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Millennials:
The Y Revolution

By
Gage DeMont Hansen B.S.
Master’s Student, Southern Utah University
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The world is a much, much different place than it was when the people now in control of it were
growing up. Though this has nearly always been the case, at least since the industrial revolution, it has
certainly become much more evident since the digital revolution. The technology that the modern
public administrator needs to be fluent with is ever growing, and the technology with which they must
already be aware and hold some sort of passably adequate comprehension, is overwhelming considering
that that the typewriter still controlled the communication market when many of those administrators
went through school and filing rooms for hard copies took up entire floors at many government
buildings only a few short years ago. However, new generations of Americans are coming of age who
grew up in the digital revolution and to whom computer comprehension is inherent because their social
world was already governed by those structures when they became old enough to understand it. What
does the world have to look forward to as those first digital natives become the governing generation of
the Public Sector? Many of them are beginning to earn places at the bottom of the control structures
and have some influence on how they are used, but what will change when they are the ones
determining policy, knowing full well the capabilities of modern technology? What will stay the same, as
they discover that new is not always better then tried and true? And possibly most importantly, when
will all of this finally happen?

First and foremost it must be determined about whom we are talking when we ask these questions in
relation to the first of the digital natives discussed above; that, is “Generation Y.” Also known as the
Millennial Generation, because the first of us reached the age of majority as we switched into the 21st
century, the group describes the demographic cohort following Generation X, or “Gen X.” Members of
Generation Y are most commonly referred to as “Millennials.” (Strauss & Howe, 1992, p. 324) (We are
occasionally called “Echo Boomers,” as our generation represents an increase in the number of births
not because of any significant increase in birthrates but rather due to the legion of baby boomers who
began to have children; thus, an echo of the baby boomers. (Armour)) As there are no specific dates for
when the Millennial generation starts or ends, various authors and pundits have used birth dates
ranging anywhere from the mid 1970s to the early 2000s; however, because the dates for Gen X are
most frequently cited from 1961-81 (Strauss & Howe, 1992) we will consider that end date to signify the
beginning of Generation Y and determine that the oldest Millennials were born no earlier than 1980.
While Howe and Strauss help us to determine exactly who might be considered Gen X versus who might
be considered a Millennial, it becomes much more complicated to determine who is considered a
Millennial versus who might be considered a member of Generation Z, nickname pending. The creation
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of the new Generation Alpha is a helpful factor in determining where the line between Y and Z will be.
Generation Alpha consists of anyone who is born after 2010, end date undetermined, (The Sunday
Telegraph, 2009) and that leaves a mere 30 years to span both Generations Y and Z. Fifteen years for
each generation seems a bit superficial but considering that someone born in 1995 will turn 15 this year
and has not entered the workforce it is the latest date that this author is willing to consider part of his
own generation, somewhat begrudgingly at that. The age of these individuals on September 11th, 2001
also plays a significant role in how willing this author is to admitting them into the ranks with the
Millennials; anyone born in 1995 would be a mere six years old on that day. Any younger and the most
defining event of the Millennials social development could not be regarded as such, as the individuals
perception of the world could not possibly understand the events unfolding. (Even the youngest of the
group that this author is accepting as Millennials, while possibly aware of the magnitude of September
11th, didn’t understand the ramification of it and so could not have been affected by it nearly as
significantly as those Millennials in their first or second year of college. Thus the difficulties of
determining the Y/Z divide.) Given these determinations the effective birth dates encompassing
Generation Y will be 1980-1995. American demographics (provided by the Department of Health and
Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics via infoplease.com) verified births between 1980
and 1995 and calculations determined that there are 58,139,430 members of Generation Y,
approximately 19% of the US population; (Pearson Education, Inc., 2007) just shy of the 78.2 million
baby boomers who spawned them, approximately 26% of the population. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006)

Now that we have specified the subjects of the paper we have to determine the characteristics of the
Millennials that will affect how we all function individually, how we work among other Millennials, how
we work with other generations, and which of those characteristics are pervasive enough to determine
how we will choose to govern once we come to power. Many of the characteristics that people ascribe
to the Millennials are likely to vary by individual or by region, or depend on other social and economic
conditions. However, there will be some that the Millennials all share regardless of those things, such as,
the one mentioned previously regarding how we are commonly credited with an increased use and
knowledge of communications, media, and digital technologies. Another that is commonly credited to us
is that in most parts of the developed world the upbringing of the Millennials was marked by a neo-
liberal or market oriented approach to the political and economic fields. (Albo, 2002) This translated into
the Millennials being the first generation raised in what is commonly referred to as the “politically
correct” society and this is thought to have led to various multidisciplinary effects. Millennials are
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turning out to be more radically tolerant of other cultures than previous generations,1 (Yan, 2006) and
more culturally liberal, (Greenberg, 2005) which was exemplified by studies showing that a majority of
us favor same-sex marriage rights; (Hannah, 2009) however, the exact effects of being raised in the
politically correct environment are heavily disputed. (Heath, 2006)

One of the most noteworthy labels pinned to the Millennials is that of the "Trophy Generation", or
"Trophy Kids." (Alsop, The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the
Workplace, 2008) These terms reflect one of the aspects of our politically correct upbringing as
illustrated by the trend in youth sports where "there are no losers" and everyone gets a "Thanks for
Participating" trophy symbolizing our supposed “perceived sense of entitlement.” (Alsop, The Trophy
Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplace, 2008) It may be a
consequence of the politically correct environment, or from the cascaded attention and high
expectations of parents, or as a coping mechanism against the image of success we were bombarded
with by traditional media, but for one reason or another Millennials “display a great deal of self-
confidence to the point of appearing cocky.” (Thielfoldt & Scheef, 2004) Alsop reported on many
corporations who had experienced such “Trophy Kid” characteristics of Millennials in the employment
environment, whether during the interview process or on the job, and says that many employers are
worried that Millennials have too lofty of expectations. We expect to shape our jobs to fit our lives
rather than adapting our lives to meet the demands of our jobs. (Alsop, The 'Trophy Kids' Go to Work,
2008) Neither corporate America, nor the public sector, have dealt with such expectations before and, in
order to better understand the mindset of Millennials, many large firms are conducting studies of our
work habits and it would be a good idea for Administrative Agencies to do the same. On top of that,
many firms are devising programs to help older generations understand Millennials; these programs are
sometimes devised in ways that also make Millennials more comfortable. i.e. Goldman Sachs’ training
program which uses actors to represent Millennials who assertively seek more feedback, responsibility,
and involvement in decision making; After the performance, employees discuss and debate the
generational differences they have seen played out" (Alsop, 2008) Those differences will vary depending
on which generation the Millennials are interacting with but even Gen X, who often thinks of Generation
Y as a continuum of themselves, is likely to be surprised by the vast differences between the two
generations.

1
Millennials are very diverse. Twenty percent have an immigrant parent and ten percent have a parent who is not
a US citizen. (Muntz, Spring 2004)
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Millennials have come to reject the counterculture that persisted from the hippies all the way to Gen X.
(Bayles, 2000) This trend is most noticeable in the mediums of music and art because of the
overwhelming use of media by Millennials, but it most definitely exists in every aspect of all our lives. As
one author put it in her submission to the New York Times essay contest on College life in the
postmodern world:

Generation Y takes individualism literally. These days, young people don’t turn en masse
to any one TV show or blog for news, music or fashion. In the decentralized world of
YouTube and MySpace, bands rise to fame through Web downloads and never appear
on MTV. We have personalized encounters with culture and politics, setting our
homepage preferences to report only on the news that interests us. It’s difficult, if not
impossible, to identify where the mainstream ends and the “underground” begins –
that’s just another category undone by absolutist individualism. When there isn’t a clear
cultural “establishment,” there’s no need for a counterculture to resist it. (Atal, 2007)

Strauss and Howe further document this trend in their book Millennials Rising: The Next Great
Generation, in which they portray the Millennials as “Civic Minded.” (Howe & Strauss, 2000, p. 352) That
characteristic was particularly prominent during the 2008 election cycle with overwhelming support of
Barack Obama. Among the Millennials his election is viewed as distinctively ours and in the aftermath of
his victory more Millennials will likely take up interest in the study of Public Administration. That goes in
stark contrast to the Gen X culture, which spawned the World Trade Organization (WTO) protests in
Seattle of 1999, or the Baby Boomer’s Woodstock of 1969. The consensus building of the Millennials on
a generational level, while slower than the protest movements of the 60’s and 70’s, is seen as much
healthier and more useful than its’ historic counterparts. More than one author has said it but one put it
into very specific words: “Millennials, if they can keep their sense of entitlement in check, might just
turn out to be the next Greatest Generation." (Andersen, 2009)

Being compared to “the Greatest Generation” is admirable, however, due to the Great Recession our
generation is also beginning to be compared to the Lost Generation of the early 20th century as the
unemployment rate in the U.S. for 16 to 24-year-olds has climbed to more than 18 percent. (Coy, 2009)
Studies have suggested that extended periods of youthful joblessness radically depress lifetime income
potential and force people into jobs and even careers that are beneath their capabilities. At the same
time life expectancy and retirement ages climb, leaving almost no open positions at the top. That
congestion trickles down leaving less and less positions even at the bottom, “The freshness and vitality
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young people bring to the workplace is missing. Tomorrow's would-be star employees are on the
sidelines, deprived of experience and losing motivation.” (Coy, 2009)

This peripheral role in society, as we enter the age brackets where previous generations found so much
opportunity, is frustrating for Millennials; thus the waning motivation. The same peripheral role may
have been the cause for the Gen X rebellion against everything establishment. Gen X was too close to
the Baby boomers to see any hope of sufficient advancement in during their youth so they sought out a
lifestyle that didn’t require advancement. The Millennials on the other hand see a light at the end of the
tunnel; even if that light is dim and yet a ways off. It is likely that the distant hope that keeps the
Millennials so positive about the future even as we “sit on the sidelines” could be the motivating factor
behind more Millennials getting advanced degrees than any previous generation; 70 percent of all
Millennials plan to attend college. (Muntz, Spring 2004) We have been noted as “typically team-
oriented,” (Thielfoldt & Scheef, 2004) crowding together in our youth to hang out2 and socialize rather
than pairing off. We work exceptionally well in groups, typically preferring them to individual endeavors.
We are consummate multi-taskers; as children we juggled sports, school, social interests and many of us
had jobs at a younger age then Gen X. Some Millennials were even entrepreneurs before finishing high
school. This lifestyle has lead Millennials to expect the same out of our chosen adult careers.
Commentators may call it a sense of entitlement but all we are asking for is a small say in where that
light at the end of the Baby Boomer tunnel lets out.

Just because Millennials are sitting on the sidelines does not mean that we will have no affect on the
work environment. Like the Goldman Sachs’ training program there will many things that either
Millennials or our future employers, both public and private, do to the structure of the workplace that
will help it evolve toward an environment the Millennials will be more comfortable with. This does not
mean that any employer will be catering to the Millennials every whim, there are many adaptations
Millennials will need to make as well. But those characteristics of the Millennials which are conducive to
the work environment, or represent a harmless affect, will slowly find their way into the mainstream.
For instance we recognize and respect positions and titles, but we expect a functional and interactive
relationship with superiors that previous generations did not. (Thielfoldt & Scheef, 2004) That may not
engage Gen X’s love of independence or cater much to their hands-off approach to their world, so some
2
“Hang out” is a phrase used by Millennials to specify spending time with someone of the opposite sex that is less
serious than getting together or dating in the context of casually exploring whether you like someone as just a
friend or maybe more than a friend. (Caleban, 2006)
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compromises will likely be made as the Millennials transition through the short time that Gen X will
control Public Administration. Those compromises will likely come as the Millennials are mentored by
their older peers and colleagues during the coming years; that mentoring process being a small change
to the workplace that will help both sides to adapt. Because our generation appreciates structure and
stability, mentoring Millennials will likely be a growing venture and, according to Thielfoldt and Scheef:

…should be more formal, with set meetings and a more authoritative attitude on the
mentor's part; providing lots of challenges but also the structure to back it up. This
means breaking down goals into steps, as well as offering any necessary resources and
information they'll need to meet the challenge. You might consider mentoring
Millennials in groups, because they work so well in team situations. That way they can
act as each other's resources or peer mentors. (Thielfoldt & Scheef, 2004)

Another of those evolutions will likely be the use of IM and other real time interaction methods that
employers currently look at as interferences. As mentioned previously Millennials are incredibly well
versed in modern technology and regularly multi-task while IM-ing. It may be that older generations’
productivity is hampered by such tools but Millennials are just as likely to IM co-workers as they are
friends and that will include questions related to the task at hand; this will help them interact in-office
quicker than previous generations had and allow them to bring in opinions and ideas from outside the
organization and few people are going to argue that more information or outside perspectives would be
harmful. “I guess this demand for information and communication probably stems, at least partially,
from the fact that we're all so educated now. A bachelor's degree is more or less meaningless anymore,
and by the time [my daughter] Maddy goes to college two graduate degrees will probably be more or
less a minimum.” (Jake Moses, 2010)

Although he might be exaggerating just a bit, Jake isn’t so far off with his idea. With the advent of so
many advanced technologies and high tech programs in the work place it takes more and more training
for employees to be qualified for employment. That will mean more time spent in school, and more time
getting experience with those technologies and programs, which may very well lead to higher pay. “The
potential for wage-induced inflationary pressures as the economic expansion of the 1990’s progressed
was muted by prolonged increases in labor productivity that helped offset developing labor supply
problems.” (Cole, Smith, & Lucas, 2002) The increase in individual productivity from the increased
technological literacy may very well happen, but the twenty million person gap between the Baby
Boomers and Generation Y will likely lead to such labor shortages and that wage-induced inflation
cannot be avoided.
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Conclusion

Millennials will drastically change the workplace, both in the public and private sectors. Hierarchies will
be become less prominent and adhocracy will begin to gain prominence along the same course that
Youtube.com came to dominate the media landscape. Peer-to-peer networking like Linkedin.com will
likely take the place of large, structured occupational associations.

All those changes are likely to happen in well structured, organized companies and agencies, just like
they have for the better part of last century, as the Millennials appreciate the concept of positively
reinforced encouragement and the usefulness of recognized superiority labeled by titles and propagated
by internal promotion.

The first Baby Boomers are past 60 and have already started to retire. The bulk of them will likely stay in
the workforce to some extent well into their 70’s. That means real promotion of the Millennials is about
five to ten years off. But when it happens…The US economy doesn’t handle stagnation well and so the
push to raise Gen X to the top for their short reign and fill the rest of the positions with Millennials eager
for the experience and opportunity to prove themselves…it will happen quickly.

The Millennials will finally bring the workplace into the 21st century and, in that way, Millennials will
create the Millennium in almost the same way that the Millennium created the Millennials.
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