Generation Y but every individual, no matter what
generation he/she is in.
