Gen Y: United States - Steelcase

Gen Y: United States
©2011 Steelcase Inc.
WorkSpace Futures Group

workspace futures
Table of Contents
Introduction..................................................................................... 2
Executive Summary........................................................................ 4
Key Questions................................................................................. 7
Our Process.................................................................................... 8
Phase 1: Understand.................................................................... 10
Phase 1: Understand — Key Findings.......................................... 34
Phase 2: Observe.......................................................................... 36
Phase 2: Observe — What we saw: Summary............................. 59
Phase 3: Synthesize...................................................................... 66
Key Shifts...................................................................................... 67
Design Principles.......................................................................... 76
Phase 4: Realize............................................................................ 82
Phase 4: Spatial Concepts........................................................... 83
In Closing...................................................................................... 92
The Team....................................................................................... 93
Notes/Bibliography....................................................................... 94
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introduction
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Bim
Introduction
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introduction
Why study Gen Y
in the United States?
A few thoughts before we dive in...
The mission of Steelcase WorkSpace Futures (WSF) is to
learn more about the needs of workers, and to uncover emerging
behavioral patterns that will likely be of significant importance
to our company and our customers. Our data collection methods
include observation of end-users in their work environments,
structured and informal interviews, and still photography and/or
video ethnography to capture behaviors, and people’s interaction
with their spaces and artifacts.
Through storytelling, we uncover patterns of behavior and
unmet user needs. We synthesize these patterns, together
with secondary research, and distill them down to key insights.
These insights then lead us to design principles, which in turn
are used by our product and application designers to develop
new concepts.
For this project, we focused on members of Generation Y –
all 70 million of them.
The value of understanding Generation Y and their growing
impact on the workplace (and world) cannot be underestimated.
Simply put, Gen Y is not optional. You don’t try this generation
on for size or sell to them in select markets. Generation Y is a tidal
wave and it’s heading our way, bringing big changes in how we’ll
work, play, interact and, ultimately, live with each other.
So, now it’s our turn as a company – and a society – to make
a decision. Do we cover our heads? Scramble for high ground?
Or do we grab our boards and ride this wave we call Gen Y as
far and as fast as it will take us?
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Executive Summary
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Photomorphic
Executive Summary
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Executive SUmmary
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures conducted a nine-month study
of Generation Y, starting in the summer of 2008. The team
included researchers from WorkSpace Futures, as well as
graduate students from Pennsylvania State University and the
Georgia Institute of Technology. The project was inspired by the
need to understand the shifting demographics in the workplace,
and what offices might look like in twenty years. Key objectives
of the project were to research the needs and expectations of
Generation Y – at work and in life – as well as the influence
Gen Y will have on work and the workplace.
When it comes to Gen Y, there are a host of strong influencing
factors – life patterns, technologies, political and social events,
etc. – that have been evolving into notably new characteristics
and behaviors. These individuals are tech savvy, diverse and
socially minded with shifting loyalties that place the needs of
family, peers and society before those of their employer.
These new behaviors and expectations are leading to key shifts
that will strongly influence work, work-life and work environments:
Work does not identify them
• They seek meaningful work and transparency
• A new “career lattice” structure is replacing the traditional
corporate ladder
The workplace is where they are
• Anyplace, 24/7 – “office” is about connecting
Technology is an extension of themselves and an integral
part of life
Identity is developed through impact, recognition and
collective success
Career focus is on continuous growth and development
through mentoring and peer-to-peer collaboration
Those behavioral shifts are directly impacting work styles and
environments, as Generation Y seek out – and even demand –
workplaces that:
• Reflect their style and culture
• Are socially conscious
• Provide organizational transparency
• Support growth through feedback/mentoring
• Support true work-life integration
• Match cognitive intensity
• Leverage social networks
• Integrate technology
But the behavioral and cultural shifts of Gen Y will influence
organizations beyond just work practices and work environments.
This generation will greatly impact product development, policies,
marketing methods and a wide range of business strategies. This
is not Gen X, part two.
This generation has different values, new priorities and
reassessed loyalties. It is incumbent on organizations to think
differently about work as a whole in order to attract and engage
these employees. Companies will also have to think differently
about benefits and policies. Monetary incentives and other
advancement tools don’t work the same way for this generation.
Generation Y has a very progressive and distinct point of view
about the way business should be and could be done and these
new perspectives are bound to turn many current corporate
practices on their ear.
The research in this document illustrates new and emerging
trends at a macro level in the areas of work, worker, work-life,
work environments, Human Resources, and business strategies.
Work-life balance is paramount
Focus is on connections and building social capital
through networks
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Project Overview
Project Overview
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures conducted a nine month
study of Generation Y starting in the summer of 2008. Though
the work was initiated, led and owned by Steelcase, the study
was a collaborative effort. Individuals from Pennsylvania State
University and Georgia Institute of Technology were also involved
in the work and added value to the overall project.
Why the study on Generation Y? There are two primary
issues that initiated the exploration of Generation Y.
Shifting demographics at workplace
Generation Y represents the next large group in the workforce.
75 million Baby Boomers will be retiring in the next 10-20 years.
Once the Baby Boomers begin to retire, Gen Y will take their
place. A glance at the Steelcase North American workforce
reveals that more than 50% of its current workers will be replaced
by Gen Y in the next 10-20 years. This scenario is typical for most
companies in North America and we need to respond to this
upcoming shift proactively.
Due to various influencing factors, Gen Y has also grown up very
differently than previous generations. They have different needs
and expectations about work and life, which have generated
unique perspectives on the changing nature of work and the
future of work environments.
Offices in 20 years?
During a technology conference at a leading university,
a question was raised. “Will there be offices in the next 20+
years?” Surprisingly, the answer was a unanimous “NO!” Both
students and faculty members from the audience believed that,
in the future, work will be more global and that technology will
be the driving force – enabling work to happen any place, any
time. In this new world, the offices we all know today would
simply be redundant.
The reaction was intriguing, but raised some obvious questions:
Why and how are the perceptions of the office changing with
new generations?
What are the needs and expectations of Generation Y, at work
and in life?
How will Generation Y influence work and the workplace?
The primary issues raised on this page provided strong reasons
for WSF to engage in the study of Generation Y.
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Key Questions
Key questions
Review of Research Methods
Exploration began with 5 Key Questions...
1. Who is Gen Y? What are their wants, needs and expectations –
both at work and in life? How is this similar to or different from
other generations?
2. What is the nature of their social contract? What do they feel
they owe employers? What do they feel employers owe them?
3. What do trust and privacy mean to them? How do they develop
trust online?
Breakout of Companies Studied
Company type
# Participants
...........................................................................................................
IT & Engineering 62
Manufacturing 39
Finance 37
Consulting 24
...........................................................................................................
TOTAL 162
4. What does work-life balance mean to Gen Y?
5. How will Gen Y influence work and the workplace?
How may the workplace evolve to accommodate Gen Y?
The team employed a human-centered design process, beginning
with a broad cut of secondary research. Next, they conducted
observations at 9 corporations that employ Gen Y across
North America, using a variety of observational techniques.
The companies studied ranged from regional firms with
a few hundred employees to global corporations with over
one hundred thousand employees. Researchers then synthesized
the findings through the lens of the physical environment,
guiding the development of strategies, products and spaceplanning
solutions.
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Introduction
Research Methods
Introduction
Our Research Process
At WorkSpace Futures, we follow a rigorous six-stage, human-centered design
process. We borrow heavily from techniques in ethnography and cultural anthropology.
Through the research process, we have built a rich qualitative description of Gen Y
in order to provide a meaningful context for our key research questions.
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introduction
UNDERSTAND
Learning from subject experts regarding trends,
business impacts and new techniques and technologies.
OBSERVE
Collecting information firsthand through asking open-ended
questions, observing people and processes, and engaging
participants in co-creation activities to uncover new patterns
of behaviors.
SYNTHESIZE
Recognizing patterns and anomalies from both secondary
research and observation, allowing us to develop insights
and new concepts.
REALIZE
Ideating solutions, through sketches, floor plans and strategies.
This becomes the mode of communication for sharing our
research findings.
PROTOTYPE
Converting solutions into prototypes enables us to elicit feedback
from real users as we develop concepts from the Realize phase.
This allows us to document evidence of progress and refine
solution prototypes for higher chances of success.
(Gen Y has not yet reached this stage of exploration.)
MEASURE
Developing meaningful measures for testing prototypes allows us
to validate our solutions against identified user needs, for product
design as well as space applications. Measurement activities
can include pre- and post-occupancy surveys, time-lapse video
observation, simulation exercises with users, and IRB-approved
experiments with users.
(Gen Y has not yet reached this stage of exploration.)
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understand
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/andipantz
Understand
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understand
The big picture
Understand
Gen Y at a glance
5,000,000
76 m
Generation Y is a cohort – a generational group as defined
in demographics, statistics or market research – consisting
of people born between the years 1980-2000.
4,000,000
70 m
The transition from one generation to the next is not defined
by a formal process, but rather by popular culture, the media,
market research and even by the members of the generations
themselves. The transition from Gen X to Gen Y wasn’t generated
by a marquee event – like the strong rise in births right after the
end of World War II for the Baby Boomer generation – but most
would agree that 9/11 is a generation-defining event for those
born between 1980-2000 (+/- 3 yrs).
Gen Y are the children of later Baby Boomers. There are roughly
70 million Gen Y in the US, making them the second largest
generation, preceeded only by their Baby Boomer parents.
In comparison, there were only 50 million Gen X born during
their respective years. Gen Y are young. The oldest are barely
30 years old, the youngest are still in 3rd grade.
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
50 m
Baby Boomers
Gen X
Gen Y
1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
US Annual Birth Rate
Generations Years of Birth
Baby Boomers 1945 - 1964
Gen X 1965 - 1979
Gen Y 1980 - 2000
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understand
Generational Study
Why study gen y?
Gen Y is the fastest-growing segment of the workforce,
growing from 14% to 21% of the workforce over the past
four years.
There are approximately 76 million Baby Boomers (45-65 years
old) and most of them will be phasing out of the workforce in the
next 10-20 years, at the rate of approximately 4 million per year.
This will create a huge deficit as the next generation, Gen X,
is limited by its size of only 50 million. So as Baby Boomers
phase out, it will be Gen Y who will be assuming their place
at a rapid rate.
Generation Y has evolved very differently compared to previous
generations due to factors such as ubiquitous technology, rapid
globalization, unique parenting trends and the global economy.
This generation has unique behaviors and a point of view about
work and the workplace which has huge potential implications
for work practice, work environment design, commerce,
business and policy.
Gen Y understand and respond to globalization and technology
differently than previous generations. They have tremendous
economic influence. They’ve watched their parents deal with
shifting economic conditions and realize that things can and do
change. They are collaborative and believe in a networked world.
They are born with technology and had to adapt to new and
evolving technologies since early childhood and can easily
do so to keep their competitive edge – they’re driven by it.
They are talented and ambitious. They’re globally aware and
are looking to leave their mark both at work and on society.
What defines a Generation?
A generation is more than just its age. A generation is defined
by shared life events along with shared context in terms of
politics, culture, economy, technology and societal trends.
A generation refers to a cohort of people born within a
span of time in which particular trends, technologies and
events have significantly shaped them. These occurrences
experienced in one’s formative years are called social markers
or generational indicators.
A generation has traditionally been defined as the average
interval of time between the birth of parents and the birth of
their offspring. Most generations today are cycling on 15-20 year
intervals, meaning every 15-20 years, a new generation begins.
...........................................................................................................
Traditionals (over 65 yrs.) 1925 - 1944
Baby Boomers (45 - 65 yrs.) 1945 - 1964
Gen X (30 - 45 yrs.) 1965 - 1979
Gen Y - Millenials (9 - 29 yrs.) 1980 - 2000
...........................................................................................................
The above are general timeframes for US generations.
Other nationalities and cultures would reflect different dates.
Historically, the dates are chosen based on birth rates. However,
because recent cohorts are changing so quickly in response
to new technologies, changing societal values and shifts in the
average age of marriage and first-time mothers, birth rates are
proving less relevant as a generational determinant.
Current U.S. Workforce
75 million Baby Boomers 50 million Gen X 70 million Gen Y
14%
Gen Y
21%
Gen X
20%
Under 20
33%
Boomers
12%
Over 65
The current US workforce – represented by the gray box – is
comprised of Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y.
Steelcase N.A. demographics 56.1% 33.5% 7.4%
at a glance (Yr. 2008) BB Gen X Gen Y
Population Breakdown by Generation
Source: Population Division US Census Bureau Data released May 2007
Note: The Millenials segment has grown from 14% in May 2007 to 21% as
of January 2009.
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The Timeline
To better understand the dynamics of how generations
develop characteristics – specifically the evolution of Gen Y
characteristics – we conducted a unique timeline activity at
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures to identify the key events that
have influenced each generation.
We brought together 20 people whose ages spanned three
generations. We asked them to think about the most memorable
moments in their lives related to pop culture, technology,
economics, sports and entertainment, politics, work and
societal events.
On a 25’ wall, we marked out a timeline from 1945 to 2008
segmented into four categories – culture, economics, politics
and technology. We then had participants place sticky notes on
the timeline to mark each event. Sticky notes were color coded
for each generation and included the participant’s birth year,
as well as the year and title of the event itself.
In the end, the notes were mapped on a digital timeline
for analysis.
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A timeline of influential events
This timeline represents an activity conducted by the WorkSpace
Futures team in June 2008 to identify many key events that have
influenced each generation. Note: Generations are determined by
their birth years, but the impressionable years are a bit different
as indicated by solid lines below.
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understand
Timeline of events
Understand
“I have a dream...”
Woodstock
Cold War
The boob tube
Star Trek
Anything electronic
Wide use of the Pill
Collapse of the Berlin Wall
Rise in divorce rate
Birth of MADD
September 11th
Internet
Helicopter parents
IM
Portable technology
Globalization
Baby Boomers
As seen in the timeline above, Boomers
have been heavily influenced by the Cold
War and the Vietnam War. Their parents
survived the Great Depression and World
Wars. They saw the assassinations of JFK
and MLK. They were hippies. They worked
for civil rights. They helped invent the
computer and saw the first man land
on the moon.
Generation X
Gen X entered the workforce when the PC
and Silicon Valley were beginning to boom
during a time of growing prosperity and
peace. They experienced the beginning
of outsourcing and the first of the major
corporate layoffs. They saw many friends
die of AIDS. They also helped bring down
the Berlin Wall and end the Cold War.
Generation Y
Gen Y enters at the dawn of the global
digital economy – computers, TV, mobile
phones. They get their news from the
internet, reality TV, MTV and The Daily
Show. They stay connected through
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and are
globally aware. They’ve grown up in a time,
not of world war, but terrorism. They are
the children of the Baby Boomers.
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Other Influencing factors
There are many events that may strongly influence the lives
of individuals, but not find themselves reflected in any timeline
of national or world events. Four of these additional cultural
influencers are highlighted below. It is important to notice
the relation of each chart below to the time scale.
26
28
Divorces per 1,000 married women
24
22
20
18
14
12
10
08
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
Men
Women
1950
2000 1950
2000
US Divorce Rate
The rise in divorce rates, as the timing in the chart above
suggests, could be a key event in the lives of many Gen X and
Gen Y. The divorce rate skyrockets during the early childhood
and teen years of Gen X – these are their parents who are getting
divorced. Parents act as role models for the development of
values and expectations about marriage/relationships.
Age of First Marriage
The chart above shows the overall trend toward later marriage
in both Gen X and Gen Y. This postponement has resulted in
more time and resources devoted to personal interests – such
as taking a job in another part of the country (or world!), travel,
recreational activities and community involvement. This trend may
also indicate a prolonged period of dependence and immaturity.
45
40
1000
Births per 1,000 women 15-44
35
30
25
20
15
10
05
Index (1900 - 100)
800
400
200
100
GDP
Trend
1950
2000 1900 1950
2000
Single Motherhood
This chart illustrates an increasing trend toward unmarried
mothers, which has become a particularly strong trait for Gen X
in past years. For Gen Y, this trend has played a role in reducing
the social stigma of single parenthood or same-sex parents,
as well as making it more socially acceptable to delay having
children until later in life.
US GDP Growth
Here we see one of the most influential factors – economics.
In recent years, we have been enjoying economic prosperity
which afforded Gen Y opportunities not available to previous
cohorts. It will be interesting to see the impact of current
economic troubles on the development of Gen Y.
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Who is Gen Y?
20%
Gen X
55 million
30%
Boomers
76 million
28%
Gen Y
70 million
22%
Traditionals
55 million
A Generation by any other name...
There are many words used to describe this generation. Some
of these alternative names, generally considered synonymous
with Generation Y, include:
• Gen Y: To allude to this cohort’s successional relationship
to Generation X.
• Echo Boomers: Relates to the size of this generation with respect
to the Baby Boomer era. The actual “Echo Boom” was a five-year
span between 1989 and 1993, when – for the first time since
1964 – the number of live births exceeded four million.
• Millennials: Gen Y actually coined the term Millennials
themselves and have expressed a wish not to be associated
closely with Gen X.
• Trophy Kids: A term that reflects the trend in competitive sports
(as well as other aspects of life) where “no one loses” and
everyone gets a “thanks for participating” trophy.
• I Generation / Net Generation / e-Generation / Generation ME:
Relates to their close connection to technology and innovations
such as iPods, iPhones and their extreme reliance on the
internet. The term also relates to this generation’s focus
on themselves.
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Time spent with internet exceeds
time spent with any other media
6 hrs - Reading books and magazines (not for school)
13.6 hrs - Watching TV
12 hrs - Listening to the radio
7.7 hrs - Talking on the phone (including land lines and cell phones)
16.7 hrs - On the internet (not counting email)
Average Hours per week
A Few Statistics...
1 in 3 non-Caucasian
1 in 4 from single parent home
3 in 4 have working mothers
Biggest Power Since Baby Boomers
One-quarter of all Americans are Gen Y
$100/week of disposable income
• Not used on needs, but wants
• Purchases (and life) dictated by celebrities and entertainment
Represents $150B in annual spending
• Influence on the spending of others can be as much as 5x
• Unrivaled spending power
• No mortgages, loans, credit card debt or dependents
They’re more socially-conscious than
previous generations
National traumas have shaped their outlook
• OJ Simpson
• Monica Lewinski
• Columbine
• 2000 Election
• 9/11
• Iraq War
Accepting of alternative lifestyles
• Same sex
• Inter-racial
Diversity is a fact of life
• De-sensitive to racial tensions
Outwardly accepting of religion
Morally complex
• Aim for integrity
• Apologies equals a clean slate
• Desire trust and respect vs. get rich quick
• Value companies/brands/products that support good causes
• Spirituality heightened, in touch with self
Stressed for success
• Acutely aware that the stakes are higher
• Competition amongst friends
• Only as good as last report card/grade
• Every second counts
• Hyper-tasking
• Brand Me: filter to create own personality and image
1st Generation to grow up with technology
• Computers in nursery school
• 100’s of cable channels
• 9 out of 10 have access to personal computers
• 50% of 12-17 year olds have their own cell phones
• 25% of 18-24 year olds have net-enabled phones
• Estimated $20B spent online
Source: BusinessWeek Microsoft Small Business, Retail Traffic Magazine 4/1/04
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Gen Y at work
What generation y wants from work
Gen Y have higher standards than preceeding generations
regarding how they should be treated at work. It takes a bit more
to keep them satisfied and it is important that employers take this
seriously...otherwise these workers may simply talk with their feet!
What Gen Y wants from a Job
• Purpose & meaning
• Responsibility – and they mean real responsibility
• Promotional opportunity
• New challenges & experiences
• Fair compensation – they expect their share
What Gen Y wants from a Boss
• Empowerment – the resources to do the job well
• Mentoring – not overt direction
• Fairness
• Recognition – thanks for a job well done
• Personal connection
• Involvement – the knowledge that they’re valued
• Competency
Source: Generation Y: Thriving & surviving with generation Y at work by Paul Sheehan
at http://www.joyworkz.co.nz/content/view/48/100/
• Increased employability
• Individuality & creativity
• Personal development opportunities
What Gen Y wants from a Workplace
• Flexibility – they are lifestyle centered
• Ethical behavior
• Fun
• Belonging & engagement – to feel like they fit
• Modern & edgy workplace/operations
• Passion & optimism
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Key Characteristics
Key characteristics of
Gen Y in the us
a Diverse
a Socially-minded
a Tech savvy
a Real time
a Connected
a Easily bored
a Multi-taskers
a Collaborative
a Creative
a Overprotected
a Entitled
a Empowered
a Risk takers
a Entrepreneurial
a Life-long learners
a Work-life balance seekers
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understand
Key Characteristics: Understand
Diverse
“Globalization is probably the single most influencing factor
for Gen Y. They deal with diversity much better than older
generations because they’ve grown up among many
different cultures, races and lifestyles at school,
through TV and the internet...” (Howe and Strauss)
This diversity requires organizations to consider far more
sophisticated recruitment and management processes.
Managers need to be able to create a challenging environment
that can harness the talent of Gen Y through greater diversity
and flexibility and gain commitment through loyalty to the
organization’s values, brand and reputation.
“Gen Y live in a world that’s very diverse, but it’s a diversity
that’s more parallel than cross-stitched.” (Yale University)
“Major magazine covers have grown to 20% of people of color.
Fashion magazine ‘ethnic’ covers have doubled and blondes
have become a rarity. The blended look is now chic (and quite
representative of the younger demographic). Brown has become
the new white.” (New York Times)
“Gen Y is becoming more diverse and – regardless of ethnicity –
wants more diverse or ‘multicultural’ media offerings. It is forming
sharp age and race divisions: The old are mostly white, and the
young are increasingly Hispanic, Asian and other minorities.”
(USA Today)
Socially-Minded
Due to globalization and the Internet, Gen Y is much more aware
and engaged in the world. And because national tragedies such
as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina have scarred their youth and
adolescence, these young people are creating their own
brand of social consciousness.
They may be less radical than Baby Boomer activists in
the 1960s and 1970s, whose demonstrations for civil rights,
women’s equality, protecting the environment and protests
against the Vietnam War became flashpoints for their times.
But Gen Y are civic-minded and socially conscious as individuals,
consumers and employees. This generation has been pressed for
its vote, sought for its purchasing power and watched closely by
sociologists and historians for insight into the way its members
will shape the future.
“Gen Y are the most socially-conscious consumers to date.”
61% feel personally responsible for making a difference in the
world. 81% have volunteered in the past year. 69% consider a
company’s social and environmental commitment when deciding
where to shop. 83% trust a company more if it’s socially/
environmentally responsible. (Cone Inc. and AMP Insights in survey
of 1,800 Gen Y)
“Alex Wells, 18, switched shampoos over animal testing. She
won’t buy clothes produced by child labor. She yells at those
who don’t recycle. She spent a summer month in India teaching
English to preschoolers. In school, she helped organize a protest
over genocide in Sudan that raised $13,000 for Darfur relief.”
(USA Today)
“Gen Y is an extremely practical generation. Socially and
culturally aware, but not just ‘aware.’ They’ll actually do
something about what they believe in, be it environmental
destruction, discrimination....” (www.joyworkz.co.nz)
“Volunteerism is at an all-time high, thanks to the unprecedented
involvement of Gen Y, putting their time where their hearts are.
It’s hard to find an organized student club, sport or activity where
participants aren’t involved in some type of community service as
a part of their credo. Soccer teams stick around after their games
to clean up the park. Student councils visit nursing homes, paint
homes for the elderly and hold canned food drives. Cheerleaders
volunteer to take underprivileged children trick or treating.”
(Bowling Alone)
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Tech Savvy
This is the first generation that has no real memory of life
without computers, cell phones and digital music... and members
of Gen Y laugh at people who don’t use these technologies.
Walk around any college campus between classes, and you’ll
see half of the students talking on their phones or listening to
iPods. Their world has always included minivans, bottled water,
cable TV, overnight package delivery and chat rooms. They have
no personal reference to a time before ATMs, VCRs, PCs,
CDs, MTV, CNN, SUVs and TCBYs!
Millennials grew up immersed in technology and are quick to
adapt to new technologies. They don’t fear change. They’re
“technology natives” and view it as an extension of themselves –
compared to Boomers who view it as a tool.
By 21 years of age, it is estimated that the average Millennial
child will have:
• Spent 10,000 hours playing video games
• Sent 200,000 emails
• Spent 20,000 hours watching TV
• Spent 10,000 hours on their cell phone
• Spent under 5,000 hours reading
(Basic Survival Skills for Managing Gen Y)
“The Internet is the rock-n-roll and MTV of Generation Y...the
segment of the US population between the ages of 10 and 17,
will spend close to a third of their lives on the Internet...Gen Y
will be 34% more reserved in their social skills. Gen Y will
participate in 22% fewer physical activities and competitive
sports. Gen Y will score a full letter grade lower in spelling,
punctuation, and grammar... An average internet user, over their
lifetime, will strike the keyboard 165,352,000 times; make more
than 42 million mouse clicks; will hear “You’ve Got Mail” 446,160
times; will type about 304,200 e-mails; and waste time browsing
through more than 1.1 million useless web pages.”
(The Fortino Group & e-Mergency)
Quick analysis of the data above clearly indicates that Gen Y are
more inclined towards technology than any other generation
on all four categories:
1. Devices and access
2. Media
3. Online behaviors
4. Mobility
The only three (out of 22) areas in which they’re lagging compared
to other generations are:
1. reading newspaper (offline) at least one hour per week
2. Watching TV more than 9 hours/wk (offline)
3. Banking online
Fewer Gen Y bank online and make purchases online compared
to Gen X. This could be because most are still not financially
independent compared to other generations. And all this strongly
suggests that Gen Y are more tech-saavy.
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understand
Real Time
Information technology has enabled Gen Y to access vast
quantities of data at the click of a mouse. They want constant
access to information with instant response. They are also
collaborative multitaskers who seek immediate feedback.
“LinkedIn is their North American office, while Xing is their
European branch office and Konnect their Asian branch office.
It’s not unusual for a Generation Y professional to have over
10,000 direct first person contacts developed through Web
2.0 and Web 3.0 networks. This is not a collection of random
business cards, but rather individuals with whom they have
developed business and personal relationships – even
friendships.” (Globalization and Generation Y)
A recent study of college students found:
• 97% have a cellphone
• 68% send text messages with their cellphones
• 14% send instant messages with their cellphones
• 50% listed instant messaging as their top choice
in communicating
• 44% said they couldn’t live at college without
instant messaging
• 66% log on to instant messaging programs several times a day
• 56% spend an hour or more daily sending instant messages
Connected
“They crave connections. They spend a lot of time on the
internet, in extracurricular activities or just mall hopping. The
time Gen Y has spent alone has helped them develop a high
level of independence, but it has also caused them to want
to seek out these connections.” (anonymous)
“Gen Y is so concerned with connectedness because they’re the
first generation unable to imagine the inconvenience of being out
of touch.” (anonymous)
16% of online Gen Y tend to choose the Internet when they want
to rebel or meet someone new who is really different from them.
They will take social risks online that they wouldn’t dream of
taking in their offline life. (Harris Interactive 2003)
“They are nomadic, constantly connected, tech savvy,
experiential learners – needing constant feedback and desiring
more learning options, but typically thinking that their average
lectures are boring...” (Chronicle of Higher Education)
They are able to multitask while digitally involved. You may find
them listening to their iPods as they send text messages while
working on time-sensitive projects. This has lead some to believe
Millennials aren’t productive or have short attention spans.
Value judgments such as these can produce misunderstandings
and conflicts that may hamper your ability to engage young
employees. (Robertson Surrette)
(Chicago Tribune)
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Easily Bored
Many Gen Y are products of a latch-key kid era in which
daycare, babysitters, television and computers served as
surrogate parents. With the proliferation of technology, the
internet, video games and cell phones have become social
lifelines for this cohort. They are tech savvy, independent
and resourceful. These young people are used to stimulation,
change and choice – they crave it...and fear boredom.
This is a group of multi-taskers that can have an IM conversation
with 8 people on their computer and text message someone
else on their cell – all while listening to their iPod and downing
a Red Bull!
Lists don’t intimidate them, they want to be busy accomplishing.
They don’t need explanations, they desire direct and to-thepoint
communication because that is how they have learned to
communicate. “Visual and to the point” is the mode of stimulation
they’ve been exposed to during their learning processes.
“First and foremost, they are impatient. Life has always moved
at a very fast pace. The old adage, ‘good things come to those
who wait,’ has no meaning for this generation. The Internet has
taught them there is no need to wait for anything - everything is
available at the click of a button, from test grades to chat rooms.
Previous generations were accustomed to going to the library
to look up information in a card catalogue, then finding the books
and searching for the answers. For Generation Y, the concept
of going to the library to find information is foreign. It is instantly
available through a google search. There is no need to look
up a movie time in the newspaper, when they can access the
information through the wireless web on their cell phone. They
have grown up with computers in the classrooms, video games
and MTV. They like to be entertained and stimulated across all
their senses. Multi-tasking is part of their routine. They become
restless and bored quickly and are constantly looking for the next
level of challenge.” (Merrill Associates)
Multi-Taskers
Sometimes referred to as the over-achieving, over-scheduled
generation, their lives have been programmed from the beginning
with school, sports, arts, clubs and activities. Technology and
the Internet force them to be managers of information and
communication. They have never known the slow pace of their
grandparents’ lives. The high-tech, media-driven society of today
has opened the world and exposed these young people to more
than previous generations even dreamed of. Speed, change and
uncertainty are normal for Gen Y. Multi-tasking has become a
cognitively developed trait used to cope with the massive volume
of information and activity.
“Gen Y has been described as the stimuli-junky generation,
stimulated since they were toddlers. They just don’t know
how to be still! They live for change, as they don’t know a
world without it.” (anonymous)
“They have been programmed to live life at a rapid pace to keep
up with the constant change that is happening around them.
They see life as a drop down menu of choices.” (anonymous)
When you are online, what else do
you typically do at the same time?
68% - Listen to CDs/MP3s
67% - Eat
50% - Watch TV
45% - Talk on the telephone
45% - Listen to the radio
45% - Do homework
21% - Read
5% - Nothing
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understand
Collaborative
They know that diversity of thought is the only way to learn and
be creative. They don’t want to be in teams for everything, but
they need their teammates for new ideas, critiques and to seek
out that influence.
“Millennials are team players with a capital ‘T.’ They thrive on
group projects and don’t work nearly as well alone.” (anonymous)
“Facebook, MySpace...they are second nature to Generation Y.
The upside is they’re great networkers and collaborators and
that’s a key skill to have in the working world. Anyone harnessing
that will benefit...” (anonymous)
“For Millennials, ‘collaborative learning’ has become as popular
as independent study was for Boomers or open classrooms for
Gen X. Not only are Millennials collaborative physically, but also
virtually. A 2003 survey of American freshman revealed that they
were more likely to use instant messaging (IM) to communicate
than email. IM allows users to communicate simultaneously with
multiple users in real time.” (Howe and Strauss)
“The millennials are more collaborative and require a different
form of managing. There are more self-starters in this generation
– they are clearly different than their bosses. The average worker
under the age of 25 doesn’t expect to remain at a company
for more than three years. They expect a sequence of jobs
over their lifetime.” (ABC news)
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Creative
This generation is used to stimulation, change and choices. They
have a short-term focus and want instant gratification. They are
oriented towards results – not processes. They want to connect
with others all the time. They know what they want, but rather
than just demanding it, they take direct action using blogs,
Facebook and SMS messages. This continuous collaboration
with peers has made them a highly creative generation. They
thrive on creative expression and want the flexibility to complete
tasks their own way, using their own innovative methods.
“I prefer to design web pages and logos while I’m on the treadmill.
I have no idea why; it’s just what works for me. What are the odds
my boss is going to let me leave the office at 4:00 so I can go for a
run, though? I can tell you that answer: slim to none.” (anonymous)
“Gen Y are more innovative and creative because they are multiplatform
based, and with that their minds are fresher and they
come up with edgier ideas.” (McCrindle, Social researcher)
“Millennials are constantly experimenting with and evaluating
their experience as consumers: we suggest the music business
does the same.” (www.musictank.co.uk)
”Generation Y has created a need for a cultural overhaul that has
not been this dramatic since women entered the workforce en
masse. We need the talent and creativity this generation brings.”
(Experience)
“This is a group of people who have grown up in a digital, internet
world, where immediacy and energy drive a thirst for information.
As such, they are enquiring, challenging, creative and vibrant.
They want and expect more than the preceding generations.”
(The Management Challenge of Generation Y)
Overprotected
This generation has constantly had an active team around them
for nurturing, encouragement, and success: parents, teachers,
counselors, coaches, tutors, advisors, therapists and local and
federal government. Baby Boomer parents focused so much
attention on their kids, the children feel special and expect
close relationships with elders. Parents sheltered these children,
stressing restrictions and boundaries to stay safe and steer clear
of trouble. As a result, Millennials play by the rules and expect
those rules and the authority behind them to keep everything
in check. The Millennial generation really feels comfortable
approaching adults and asking for advice. They trust authority
figures and expect those in charge will always do what’s right.
“This is a group of kids and young adults that are rewarded in the
classroom by teachers and peers, and at home by doting parents.
This ambition and desire for success and rewards has been
instilled in them from birth, with parents telling them they can
do anything they put their minds to. This is a go-getter
generation. The most praised generation goes to work and it
is a generation that is used to flattery, used to praise for doing
minimal work. It is reflection of parenting trends.” (www.wsj.com)
“Millennials often speak to their parents daily, if possible. Cell
phone and e-mail technology means they never cut the umbilical
cord, which is just fine with them.” (The Millennials)
“Millennials need constant encouragement and praise, and they
aren’t afraid to ask for it. More and more companies are providing
cell phones and lap tops, replacing suits with business casual,
and implementing regular employee reward systems into their
company plans. Who do we have to thank for this? Generation Y.”
(www.Constantcontact.com)
Entitled
The parents of Gen Y have spent their entire lives trying to give
their child the best, from “participation trophies” and pats on the
back to iPhones and college tuition. They have spent the majority
of their children’s lives sticking up for them in ways that may have
altered the child’s view on life. Their child got a bad grade on a
test? It must be the teacher’s fault for not instructing well. Caught
stealing? It must be their employer’s fault for not giving them
enough shifts at work. No matter what the situation may be,
older generations stand strong for Gen Y.
“Gen Y kids have been able to see their parents’ hard work, but
they haven’t necessarily learned from it. They have a sense of
entitlement at work and home. They’re looking for a free pass to
happiness; no fee required. Gen Y babies have gone to college,
graduated, gotten jobs...and are still living at home. Why?
Because they deserve to.” (www.constantcontact.com)
“They just don’t accept a ‘do it because I said so’ response.”
(anonymous)
“They are not awed or overly impressed by anyone or anything.
Though they often appear disrespectful, they crave respect.
They believe that power equals respect.” (anonymous)
“They want immediate rewards. They’re a generation who
apparently can’t function without workplace readiness training
or praise coaches.” (anonymous)
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Empowered
They have lived their lives filled with activities and are thus skilled
time managers and multitaskers. They strive for maximum results
with minimal effort. They are very efficient and don’t get caught
up in details. They possess a self-confidence that allows them
to analyze problems, select options and move on. They don’t
sit around and wait for things to happen because they know they
can make things happen. They care about the world and want
to make a contribution that will make the world a better place.
They’re concerned about the environment, minority rights,
and saving the planet. They want to make a positive contribution
to the world.
“If I had to use one word to describe Generation Y, it’s
empowered, this is a generation with a tremendous amount
of self-confidence. They are civic-minded, optimistic, and want
to be involved in their futures. They are going to come on very
strong.” (Generation Targeted Marketing Corporation)
“I think it has a lot to do with the high expectations we were
brought up with. ‘You can do it. You can have what you want.’
We’re criticized for wanting it all: high pay, purposeful work,
flexible hours. It’s hard for people in our generation to just
do work.” (anonymous)
“Generation Y members are bright, insightful, fascinating,
challenging and inquisitive young adults who are ready to
change the world. The question is, are we ready?” (anonymous)
Risk Takers
Their lives have been programmed from the beginning
with school, sports, arts, clubs and activities. They have
been programmed to live life at a rapid pace to keep up with
the constant change that is happening around them. To avoid
boredom, they have become natural innovators, unafraid
of new ideas and new approaches.
“Gen Y are career focused, yet self-confessed risk-takers when
it comes to their career, and they anticipate moving on from their
current employer more quickly than the rest of the workforce,
They value honesty and respect and want on-going learning
and development from an employer.” (www.allbusiness.com)
Younger entrepreneurs are more willing to take risks in
the marketplace than older business owners, according
to a recent survey by OPEN from American Express.
“Millennials are also less convinced of the value of blindly
climbing the corporate ladder. They desire more overall balance,
and are happy to take risks in pursuit of personal enrichment. It’s
no longer considered a “career killer” to leave a company during
your peak earning years to volunteer to rebuild New Orleans
or work with an outreach organization in South Africa. The
Millennials are making the concept of career “on-ramps”
and “off-ramps” more mainstream.” (Halliburton)
“They have an optimism and responsibility that leaves older
generations’ empty moralism in the dust.” (anonymous)
“Millennials are the first generation who don’t remember an
era without cyberspace. They expect to be able to instantly
communicate their opinions with each other and to whomever
they want...anywhere and at any time. And it’s not a sense of
entitlement or self-importance, as some would have you believe,
it is their experience that informs them this is possible.”
(www.scoop44.com)
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Entrepreneurial
Gen Y has been taught to push the envelope and not simply
define success as receiving the gold watch after 25+ years
of service at a company. They’ve seen their parents work 9-5
each day, only to be downsized and out of work 20 years into
their careers. As a result, young professionals have expanded
their definition of success to places outside of work. A young
professional’s accomplishments in their career are only a small
piece of the total picture, which now encompasses personal
growth, constant learning, a strong family life and ultimately,
a real sense of accomplishment. Millennials want to blaze their
own path and most especially want to control their own destiny.
“Employers aren’t offering what they want, so the young
say they’ll be their own boss and start their own business.”
(anonymous)
“Getting started required taking a risk. We were scared out of our
minds. We realized we’re young, and we may not know everything
we need to, but what do we have to lose? If the business doesn’t
work, we’ll totally get jobs like everybody else.” (anonymous)
Generation Y is creative, empowered and willing to take risks.
They have seen billion dollar businesses born out of a dorm room
or a neighbor’s garage. They are aware of the opportunities, have
access to the resources and information, and are eager to play
a role and leave their mark. They’ve been told that everyone is
a winner and that they can do anything if they put their mind to it.
“The Millennials have become a generation of entrepreneurs.”
(Wall Street Journal)
“Half of all new college graduates now believe that selfemployment
is more secure than a full-time job. Today, 80%
of the colleges and universities in the US offer courses on
entrepreneurship. 60% of Gen Y business owners consider
themselves to be serial entrepreneurs,” according to Inc.
magazine. Tellingly, 18 to 24 year-olds are starting companies
at a faster rate than 35 to 44 year-olds. And 70% of today’s
high schoolers intend to start their own companies.” (Gallup poll)
Life-Long Learners
This is a group of young people that have been eager to learn.
They grew up with technology and it is an important part of them.
While the boomers are still trying to program their VCR, Gen Y
is watching videos on the iPods to which they have downloaded
5,000 songs. Their creativity and their knowledge of technology
can be harnessed to make needed changes to business. Due
to their inquisitiveness and constant learning attitude, they may
come up with unconventional yet very smart solutions to solve
problems, if feedback is requested. Public acknowledgement of
their accomplishments is important to them as they have grown
up with trophies, certificates and awards as feedback for a job
well done.
“They’ve grown up questioning their parents, and now they’re
questioning their employers. They don’t know how to shut up –
it’s great.” (anonymous)
“Gen Y like to know how they fit into the big picture and it’s
important to show them how everything comes together.”
(anonymous)
“Millennials view education as a pathway to their dreams.
They want lifelong learning with purpose. They expect feedback
all along the way to know that they are on track to their goals.
They crave approval and avoid criticism. The optimism and
confidence of Millennials is a powerful force, and one that
can be tapped into.” (Learning From Youth Marketers)
Work-Life Balance Seekers
Work-life balance is an important value held by Generation Y.
Employers can be last on the list of a Generation Y’s priorities
unless they feel that their work is extremely valuable to their life,
they feel challenged and they feel they are growing. At work,
they believe employers should manage their work outputs,
not their time.
“Generation Y stood on the sidelines watching the Boomers and
X sacrifice lifestyle for work, and they won’t be making the same
mistakes. Y will only work on their terms.” (anonymous)
“There’s a higher value on self-fulfillment after 9/11, and a
realization that life is short. You value it more.” (anonymous)
“They are not willing to do work that has no meaning for the sake
of it and they are not willing to work long hours and compromise
their work-life balance...” (anonymous)
Work-life balance. For Baby Boomers, it’s the juggling act
between job and family. For Gen X, it means moving in and
out of the workforce to accommodate kids and outside interests.
Now along come the 76 million members of Generation Y. For
these new 20-something workers, the line between work and
home doesn’t really exist. They just want to spend their time
in meaningful and useful ways, no matter where they are.
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3 Generations
Characteristics in comparison
When we compare the characteristics of different generations, it
often becomes clear that each has developed traits that uniquely
define them – even if we’re not able to directly identify the factors
that influenced these traits.
Baby boomers
a Optimism
a Team orientation
a Personal gratification
a Health and wellness
a Personal growth
a Work involvement
a Exploring creative retirement
a Forever young
generation x
a Diverse
a Informal
a Global thinkers
a Detached
a Balanced
a Self-reliant
a Technological
a Pragmatic
a Fun
a Entrepreneurial
generation y
a Diverse
a Socially-minded
a Tech savvy
a Real time
a Connected
a Easily bored
a Multi-taskers
a Collaborative
a Creative
a Overprotected
a Entitled
a Empowered
a Risk takers
a Entrepreneurial
a Life-long learners
a Work-life balance seekers
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Assets and challenges
Based on their characteristics, each generation brings specific
benefits – and potential drawbacks – to the work/life arena.
Some of the key assets and challenges are highlighted below...
Baby boomers
Assets
a Driven
a Service oriented
a Aggressive
a Protective
a Aim to please
a Team players
Challenges
a Technology
a Reluctant to
disagree w/peers
a Pressure to do it all
a Overly sensitive
to feedback
a Self-centered/
judgemental
a Not naturally
budget-minded
Generation x
Assets
a Adaptable
a Techno-literate
a Independent
a Un-intimidated
by authority
a Creative
Challenges
a Impatient
a Different manners
a Skeptical
a Perceived
as slackers
a Quick to criticize
a Lack assertiveness
Generation y
Assets
a Meaningful work
a Tech savvy
a Collaborative
a Globally aware
a Multi-tasking
Challenges
a Inexperience
a Jop hopping/
career invention
a Multi-tasking
a Work isn’t
everything
a Need for guidance
and mentorship
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Differences in Self-Perceptions and Attitudes
We can understand Gen Y by looking at their similarities
with other generations, but even more so by comparing the
differences.
Comparison of self-perceptions and attitudes shows us how
Gen Y views of diversity, work ethics, jobs and careers are very
different from the past. While many Gen Y views were initiated
with Gen X, it is in Gen Y where the characteristics are seen
as more dominant and expressive.
Many aspects of work and life are sure to change with Gen Y.
This may also lead to conflict when the fast pace of life for Gen Y
runs up against the slower, more controlled workstyle of the Baby
Boomer. Gen Y don’t have the experience that the Boomers and
Gen X have, but Gen Y often possess stronger technical skills
and knowledge. Certainly, the differences in values can lead
the generations to occassionally butt heads. The key is to
understand and respect that each cohort has unique and
valuable perspectives to bring to our changing world.
Views on...
Baby boomers
Generation x
Generation y
Diversity
National pride, ethical
Globalism is here
Demand it in
everything I do
Consumerism
Brand loyalty
Whatever is cheapest
for the best quality
Chaos
Work ethics
Work hard, be thankful
Work hard, be skeptical
Work right, do
what you love
Job changing
Job changing puts
you behind
It’s a necessary fact
of the economy
It’s expected and I’m
prepared and aware
Career goals
Build a stellar career
Build a portable career
Build parallel careers
Retirement
65 and with
the grandkids
65, but I’ll never
stop working
50, my third career,
and still doing what
I love to do
Technology
I need someone
to teach me how
to use the Internet
I helped build the
internet and use more
gadgets than I need
to at work
I couldn’t live without
my PC and internet...
friends, connections
and way of life
Work-life balance
Help me balance
everything else and
find meaning myself
Give me balance now,
not when I’m 65
Work isn’t everything,
I need flexibility so I
can achieve balance
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Loyalty & Trust?
Loyalty & Trust in Question
Gen Y have spent their formative years surrounded by instability.
Their attitudes began developing back when they witnessed
their parents coping with the impact of corporate downsizing.
No longer was there the security of a life-long job. They heard
the confessions of Princess Diana, saw sports figures discredited,
watched the fall of corporate giants such as Enron, saw their
presidents lie on television and were told that Social Security
will no longer exist when it’s “their turn” to retire. They watched
their parents and their friends’ parents move through one of the
highest divorce rate periods in history. They’re skeptical and wary
– they question everything and value honesty and truth. They rely
heavily on their parents and friends for the answers.
“Generation Y will put your company’s culture under the
microscope and if they don’t like what they see they’ll walk
away. Gen Y will not apply for jobs with organizations they believe
have poor policies or senseless procedures. If they don’t support
what the organization stands for, they won’t bother applying.”
(anonymous)
“Not only can I choose any career, but I can choose any city,
state or country. My family lives all over the USA and my
friends live all over the world. I can communicate and maintain
relationships through the internet no matter where I move.”
(anonymous)
A typical priority list for Generation Y is:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Society
4. Co-workers
5. Employers
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Key Findings
Characteristics & Resulting Behaviors.
Diverse, Socially-Minded
World as common workplace: working without the
boundaries of country, culture, religion, race, or time zones
Caring for common and higher causes: Green, environment,
poverty, peace, etc.
Tech-Savvy, Real Time, Connected, Easily Bored, Multi-Taskers
Technology as oxygen: over-dependence on technology
as the key critical means for everything in life
Multi-focus: work, life, and success through collection of
multiple, smaller and quicker steps rather than one long,
arduous project
Collaborative, Creative
Collective effort but individual recognition
Inclination towards peer-to-peer collaboration:
formal and informal
Value creation through social networking
Overprotected, Entitled
Expecting mentorship and supervision
Desiring constant public recognition and encouragement
Success through social and peer-to-peer networking
Instant gratification
Us vs them: “other generations need to learn
to use technology”
No standing in line: immediate responsibility –
making an impact from day 1
High expectations of employers: they want fair and
direct managers who are highly engaged in their
professional development
High expectations of self: they aim to work faster and better
than other workers
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Empowered, Risk Takers, Entrepreneurial
Desire and drive for leadership roles
Drive for meaningful work and impactful role: “see my work,
not my age”
Peer-to-peer consensus, organization, and movementbuilding:
Obama campaign
It’s career-building, not job-hopping
Life-Long Learners, Work-Life, Balance Seekers
On-going learning: they seek out creative challenges and view
colleagues as vast resources from whom to gain knowledge
Always engaged in learning new skills: personal, professional,
health, financial, etc.
Life before work
Family first, followed by friends and peers
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/IsaacLKoval
Observe
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observe
Manufacturing
Grand Rapids, MI
Atlanta, GA
Seattle, WA
IT & Engineering
San Diego, CA
Seattle, WA
Raleigh, NC
Finance
Akron, OH
Columbus, OH
New York, NY
New Jersey, NJ
Consulting
St. Charles, IL
Sites Visited
In conducting our three-pronged observation research, the
WSF team travelled to 11 cities across 9 states, as shown above.
The companies studied ranged from regional firms with a few
hundred employees to global corporations with over one hundred
thousand employees.
Company type # Companies # Participants
...........................................................................................................
IT & Engineering 3 62
Manufacturing 3 39
Finance 2 37
Consulting 1 24
...........................................................................................................
TOTAL 9 162
Contextual Interviews & Surveys
We asked key open-ended questions to 162 individuals
from different generations and various job types. These
North American participants represented different industries
(manufacturing, technology, consulting, finance, etc.) and four key
job types: IT & Engineering, Consulting, Creative, and Knowledge
workers. The interviews were conducted at the participants’
workspaces and via email. We asked them several questions
around the following themes:
a Generational perceptions
a Work and work place
a Social contract with their employer
a Trust and privacy
a Work-life balance
a Work space expectations
Participating Company Types
Gender IT & Engin. Consulting Creative Knowl. Worker Total
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Male 54 6 14 20 94
Female 23 5 14 26 68
.....................................................................................................................................................................
TOTAL 77 11 28 46 162
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observe
The questions
Participants were asked 26 high-level questions and their
individual responses were collected. The resulting body of data
was quite considerable – both in terms of quantity and variation.
We then employed several methods of analysis and synthesis
to compile the findings into like subjects and categories.
See appendix for the compiled data.
Generational cross-section of participants
Gender BB X Y Total
...........................................................................................................
Male 23 38 31 92
Female 9 19 42 70
...........................................................................................................
TOTAL 32 57 73 162
Word Analysis
We used a software tool called “AntConc” to identify high
frequency words used by particpants in their responses.
This allowed us to better identify understand key issues
across genders and generations. (not shown)
Word Cloud Analysis
We also used word cloud analysis tools, such as “tagcrowd.com,”
to generate a visual representation of the key words used in their
responses. (example shown at right)
To synthesize the data effectively we created a new framework
based on the clustering of responses.
The framework used includes:
• Work
• Worker
1
2
• Work-Life
• Work Environment
1
2
“I want the work environment to support personal needs
and personal technologies, as well.”
“We work 50-70 hours a week and bring work into our
personal lives...it’s a fair expectation that work environments
accomodate our personal needs.”
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Synthesis Framework: 4W
To synthesize the data effectively we created a new framework
based on a clustering of responses. The framework used is
“Work, Worker, Work-Life and Work Environment.”
Work
Worker
• Work expectations
• Hours, location & compensation
• Organization, culture & people
• Technology & collaboration
• Work style
• Identity: influences, perceptions, character
• Assets
• Challenges
• Messages
• Social contract: What do you owe your employer?
• Trust & privacy
Work Environment
Work-Life
• Challenges
• Privacy
• Ideal work environment
• Future of office: 20+ years
• Social contract: What does your employer owe you?
• Work-Life balance
• Mobility
• Conflicts
• 3rd places
• Expectations
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
Ask
Key Issues in this section:
• Work expectations
Work
• Hours, location & compensation
• Organization, culture & people
• Technology & collaboration
• Work style
• Trust & privacy
Baby Boomers
Work expectations
• Project and achievement oriented
work with minimal supervision, ability
to move around within the company,
recognition & rewards
Hours, location & compensation
• 40-50 hrs/wk, flexibility of working
from home
• Pay for comfortable living and vacation
Organization, culture & people
• Small or large company
• Respect and fairness, relaxed
and casual environment with
casual dress code
• Open, caring, supporting, collaborative
with never say die attitude
Technology & collaboration
• State-of-the-art technology,
current but practical, collaborative
technologies: multiple monitors,
wireless communication, small teams,
internal & external collaboration
Work style
• Achievement-oriented team work
Trust
• It’s built over time with interactions,
honesty and reliability
• It relates to values and character
of individuals
• You can’t really trust people online
Generation X
Work expectations
• Motivating, inspiring, result-oriented,
work related to company’s core
Hours, location & compensation
• 40-50 hrs/wk, flexibility to work close
to/from home
• High salary, great benefits
Organization, culture & people
• Small or large company: respectful,
well organized, well established,
solid, stable
• Fun, open, creative, diverse and multicultural
environment that welcomes
feedback, recognition and rewards –
style/dress code ranging from
casual to semi-formal
• Friendly, smart, wise, clever, respectful,
solution/improvement oriented,
knowledge and experience sharing,
collaborative
Technology & collaboration
• Latest technology, smaller-sized groups
Work style
• Technology dependant: “I” (40%)
and “We” (60%) work, focus
on organizational & team goals,
two-way open communication
Trust
• Built over time w/reliability -
it’s reciprocal
• Allows you to take bigger challenges
• Building trust is easier offline
than online
Generation Y
Work expectations
• Meaningful and impactful with lot
of learning and growth opportunities
Hours, location & compensation
• 50+ hrs/wk, flexible with Fridays off
• Competitive salary, benefits,
incentives, bonuses
Organization, culture & people
• Small or mid-sized, personable,
technology-centric company
• Diverse, rich culture of new
perspectives that’s less hierarchical,
more informal, friendly and casual –
value communication, mentoring
• Intelligent, thoughtful, articulate,
genuine, hard-working, motivated,
engaged, positive, energetic, fun,
great team members
Technology & collaboration
• Efficient, effective and exciting,
up-to-date, wireless, easy/accessible
for work & personal, latest technologies,
collaborative settings, high degree of
human interaction/team projects
Work style
• Switch between quick collaboration
(40%) and focused individual work
(60%), constant communication with
team, using all types of technologies
Trust
• Built over time w/reliability and directly
relates to your network built online
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Key Issues in this section:
• Identity: Influences,
Perceptions, Characteristics
Worker
• Assets
• Challenges
• Messages
• Social contract: What do
you owe your employer?
Baby Boomers
Influence
• Great depression, recession
Assets
• Hard working, insightful, committed,
accommodating, respectful, outspoken
Challenges / liability
• Cynical, outspoken, technology
over experience
Messages
• We care
• We have insights to share
• We had the chance to change
and we did
Social contract
What they owe their employer?
• Quality leadership
• Time for company strategy
• Most output
Generation X
Influence
• Technology, work-hard upbringing
(tough parenting)
Assets
• Capable and committed, easy going,
get along well
Challenges / liability
• Lack confidence, limited loyalty,
doubtful about investments, resentful:
middle child unfairness
Messages
• We were the first ones: green and
tech-y, pioneers of mobile work
• We are not all slackers
Social contract
What they owe their employer?
• Continuous value addition
• Commitment, good decisions,
ethics and attitudes
• Professional, courteous manners
Generation Y
Influence
• Technology, competitiveness, multiple
activities, over-protective parenting
Assets
• Ambitious, motivated, aggressive,
un-intimidated, confident, tech-savvy,
peer-to peer-network, socially and
environmentally conscious
Challenges / liability
• Aggressive, question authority and
processes, shift in priorities/loyalties:
promote self before company
Messages
• We are different
• Take us seriously
• Life is fun and important things
can be achieved while having fun
• Just because you don’t see it doesn’t
mean work isn’t getting done
Social contract: owe to employer
What they owe their employer?
• 100% efforts
• Best work: high performance,
good attitude
• Respect, confidentiality and
non-disclosure requirements
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
Key Issues in this section:
• Work-Life balance
Work-Life
• Mobility
• Conflicts
• 3rd places
• Expectations
Baby Boomers
Work-Life balance
• Work to live, not live to work
• You make choices and live with them.
If you spend time with your family
or have many outside interests,
don’t expect to be the CEO
Conflicts
• Wishing I was at home when I’m at
work, and wishing that I was at work
when I’m at home
Expectations
• Make enough money to “maintain
operations” and meet personal goals
on all fronts
• Flexibility in my schedule and the ability
to attend to my personal life without
trouble from my employer
Generation X
Work-Life balance
• 40 hours at work, 30 hours of
maintenance, 30 hours of leisure
• My work doesn’t affect my life
and I don’t bring my life to work
• I need to have my work to adjust
around my personal life
Conflicts
• Trade off between the things I have
to do and the things I want to do
• My job overtakes my life
• Not being able to enjoy work because
my life is suffering
Expectations
• 100% at work when I’m here and 100%
outside of work when I’m not here
• Flexibility to deal with life issues w/out
impacting work commitments.
• Flexibility in terms of when and
where I work
Generation Y
Work-Life balance
• It means being able to balance work
with life and have a life outside of work:
personal aspirations, health, hobbies,
networking, etc.
• The ability to leave work at work... clear
demarcation of work and personal life
Conflicts
• I am so consumed by my job that I
don’t have time to maintain and deepen
relationships with the people who are
important in my life
Expectations
• Being successful and productive in my
career, but still having the time to enjoy
my personal life
• I’m allowed to take care of personal
things during the day: banking,
errands, etc.
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Key Issues in this section:
• Social contract: What
employer owes you?
Work Environment
• Challenges
• Privacy
• Ideal work environment
• Future of office: 20+ years
Baby Boomers
Social contract
What employer owes me? Fair
compensation, opportunities to grow,
challenge, respect and appreciation,
loyalty for dedication, honesty
and gratitude
Challenges
• The land of cubicles
• Old, dark and narrow
• Noisy and messy
• Lack of “I” to “we” transitions
Privacy
• Being able to do activities without
being watched or heard
• Want no distractions - visual or acoustic
• Keep Big Brother out - no access
without permission or consent
Ideal work environment
• Spacious, big, private, quiet and
comfortable, well-lit, collaborative,
opportunity to team with workers
outside the company, casual and
social, more storage
Future of office: 20+ years
• There will be an office in the future
Generation X
Social contract
What employer owes me? Competitive
compensation, challenging and
constructive work/environment,
impactful role, tools/training, flexibility,
feedback/mentorship, actively listening
ear, accountability
Challenges
• Stressful, challenging and cramped
• Loud, cluttered and distracting
• Constrained, dull and slow
• Lack of communication, work-life
balance and variety of spaces
Privacy
• There’s no true privacy on or offline
• Want no distractions - visual or acoustic
• Confidential is confidential, doesn’t
want info kept in one place or on
others’ servers
Ideal work environment
• Cool, fun, inspiring, stimulating
and comfortable, active with gym/
flexible work schedule, access
to technology, collaboration tools
and work schedule flexibility
Future of office: 20+ years
• There will be an office in the future
Generation Y
Social contract
What employer owes me? Challenging,
meaningful, and impactful work, growth
and learning opportunities, competitive
compensation/benefits, recognition,
rewards and respect, feedback,
communication and mentorship, flexibility
to manage work-life balance, energized,
friendly & productive work environment
Challenges
• Driven and disconnected: don’t feel
valued or that they’re making an impact
• Noisy, cluttered, distracting
and annoying
• Plain, bland and lack identity
• Lack tech support, community spaces
and work-life balance
Privacy
• Freedom to act/work unrestricted -
without worrying what others will think,
access to websites, news and social
networking during discretionary time
Ideal work environment
• Work-life balance: active, social and
flexible, sleek, cool, comfortable,
adjustable, warm, inviting and personal,
bright with natural light, open, quiet and
spacious, supportive of mobile work,
collaborative with technology, reflective
of identity and work effectiveness and
environmentally conscious
Future of office: 20+ years
• Office will primarily support social
capital and face-to-face collaboration
• Technologies enable work
any time/any place
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What we heard: Summary
Baby Boomers
Worker
• Have enjoyed power and leadership
• Loyal
• Work is life
Work
• Goal and achievement oriented work
• Relaxed, casual culture supporting respect and fairness
• Supportive, collaborative, never-say-die attitude
• Current, practical technologies and collaboration tools
• Smaller teams for collaboration
• Personal achievement-oriented team work with dependency
on people
• You cannot build trust online
• Privacy offline is being able to act without being watched
or heard
• Privacy online: Keep Big Brother out
Work Environment
What companies owe employees
• Opportunities to grow
• Challenge, respect and appreciation
Ideal work environment
• Spacious, private and collaborative environments
Work-Life
• Work is life
• Company first
Generation X
Worker
• Seeking leadership roles
• Limited loyalty
• Work or life
Work
• Motivating, inspiring and result-oriented work
• Fun, open, creative culture supporting feedback,
recognition and rewards
• Smart, clever, sharing, collaborative and solutionoriented
people
• Latest technologies
• Smaller size groups
• Goal-oriented collaboration, focused group work with
technology use and two-way open communication
• Building trust easier offline than online
• Privacy offline – meaning no physical, visual
or acoustic distractions
• Privacy online: Confidentiality, respect and limit Big Brother
Work Environment
What companies owe employees
• Challenging and constructive work, impactful role
• Feedback and mentorship
• Actively listening ear
Ideal work environment
• Cool, inspiring, and comfortable environment with access
to technology.
• Supportive of work-life balance in terms of work schedule
flexibility and health facilities at work
Work-Life
• Work and life
• Limited loyalty
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Generation Y
Worker
• Eager to claim the power and new roles
• Shift in loyalty
• Work-life balance
Work
• Meaningful, impactful work with
opportunities for learning and growth
• Informal, friendly, non-hierarchical
culture with communication and mentoring
• Intelligent, thoughtful, articulate, motivated
engaged, positive, and fun people
• Effective, exciting, and accessible
work and personal technologies
• Team projects with lots of interactions
• Result oriented, collaborative team
work emphasizing personal contribution
• Constant communication and dependancy
on those technologies
• Trust online is easy and proportional to your network
• Privacy offline is being able to act w/out worrying
about what others will think
Work Environment
What companies owe employees
• Meaningful and impactful work
• Growth and learning opportunities
• Recognition, rewards, and respect
• Feedback, continuous communication,
mentorship, and work-life balance
Ideal work environment
• Active, social and flexible environments,
supportive of mobile work/work-life balance
• Collaborative with technology, reflective
of identity and environmentally conscious
Work-Life
• Life before work
• Work life balance
• Shift in loyalties:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Society
4. Co-Workers
5. Company
• Privacy online: Big Brother is a given – desires
unrestricted “work how I prefer to” approach
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
See
Changing Nature of Work
With new behaviors, Gen Y is influencing work/work
environments faster than any other generation.
1. High intensity
2. Extreme focus
3. Multi tasking
4. Peer-to-peer networking
Intense work, at times, requires
multi-tasking and focus, and
information persistence becomes
key in achieving this
Gen Y working on two monitors and
two keyboards with a conference
phone on his ear
Folks ask for peer feedback which
leads to mini co-creation sessions
Casual encounters lead to quick
sharing and social collaboration
which breeds innovation
IT work is high intensity which requires
extreme focus key in achieving this
Person closes other ear to focus
on details of conversation as she
is multi-tasking
To achieve intense focus, this Gen Y
walks away from her workstation and
uses music
Person quickly moves between work
at desk: computer and prototyping
Phone conversations, browsing emails, IMing, listening to music and tracking to-do
lists during a work session has become very common behavior amongst Gen Y
Quick shift between “I” (single focus) to “we” (quick collaboration) has become
common. Person initially focuses on work from her laptop and then moves to other
side of table for a quick collaboration
Cognitive intensity is also reflected
through work environment and
tools used
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Multi-tasking
As Gen Y grew up engaging in several activities at the
same time, multi-tasking became second nature for them.
It’s not uncommon to see an average Gen Y focusing on three
computer screens (with multiple activities on each of the screens
– such as project work, email, IMing, chatting, browsing, etc.)
at the same time...all while listening to music and talking on
their cell phone.
Splitting computer screens and using multiple monitors is a
purely Gen Y phenomenon resulting in new work behaviors. Now,
the question is...has the design of work stations and work spaces
as a whole transformed to support such new behaviors?
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
Collaboration
Shift from “I or we” type work to “I & we, we, We” (multiple
impromptu, informal, quick sessions). Collaboration happens
informally at any location: work stations, private offices,
project rooms, meeting rooms, passageways and around
food and social events.
Quick shift from “I” to “we” in
a project room
Intense “I” work at individual
work station
Peer-to-peer sharing sessions / reviews are new ways of collaborating – informal and
quick with high energy
Collaboration at work stations: “I” work that quickly and informally turns into a “we” session.
Intense focus in transition space
Quick shift from “I” to “we” to “WE” in lab settings
Social interaction resulting in quick
sharing and aligning opportunities
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Work is 24/7/365, Diverse and global
Work happens any place, at any time, where technology
and communication are the drivers. Every business is a
global business in the truest sense of the word.
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
Even if you don’t see it, We’re still working
Food, fun, and storytelling as new opportunities
for building social and intellectual capital.
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Communicating identity
Gen Y are more creative in expressing their identity,
thoughts and needs...and are not inhibited.
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
ergonomics
Gen Y gets creative in satisfying their ergonomic needs.
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Transparency
More than simply the need for information persistence, Gen Y
seeks transparency for overall effectiveness as well as for growth.
Transparency of mission, vision, projects, process, protocols,
people...the whole organization.
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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Rewards and recognition
Gen Y seek constant feedback, in the form of appreciation
and rewards. They always want to know how are they doing
and desire that as proof of accomplishment. This is reflected
in workplace displays, as well as how they’re attracted to
employers and projects.
Message and incentives for workers to
participate in new initiatives
Wall of Fame/Wall of Shame
contest rules
Employees proudly display certificates,
patents and major accomplishments
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Seeking connection with nature
Gen Y gravitate toward connections to nature and natural
environments through physical and visual accessibility.
Access to natural light
and outside nature
Access to natural light
Proximity to natural life
Glare from natural light poses
a new question
360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
Green, environmentally and socially conscious
Gen Y are often more socially and environmentally
conscious than previous generations and wish to associate
with organizations that support green initiatives and are
engaged in social causes.
Young employees
appreciate carpooling
Employees want to be part of
company’s green story
There is appreciation for companies
who use green energy, like solar energy
They participate in environmentally
conscious efforts
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Disconnects in the Current Work Environment
Our observations revealed that there is a disconnect
between what Gen Y need and what they have – as it relates
to ergonomics, technology, personalization, and spaces for
socialization and collaboration.
Lack of proper ergonomics affecting
work effectiveness
Need for proper technology support
Facilities do not get used when they
do not meet emotional and real needs
of users.
Need for larger and effective
work surfaces
Need for proper storage
Desire for personalization of space
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3rd Places
We observed that young people love working in 3rd places such
as cafés, libraries, and other public environments. Gen Y gravitate
to these places – more than older generations – as they offer
social connections and energy, in addition to food/beverages
as stimulants for getting work done. Many Gen Y have mastered
the skill of using this “social buzz” to gain focus, even amidst
noise and distractions.
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What we saw: Summary
1. Gen Y are bringing new behaviors to work and work
environments. They are engaged in multi-tasking activities
with intense focus on the task at hand.
2. They are also constantly networking with their peers both
inside and outside of work, with the help of work/personal
tools and technologies. An increasing number of Gen Y
are on social network sites even when they are at work and
believe these activities to be a credible part of their work life.
3. Their physical peer-to-peer interactions often result in quick,
informal collaborative sessions in which they’re learning,
sharing ideas and building consensus – all of which is
valuable for building social and intellectual capital within
an organization. These interactions occur in a wide range
of spaces, from workstations and cafeterias to hallways
and other passages.
4. With an extensive use of technology tools – both work-based
and personal – Gen Y is working any place, any time.
5. Gen Y are expressive and bold...and not inhibited. In the
workplace, they are expressing their thoughts, feelings and
expectations boldly and creatively through the use of graffiti,
personal messages, quotes, graphics, posters, drawings, etc.
6. Because they’re still quite young, Gen Y are not deterred by
a lack of ergonomic consideration at work. Instead, they’ve
discovered new workarounds and ways of staying focused –
resulting in new body postures.
7. Gen Y are seeking transparency at both macro and micro
levels. They want to see and understand how the vision
and mission of an organization translates into work practices.
They also seek clarity/visibility of work processes at all levels.
8. Gen Y seek rewards and recognition for their accomplishments.
They are creative in developing various competitive
and reward-based opportunities for participation and proudly
showcase their accomplishments.
9. Gen Y are embracing green initiatives/environmentally
conscious organizations and are engaged in these efforts
at work.
10. With their different – and often unique – needs, Gen Y
are highlighting the disconnects within work environments.
These needs include basic ergonomic considerations,
increased work surface, technology support, power sources,
storage for work-related/personal belongings, personalization
of environment, entertaining and inspiring objects, exercise
tools, etc.
11. Gen Y gravitate towards 3rd places such as cafés, finding
them to be inspiring, communal environments where they
can borrow social energy from others to gain focus.
12. Gen Y are strongly focused on work-life balance with
many of them engaged in physical fitness, hobbies
and other learning activities during work hours.
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observe
Engage
Participatory design - Collage making
Participatory design activities are used to gain deeper insights
from participants and engages them at both intellectual and
emotional levels.
Traditionally, when we ask questions, participants tend to
respond intellectually – thinking it through with a response that
provides explicit information. Observing participants’ behaviors
and interactions leads to discoveries at a deeper level, which
helps to understand unspoken, unarticulated and implicit needs.
In participatory design activities, another level of information is
revealed as participants create or make things. The social nature
of this particular aspect of our research allows an individual’s
personality, as well as deep feelings, to be reflected in the work
he or she creates.
The tool used was called Expression, proprietary software
designed and created by WorkSpace Futures. The tool is intuitive
and easy to use with a photo and word gallery from which
subjects choose key words and images.
For this research, we employed an activity called collaging.
We asked each participant to create two collages:
1. describing their current work environment
2. their ideal work environment, by choosing photos and words
from the galleries. There were no restrictions on the number of
photos or words that they could choose. They could also move,
resize and group the chosen photos and words as they desired.
Generational cross-section of participants
Gender BB X Y Total
...........................................................................................................
Male 23 38 31 92
Female 9 19 42 70
...........................................................................................................
TOTAL 32 57 73 162
After the collages were created, participants were asked
to explain the thinking behind their choices. 149 participants
from nine companies across multiple generations created
298 collages which were then compared and analyzed.
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360.steelcase.com GenY °
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observe
Collages: Gen y - Current work environment
Gen Y are new to the workplace and desire challenging
and impactful work. A meaningful vocation and overarching
sense of value is more important to them than monetary benefits
alone. This generation is highly social, believes in peer-to-peer
collaboration and is focused on work skills and personal/
professional growth. Technology is of critical importance to them.
Given those priorities, Challenge is the keyword Gen Y
uses when expressing their current work environment. Gen Y
wants to work and appreciates a challenge, but many of them
feel they’re not valued in the workplace and are not reaching
the desired level of impact. In many cases, this leads to
dissatisfaction – even when an employer is paying them well.
Because technology and communication tools are crucial to their
way of working, they expect the latest technology and support to
be provided by their employers.
They tend to work collaboratively and engage in frequent
meetings within their workplaces, which often leads to noisy and
distracting work environments. Many Gen Y are seeing individual
focus work disrupted in these lively group settings.
Some feedback from participants:
“I don’t feel valued here.”
“I really don’t like my workstation and don’t feel it allows me to
be as effective as I could be. My desk is too small; I don’t have
anywhere to put files, papers, sketches.”
“No privacy when I really need to focus...very noisy at times.”
“We have a lot of meetings around here. There are certainly
elements of my job I could do from home, but the collaboration
is what we do at work.”
“My company is very forward thinking, but not so up-to-date with
the technology that the employees are provided...laptops are also
restricted by cabling, that sort of thing.”
“I have a second monitor and bring my home laptop to work
so I can listen to music.”
Top 2 word choices:
Challenge: 39%
Meetings: 37%
Top 2 Image choices:
31%
30%
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Collages: Gen y - Ideal work environment
Gen Y want their ideal work environment to be professional
and inspiring, but most importantly – they need it to be active!
An impressive 62% of Gen Y expressed the desire for an active
work environment and nearly that many are also looking for work
flexibility. This means they not only expect to have gym facilities
available on site where they can exercise before, during or after
work, but they also crave a mobile work style that doesn’t anchor
them to a single location.
Top 2 word choices:
Active: 62%
Flexible: 58%
Top 2 Image choices:
They expect their ideal workplace to be social with warm,
colorful, collaborative settings that are physically welcoming
and technologically friendly.
They also expect that flexibility to translate beyond freedom of
location into freedom of schedule. They’re looking for employers
who will permit – and even welcome – work at convenient times
and from convenient locations, with a stronger focus on results.
It’s not about just filling the time or the desk chair. Freedom is
big with Generation Y, right down to being able to personalize
and customize a workspace to their liking.
Some feedback from participants:
“The workspace should be mobile so people aren’t stuck in
one place. Free to come and go as long as I get my work done...
And a gym! That’s what I really want.”
47%
40%
“Customizable, personal space that is soft and sound-absorbing,
lots of personalization opportunities, proper balance between
privacy and social spaces/connections.”
“Social yet professional. Warm, inviting, inspiring, colorful, with
lot of writing surfaces. Full of young people (at heart, actually)
where open communication exists and people are free to talk.”
“Work fuel...healthy snacks...places to rest for a short time.”
“No cords, easy access to technology...the newest technology
at my desk and at my fingertips...emails, phones, discussions.”
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Collages: Generational Comparison
Current Work Environment
Baby Boomers
Top 2 word choices:
Flexible: 44%
Creativity/Deadlines/
Informal/Fun/Meetings/
Teams: 35%
Generation X
Top 2 word choices:
Challenge: 38%
Meetings: 37%
Generation Y
Top 2 word choices:
Challenge: 39%
Meetings: 37%
Top 2 image choices: Top 2 image choices: Top 2 image choices:
26%
30%
31%
22%
28%
30%
• Disorganized and cluttered
• Lacking proper ergonomics
• Lacking technology
• Not providing work-life balance
• Driven by deadlines and meetings
• Typical old cubicle design
• Limited personal space
• Multi-fold challenges: competition,
bureaucracy, disruptions, distractions
• Meetings are not well supported –
lack proper collaborative spaces
• Anxiety and frenzy due to unrealistic
timelines, over loaded schedules
• Feeling of not being valued
• Concern about not making an impact
• Noisy and distracting environments
• Expect latest technologies
• Want tech support from workplace
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Collages: Generational Comparison
Ideal Work Environment
Baby Boomers
Top 2 word choices:
Spacious/
Inspiring: 57%
Active: 53%
Generation X
Top 2 word choices:
Fun: 56%
Creativity: 54%
Generation Y
Top 2 word choices:
Active: 62%
Flexible: 58%
Top 2 image choices: Top 2 image choices: Top 2 image choices:
44%
40%
47%
31%
28%
40%
• Spacious, inspiring and beautiful
environment that reflects creativity
• Comfortable, relaxing, affording views
and connection to nature
• Coffee-shop like, organized, colorful,
warm and welcoming – a place where
people can interact comfortably
• Physical movement through flow
of space and work dynamics
• Comfortable and relaxing
with connection to nature
• Supportive of social capital
• Stimulating and exciting work
environment reflecting creativity, fun
• Collaborative settings that support
technology/communication tools
• Social, professional and inspiring
• Most important – active and flexible
• Supportive of healthy lifestyle and
work-life balance with gym facilities
on site, etc.
• Flexibility – work at convenient times,
convenient locations
• Personalization of work spaces
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Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Nikada
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Personal achievement
is through my career
Work does not
identify me
In previous generations, an individual’s sense of purpose and identity was often tied to their vocation.
With Generation Y, that sense of self has become more closely linked to avocation – those pursuits and
interests outside of formal work.
Personal achievement is through my career
• Focus is on a single career and
constant advancement
• There’s a willingness to make trade-offs
for the career
• Score is kept through titles, money
and office size
• It’s about doing the work that’s assigned to you
• It’s about the clarity of the work – roles and
responsibilities are key
Work does not identify me
• Lifestyle and work balance are critical
• “Career lattice” replaces the corporate ladder -
job and career switching is expected
• Corporate loyalty is a two-way street
• It’s about doing work that is purposeful
• Transparency about the organizational vision –
and where you fit – is key
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The office is my
primary workplace
The workplace is
where “I” am
For many decades, the word “work” has often been synonymous with a place. Now, with the support of
expanding tools and technologies, Generation Y is proving that how you work and what you accomplish
is far more significant than where work happens.
The office is my primary workplace
• Work is done 8 hours/day at one
or multiple locations
• Focus is on real estate efficiency
and maintaining hierarchy
• Office space linked closely with identity
in the organization – private offices denote
status and cubicles negate individuality
• Desire for spacious, comfortable,
inspiring environments
• Ergonomic consideration is essential
for work effectiveness
the workplace is where “i” am
• Work is done anywhere, anytime:
24/7 and global
• Focus is on work effectiveness
• The office is about connecting with
others and solving complex problems
• Desire for active, social, and flexible
environments that support technology
• Comfort is the key – ergonomics can
be achieved through workarounds
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Technology is a tool
Technology is an
extension of myself
From organizational tools to social networks, technology is an undercurrent that runs through virtually
every aspect of life for the Gen Y. While previous generations saw technology as simply a means to
an end, this generation values the “journey” in all of its various technological forms.
Technology is a tool
• Technology is a tool for getting work done
and supporting personal needs
• Trust is achieved through face-to-face contact
• Effectiveness through single focus
• Physical space and technology are misaligned
• Email is the killer app
technology is an extension of myself
• Technology is completely embedded
into daily life
• Trust can be built and maintained online
• Work effectiveness is achieved through
multi-tasking and technology is the enabler
• Physical space and technology are
well integrated
• Email is obsolete and replaced with a spectrum
of options from micro messaging to context
rich communications
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Trust is developed
in person
Trust can be
developed both
offline and online
For Generation Y, trust relationships are not only cultivated online, but live and flourish there.
This stands in stark contrast with previous generations for whom trust relationships were built
only face-to-face.
Trust is developed in person
• What you see is what you believe – trust is
developed in person over time with integrity
and reliability
• Trade online can only be conducted with
reputable and established organizations
• Network is limited which also limits sphere
of influence
trust can be developed both offline
and online
• Trust is developed online through shared
interests, common viewpoints and shared
online experiences
• Trust online is possible with any organization
that is transparent, accessible, verifiable and
recommended by peers
• Network possibilities are virtually infinite across
a spectrum of boundaries
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Conformity
Identity
Identity is about understanding who you are and what you desire – from yourself and from the company.
The shift in this quadrant results from what Generation Y now values.
Conformity
• Security and employment for life
• Identity through results, title and organization
identity
• It is about location, autonomy and/or
project work
• Identity through impact, recognition
and collective success
• It is about choosing a company that does
the right thing, in terms of sustainability
and best practices
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Training
Growth
There has been a shift from previous generations to Generation Y when it comes to training and
professional growth. Gen Y is more concerned about personal and professional growth, desires
more than traditional on-the-job training, expects mentorships, and continuous communication with
supervisors. They always want to know how they’re doing and how they can better fit into a company’s
overall vision and strategy.
Training
• Training for a specific task
• Focus on contribution and responsibilities
• Formal, top-down and organization focus
Growth
• Continuous growth and development fostered
by mentoring and continuous feedback
• Focus on transparency: organizational and
“big picture”
• Growth through peer-to-peer collaboration
and consensus building
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Work
Work-Life
For Gen Y, life comes before work – but they want to achieve balance between the two. They work long
hours and expect work environments to accommodate their personal needs and personal life. Issues
such as gym and food facilities at work, child care, and work schedule flexibility are high on the list.
Work
• Blurring of work and life
• Continuing struggle to fit “real” life into work life
Work-Life
• Blending of work and life: work = 24/7 & global
• Demand for supporting life at work: flexibility
for fitness, health and personal matters
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Key Shifts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Collaboration
Connections
For Generation Y, traditional collaboration is outdated. This generation is collaborating in new ways –
through peers, social networking and a variety of other technologies. They value these connections
as resources for bringing new ideas, growth and awareness.
Collaboration
• Face-to-face interactions
• Surfing social networks is a distraction to work
• Social capital through collaboration
Connections
• Continuous, on-going connections with peers,
both co-located and distributed
• Surfing social networks is part of work
• Social capital through network(s)
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traditional model
New Model
inward
Conformity
Training
inward
Identity
Growth
outward
Work
Collaboration
outward
Work-Life
Connections
me
we
me
we
• While we understand there is a very notable shift happening in terms of knowledge workers and teambased
work, it is important to understand that Generation Y will also cause other significant shifts
• The shifts are from Conformity to Identity, from Training to Growth, from Work to Work-Life,
and from Collaboration to Connections
• Work-Life and Connections are grouped together to represent that they are intertwined through
the social aspect of Gen Y – facilitated by technologies such as IM, Facebook, etc. – which plays
a tremendous role in this generation.
Key Shifts: Summary
Previous Generations
a Personal achievement is through my career
a The office is my primary workplace
a Technology is a tool
a Trust is developed in person
a Conformity
a Training
a Work
a Collaboration
generation y
a Work does not identify me
a The workplace is where “I” am
a Technology is an extension of myself
a Trust can be developed both offline and online
a Identity
a Growth
a Work-Life
a Connections
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Design Principles:
The following design principles are intended to help think about
new ways to design work spaces, in order to leverage the new
and emerging behaviors of Gen Y.
Instead of viewing this as a rule book telling them how to design,
we encourage our clients to use this as a checklist, to remind
them of key elements necessary to bring out the best of Gen Y.
1
Design for Identity
Identity
Work-Life
Growth
Connections
Provide Spaces that Reflect “Me”
• Consider how space sends messages about
a company’s culture
• Break the box – eliminate the cube, i.e. Dilbertville,
Office Space
• Leverage color, texture, finishes and lighting
• Support the emotional connection to the environment
• Support personalization
• Create new workspace aesthetics
Having been raised by Baby Boomers to believe that they’re
both special and unique, Gen Y are not satisfied with the status
quo and continuously seek to express their individuality. Today,
over 30% of Gen Y have tattoos. They prefer to shop at Goodwill
and would rather create their own style statement representing
their authentic self, than be labeled “average.” According to a
recent study conducted by trend research firm Outlaw, Gen Y are
“steering away from brands that seem conformist and embracing
those that make them feel like individuals.”
As a result of this deep-set need to express uniqueness, they’ll
be the first generation to challenge the use of traditional office
system furniture, on the grounds that it’s “too cliché.” Instead,
this next generation will crave spaces that reflect how they
see themselves – as creative individuals.
Provide Environments that are socially conscious
• Celebrate LEED® building practices – think Green!
• Create/select products that are good for user and environment
• Consider the entire life cycle of energy consumption for
products: manufacturing, shipment, delivery and disposal
• Provide products that promote energy efficiency
• Promote Gen Y culture of social awareness
• Communicate clearly how your organization is
tied to supporting the local/global community
• Promote and offer volunteering opportunities
Generation Y is very aware of the impact of individual choices
and their long-term effects on the world. From the food they
consume to the establishments they visit, they continue to vote
with their patronage and deliberately seek out companies that
reflect their values.
The research indicates that Gen Y is particularly interested
in working for companies that are socially conscious and
invest in both their local community and the world at large.
Gen Y will value spaces that “break the box” and seek
environments that speak to them on an emotional level.
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2
Design for Growth
Identity
Work-Life
Growth
Connections
Provide Organizational transparency
• Create team hub spaces that connect to other project teams
• Create discipline kitchens to celebrate the diversity of
functional teams and allow for views into the practice
• Create organizational hubs and/or digital output that streams
content about the organization
• Consider the use of Post & Beam with infill to brand groups
and departments within the organization
• Consider the role of the workspace in making thinking tangible
- Allow for the ability to display and share vision, mission,
goals and achievements
- Allow for the ability to project content from a laptop or PC
to a larger display for sharing
- Allow for the ability to capture content easily (i.e. CopyCam)
One of the biggest challenges facing organizations today
is how to acculturate its workforce. Traditionally, this was
done over the course of a lifetime. Individuals would develop
a nuanced understanding of an organization by living and
breathing the culture.
Today, Generation Y seeks to know as much as possible
about an organization, before they even set foot in the door.
Employers need to capitalize on this intense curiosity and desire
for continuous learning by supporting an easy-acess view into
the organization.
Support Personal Growth through Constant Feedback
and Mentoring Opportunities
• Provide non-hierarchical and informal collaboration settings
• Provide a range of settings with varying levels of privacy
• Provide small team settings that would encourage sharing
and feedback activities
• Provide open floor plans to encourage acculturation
and learning (i.e. consider lower panel heights or
bench applications)
• Make managers more accessible through physical adjacencies
and private offices with glass fronts
• Create spaces that inspire and celebrate past successes
• Provide formal mentoring programs
• See feedback as an on-going activity – not just an
annual meeting
Having invested a great deal of effort and time to achieve their
educational goals, Gen Y enter the work force and manage their
careers with that same tenacity. They seek to excel at everything
they do and continuously monitor the external situation against
their own internal standards. As a result, Gen Y is interested
in receiving regular feedback on performance from those in
positions of authority.
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3
Design for Work-Life
Identity
Work-Life
Growth
Connections
Reflect work-lifestyle integration
(intertwine work & life)
• Support an active lifestyle by providing on-site fitness facilities
• Support a balanced diet by providing foods that maintain
and promote good health
• Encourage play and relaxation through recreational facilities –
games and gaming rooms
• Integrate physical wellbeing into daily work activities,
e.g. Details Walkstation, adjustable height workstations,
ergonomic seating
• Provide a means to get away without going away -
decompression rooms, or places for contemplation
• Consider the merging of work and home by providing
offices which feel more like living room spaces
• Support work that continues to shift to the home
• Communicate clearly how your organization
is tied to supporting the local/global community
• Promote and offer volunteering opportunities
Unlike previous generations who believed that putting in the time
would result in career advancement, Generation Y approaches
the career issue with a strong desire for work-life balance.
Match Cognitive Intensity
• Provide a range of settings to fit work needs and mood
• Consider noise level, music and light level interaction
• Allow for improved concentration through zoning (library
model), acoustical clouds or signaling devices
• Support quick-switching work tasks
• Optimize workspaces for multi-tasking
• Support quick-switching and multi-tasking between
different activities
- Adjacencies to different work processes
- Allow for work and personal tools: physical and digital
Workplaces that were once designed to support dedicated “Me”
and “We” spaces, are slowly being replaced by a new planning
paradigm that provides a broader range of settings. Such shifts
in planning align perfectly with Gen Y; who – armed with mobile
technologies – seek workspaces that provide the appropriate
environmental experience for the particular mental task at hand.
The environment that best supports a creative activity should
differ from spaces that better allow for heads-down, analytical
work. Moreover, the rhythm of mental activity is different for
Gen Y today. Multi-tasking and quick-switching are more
dominant with this generation.
Much of this desire stems from being a witness to their parents,
who dedicated long hours of their life to corporations only to be
caught in the downsizing of these organizations. Because of this,
Gen Y have difficulty finding loyalty within most organizations
and instead see themselves as “free agents.” They’ll gladly give
40 hours/week to an organization, but they prefer to keep their
free time free.
As a means to attract this next generation into the workforce, HR
departments are becoming increasingly creative in the amenities
they provide, which often include flexible work weeks and other
on-site services to make Gen Y lives easier.
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4
Design for Connections
Identity
Work-Life
Growth
Connections
Leverage Social Networks
• Provide social collaborative settings that also support “Me”
work – consider the Yurt
• Leverage in-between spaces as impromptu gathering
spaces for collaboration
• Provide tools such as video conferencing and
remote collaboration
• Provide integrated team spaces to support co-located
team collaboration
• Support brief sporadic meetings at the individual work space
• Allow for the quick switch between “Me” and “We” work
• Provide a means to signal availability
• Integrate work and social technologies
Despite the rapid increase in the development of broad social
networks brought to life through sites like Facebook, MySpace
and Twitter, Gen Y still believes in the power of place and cites
interaction with colleagues as the number one reason to work in
an office. Fascinating to watch, however, is how the development
of trust networks with colleagues is changing as speed and
access to information increases.
In fact, one recent Gen Y grad found it much easier to connect
to others within his workplace through vehicles like Facebook,
rather than using e-mail which was viewed as “old” technology.
Unlike traditional e-mail systems which offer little information
about the user, Gen Y values Facebook for providing a context
in which they can better understand the person with whom
they’re communicating.
Design with Technology in mind
• Create environments that are in sync with technology
• Provide “smart” furniture products
• Support the increase in number and size of displays
• Support a greater range of work postures associated
with mobile device usage
• Support work-specific software/hardware tools
• Employ sound masking
• Support mobile technology tools: both work and personal
• See Facebook and other social networking sites
as business communication tools
Technology is not a means to an end for Generation Y, but rather
an extension of who they are. Mobile technology devices such as
iPods, cell phones and notebooks/netbooks allow this generation
to maintain a continuous connection to people and information –
regardless of where they are.
In essence, mobile technologies have escalated nomadic
behavior. Companies would be wise to understand that this
generation does not accept the notion of technologies that
tether them to a particular place.
Organizations of the future can capitalize on how this next
generation forms bonds with others by providing both virtual
and physical environments that support interactions with peers.
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Design Principles: Summary
1
Design for Identity
2
Design for Growth
• Provide spaces that reflect “me”
• Provide environments that are socially conscious
• Provide organizational transparency
• Support personal growth through constant
feedback and mentoring opportunities
3
Design for Work-Life
4
Design for Connections
• Reflect work-lifestyle integration (intertwine work & life)
• Match cognitive intensity
• Leverage social networks
• Design with technology in mind
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ealize
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Xaviarnau
Realize
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ealize
Spatial Concepts
Realize
In the final phase of Realize, we conducted a design charette with
individuals representing the product marketing, design, research
and human resources departments.
Over a two-day work session, the team generated ideas –
sketches, strategies and policies – around the key shifts and
design principles identified in our research. These ideas served
as a provocative point of departure for new thinking on the next
phase of work-life environments, tools and behaviors.
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ealize
1
Design for Identity
Provide spaces that reflect “Me”
Provide environments that are socially conscious
• Break the box – eliminate the cube
• Support social connections
• Support personalization
• Create new workspace aesthetics
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ealize
• Think “Green”
• Consider the life cycle of energy consumption
• Provide culture of social awareness
• Allow for social connections
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ealize
2
Design for Growth
Provide organizational transparency
Support personal growth through constant feedback and mentoring opportunities
• Provide transparency of vision, people, projects and processes
• Create team hub spaces that connect to other project teams
• Create organizational hubs and/or digital output that streams content about the organization
• Consider the role of the workspace in making thinking tangible
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ealize
• Provide non-hierarchical and informal collaboration settings
• Provide small team settings that would encourage sharing, feedback and cross-mentoring activities
• Provide open environments to encourage acculturation and learning
• Create spaces that inspire and celebrate past successes
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ealize
3
Design for Work-Life
Reflect work-lifestyle integration (intertwine work & life)
Match cognitive intensity
• Support physical wellbeing: encourage play and relaxation
• Provide a means to get away without going away
• Consider the merging of work and home: home-like environments
• Support work that continues to shift to the homes
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ealize
• Provide a range of settings to fit work needs and mood
• Allow for improved concentration through zoning
• Support quick-switching of work tasks
• Optimize workspaces for multi-tasking
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ealize
4
Design for Connections
Design with technology in mind
Leverage social networks
• Provide social collaborative settings
• Leverage in-between spaces for collaboration
• Allow for the quick switch between “Me” and “We” work
• Integrate work and social technologies
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ealize
• Create environments that are in sync with technology
• Provide “smart” furniture products
• Support a greater range of work postures
• Support mobile technology tools: both work and personal
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in closing
In Closing
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Lingbeek
Where do we go from here?
In this document – and during the course of our research
itself – we have identified some striking behavior patterns with
Generation Y that we believe will unquestionably impact the
future of the American workplace...and the very nature of work
itself. These patterns uncovered key shifts that are bound to
become more pronounced as this generation fully assumes its
place in the workforce. So the question is – what do we do now?
The answer: learn, adapt and grow.
On many levels, the behaviors and emerging work styles
exhibited by Generation Y represent a more holistic and engaging
approach to work. Work should be meaningful and rewarding in
order to engage them fully. Mentor and peer relationships are a
big part of their recognition and growth. Their career journeys will
move them around the organization chart – and around the world
– in a corporate lattice fashion, not just up the corporate ladder.
For us – in the business of business – these changes we face
are critical ones and may very well lead us to new definitions
of work, productivity and success. The insights gathered over
the course of this project inform us that we need to embrace
and adapt to these changes. As a company, we need to stay
receptive to the ideas born out of this research, to keep tracking
developing trends, and act on them. We need to create innovative
environments that support emerging work, workers and work
styles. Environments that are in tune with global market forces.
And environments that truly support organizations in their efforts
to attract, engage and grow the talent of the future.
Tomorrow is our customer.
Work may finally be on the worker’s terms. When it comes to
Gen Y, ever-present technology is far from a burden. Instead,
it frees this generation to work untethered where and when
it wants to. Increased autonomy, but strong social ties and a
fierce drive for work-life balance are all hallmarks of this group.
For Generation Y, work is highly personal – though the
best evidence of this often, ironically, occurs through
social and professional online networks and other
long-distance connections.
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in closing
The Team
Core Members of the Research Team
Sponsor and advisor
Joyce Bromberg
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures
Project Lead
Sudhakar Lahade
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures
Design research
Phillip Ayoub
Pennsylviania State University
Keith Jundanian
Georgia Institute of Technology
Patricia Kammer
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures
Altug Kasali
Georgia Institute of Technology
Andrew Kim
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures
Bridget Ward
Pennsylviania State University
Book Design and Editing
Tim Carpenter & Ryan Mitchell
Conduit Studios
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge
the contributions of:
Ritu Bajaj
Julie Barnhart-Hoffman
Robin Bowles
Chris Congdon
Renee Hampton-Harriette
Tina Ro
Terrand Smith
Mary Underwood
Elise Valoe
Sue Warmels
Randy Wilda
John Ziech
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Bibliography
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Viorika
Notes/Bibliography
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Notes
Bibliography
Web-based research
The Gen Y Factor
• http://www.lieberandassociates.com/CADMEF/Presentations/
The%20Gen%20Y%20Factor.ppt
• http://www.joyworkz.co.nz/content/view/48/100/
• http://workempowermentfoundation.typepad.com/fff_at_work/
generation_y/index.html
• http://www.employeeevolution.com/archives/2008/05/23/10-
ways-generation-y-will-change-the-workplace/
• http://apexps.co.nz/category/articles
• http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/
casestudies/20071015-genyentreps.pdf
• http://selectmetrix.com/blogs/2008/05/gen-y-is-empowered/
• http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-06-gen-nextentrepreneurs_x.htm
Millennial Influx: Implications for the Nonprofit Sector
• http://www.charityville.com/cv/research/roch10.html
Small Business Snubs Gen Y
• http://smallbusiness.theage.com.au/starting/management/smallbusiness-snubs-gen-y-897919922.html
Generation Y Wants Rapid Promotions
• http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/
special/2008/01/236_17081.html
The Management Challenge of Generation Y
• http://www.mercer.com/summary.htm;jsessionid=HHJMSKBE
cehxSckZTU- AvDw**.mercer02?siteLanguage=100&idConte
nt=1324035
Generation Y: The New Global Citizens
• http://www.merrillassociates.net/topic/2004/06/generation-ynew-global-citizens
The Most Praised Generation Goes to Work
• http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB117702894815776259.html
A Dying Breed
• http://www.genyvoodoo.com/2006_09_01_genyvoodoo_archive.
html
The Millennials, by Stacey Woelfel
• http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/cover-story-themillennials582.php
Academic Library Services for the Millennial Generation
• http://pirate.shu.edu/~deyrupma/walker.pdf
MEET THE MILLENNIALS - The MusicTank Report is available
directly from MusicTank
• www.musictank.co.uk
Department Chair Online Resource Center - Now Is the Time to
Prepare for Millennial Faculty
• http://www.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/docs/Kelly_Millennial.
pdf
Meet the New Millennials, ABC news
• http://abcnews.go.com/Business/SpecialSeries/
Story?id=3188531&page=3
Managing Millennial Talent - A Look Into the Crystal Ball
• http://www.knowledgeinfusion.com/coe/message/2187
Millenial Moms & Dads: What’s Next?
• www.constantcontact.com
7 Secrets to Working with Millenials
• http://www.interchange-group.com/data/7%20Secrets%20
to%20Working%20with%20Millennials.pdf
Millennials are a Generation of Entrepreneurs by Brett Hummel
• http://www.brazencareerist.com/2009/02/09/corporate-braindrain-millennials-are-a-generation-of-entrepreneurs
Millennials: The New Brand of Creatives | Creative Conversations
• http://www.a-g.com/site/index.php?GGMTNBOC
The Next American Frontier by Michael S. Malone
• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121115437321202233.html
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Bibliography
Web-based research: Continued
Gen Y - Totally Wired: A Ypulse Digest
• http://bodimojo.com/blog/gen-y-totally-wired-a-ypulse-digest
What You Need To Know About Generation Y
• http://www.allbusiness.com/professional-scientific/accountingtax/4072449-1.html
Survey by OPEN from American Express
• http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2007/05/07/youngentrepreneurs-big-risk-takers/
Job Market News and Press Releases
• http://www.jobweb.com/jobmarketnews.aspx?id=1823
Millennials Seek Security in First Job
• http://www.cbia.com/telecommutect/documents/SEPT-newsp12.pdf
Cherry-Picking Global Talent by Sherry Williams/Haliburton
Looking for best talent wherever we go – and giving those people
an opportunity to move up globally.
• http://www.capitalthinkingmagazine.com/FCWSite/Features/
capitalthinking/diversity_2008/capital_thoughts.htm
Learning From Youth Marketers: Adapting to the schoolhouse what
business already knows about the Millennials by John C. Geraci
• http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumb
er=2881&snItemNumber=
Father Google and Mother IM: Confessions of a Net Gen Learner
• net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0552.pdf
How Americans Use Instant Messaging by Shiu, Eulynn and
Amanda Lenhart
• http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/133/report_display.asp
Generation Y: The Millenials – Ready or not, here they come
• http://www.nasrecruitment.com/talenttips/NASinsights/
GenerationY.pdf
Use Their Tools! Speak Their Language! by Marc Prensky,
March 2004
• http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-Use_Their_Tools_
Speak_Their_Language.pdf
Millennials Empowered: The State of the Nation, Facebook, and
How Technology Has Made Politics Fun
• http://www.scoop44.com/2009/02/28/the-state-of-the-nationfacebook-and-how-technology-has-made-politics-fun/
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Bibliography
Articles/books
Getting Involved
Article, USA Today 10/24/2006
The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-
Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart
Bill Bishop
Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide
Henry Jenkins
Got Game? How the Gamer Generation
Is Reshaping Business Forever
John C. Beck, Mitchell Wade
Gaming As Culture: Essays on Reality,
Identity And Experience in Fantasy Games
J. Patrick Williams, Sean Q. Hendricks, W. Keith Winkler
The World According to Y: Inside the New Adult Generation
Rebecca Huntley
Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube,
and the Future of American Politics
Morley Winograd, Michael D. Hais
Millennials Incorporated
Lisa Orrell
Making Sense of Generation Y:
The World View of 16-25 Year Olds
Sara Savage
Generation Digital: Politics, Commerce,
and Childhood in the Age of the Internet
Kathryn C. Montgomery
Digital Diversions: Youth Culture In The Age Of Multi-Media
Sefton-Green
Connecting Generations
Claire Raines
The Future of Reputation: Gossip,
Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet
Daniel J. Solove
The World According to Y: Inside the New Adult Generation
Rebecca Huntley
Managing Generation Y: Global Citizens Born
in the Late Seventies and Early Eighties
Bruce Tulgan and Carolyn A. Martin
The 4 hour work week
Timothy Ferriss
When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash.
How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work
Lynne C Lancaster and David Stillman
Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans,
Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace
Ron Zemke
The Rise of the Creative Class
Richard Florida
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