Today's Workforce different from What I remember

[Joe Marconi]

I find that many of today’s younger workforce value their free time more than many people from my generation did when we were that age. I got started business in the 70’s and actually held a job all through high school. My “free” time back then I usually spent working. I had my fun, but work was top priority. I also held two jobs before I started my own business; I worked in a gas station as a mechanic during the day and worked driving a tow truck at nights and on weekends. We don’t usually find this today. And there are many other generational differences.

 

Should we not judge today’s workforce by my early experience or your experience, but rather understand today’s different workers and bridge the gap between us?

[CARMandP]

Joe, being one of your kids generation (I was born in the last 70's) I agree with you. My generation and for that matter my kids generation does seem to value their free time more. Maybe its a lack of work ethic or laziness or maybe its the fact that jobs today pay better and kids don't need to work as hard for the same money. I like you had two jobs all of my adult life and now that I "only" have one job (which takes most of my waking hours) so I have no idea what free time even is.

 

I do know that if you as a shop owner don't bridge the gap between you and the next generations your business will suffer. You have to be able as a business owner to adjust to your customers this also applies to the people you hire. The same ideas, thoughts and expectations apply just in different roles.

[xrac]

Today's generation has had most things given to them and do not understand what it is like to not have that.

[FROGFINDER]

The digital world our kids live in is great until the lights go out.

 

 

or the car quits

 

 

or the toilet overflows

 

or the money tree dies

[Chris_NC]

Being fairly young myself (age 26), I can give an account on my growing up experience. First off, I grew up on a small farm, my dad worked and mom stayed at home. I began work at age 14 giving banjo lessons at a music store after school to start saving for a car. My buddies wanted me to hang out but I instead went to work. I then took a job turning wrenches at a John Deere dealer at 16 to learn mechanical basics. My grandpa told me before he died when I was 15 to pick a trade, become skilled in it, and I wouldn't go hungry. So I tried to follow his advice and planned my high school and vocational school career in the automotive field. The guys I went to high school with goofed off, performed poorly in whatever class they could just get by in, and took jobs doing something they could maintain a party lifestyle in. The females had a tendancy to take the more academic classes and did really well in school, not to offend anyone by saying this, but it seemed as though the school system pushed them harder and most females I know from school ended up in really good careers with nice paychecks to go with it. In trade school, the population was 95% male. Most of the students were unruly, didn't put an effort into the training, and were allowed to pass their classes with poor grades. How did this happen? They had an entitlement attitude and felt because they had paid to go to school there, they should be allowed to get the degree, thus making the guys who worked to accomplish, not look any more spectactular than the general population of attendees. But, the root of the problem started way before trade school. I'll go as far back as elementary school being a problem. Kids in class would act up, get in trouble and the parents would be notified. Instead of the parents enforcing some disipline (mine was in the form of a 2" wide piece of leather), they instead go to the school and yell at administrators saying that their perfect little snowflake did nothing wrong and nobody gets in trouble. Teenage years come up, they recieve a new car. The first speeding ticket gets issued and mom and dad pay an attorney to get them out of it. Now, the guy is 25 years old, living at home, no job, no rules, and no work ethic or life lessons have been gained. I can think of the guys that are my own age that I've worked with in the industry who wonder why they don't make money. They squeaked by in trade school and thought they knew it all, never investing in additional training or taking ASE tests because it interefered with the draft specials at the local bars on that night. Just look at IATN, it's a bank of knowledge for a small fee, and the amount of folks in my age group that visit the site are few. I guess Jersey Shore is more interesting than Right to Repair or learning about changing technology? The young guys I worked with at the dealer would get mad when they rolled into work at 8:05 and didn't have a work order because I got there at 7:30 and hoarded them up. Maybe if dad would have given them chores on a Saturday instead of letting them play soccer in a league where EVERY kid got a trophy for just showing up to the game, they would have known that the REAL world isn't fair and you have to put forth an effort to get ahead. I'm not knocking sports, because learning teamwork is important, but maybe if the players who performed the best were the only ones to get the trophy, the weaker ones would have learned to practice and get better and that not everyone wins. I'm not trying to say I'm better than these folks. I was just fortunate enough to be raised differently. I am thankful for what my parents believed and taught me and that I can see the faults of my generation. That is why I register on trade forums, instead of occupying some movement.

[Joe Marconi]

Being fairly young myself (age 26), I can give an account on my growing up experience. First off, I grew up on a small farm, my dad worked and mom stayed at home. I began work at age 14 giving banjo lessons at a music store after school to start saving for a car. My buddies wanted me to hang out but I instead went to work. I then took a job turning wrenches at a John Deere dealer at 16 to learn mechanical basics. My grandpa told me before he died when I was 15 to pick a trade, become skilled in it, and I wouldn't go hungry. So I tried to follow his advice and planned my high school and vocational school career in the automotive field. The guys I went to high school with goofed off, performed poorly in whatever class they could just get by in, and took jobs doing something they could maintain a party lifestyle in. The females had a tendancy to take the more academic classes and did really well in school, not to offend anyone by saying this, but it seemed as though the school system pushed them harder and most females I know from school ended up in really good careers with nice paychecks to go with it. In trade school, the population was 95% male. Most of the students were unruly, didn't put an effort into the training, and were allowed to pass their classes with poor grades. How did this happen? They had an entitlement attitude and felt because they had paid to go to school there, they should be allowed to get the degree, thus making the guys who worked to accomplish, not look any more spectactular than the general population of attendees. But, the root of the problem started way before trade school. I'll go as far back as elementary school being a problem. Kids in class would act up, get in trouble and the parents would be notified. Instead of the parents enforcing some disipline (mine was in the form of a 2" wide piece of leather), they instead go to the school and yell at administrators saying that their perfect little snowflake did nothing wrong and nobody gets in trouble. Teenage years come up, they recieve a new car. The first speeding ticket gets issued and mom and dad pay an attorney to get them out of it. Now, the guy is 25 years old, living at home, no job, no rules, and no work ethic or life lessons have been gained. I can think of the guys that are my own age that I've worked with in the industry who wonder why they don't make money. They squeaked by in trade school and thought they knew it all, never investing in additional training or taking ASE tests because it interefered with the draft specials at the local bars on that night. Just look at IATN, it's a bank of knowledge for a small fee, and the amount of folks in my age group that visit the site are few. I guess Jersey Shore is more interesting than Right to Repair or learning about changing technology? The young guys I worked with at the dealer would get mad when they rolled into work at 8:05 and didn't have a work order because I got there at 7:30 and hoarded them up. Maybe if dad would have given them chores on a Saturday instead of letting them play soccer in a league where EVERY kid got a trophy for just showing up to the game, they would have known that the REAL world isn't fair and you have to put forth an effort to get ahead. I'm not knocking sports, because learning teamwork is important, but maybe if the players who performed the best were the only ones to get the trophy, the weaker ones would have learned to practice and get better and that not everyone wins. I'm not trying to say I'm better than these folks. I was just fortunate enough to be raised differently. I am thankful for what my parents believed and taught me and that I can see the faults of my generation. That is why I register on trade forums, instead of occupying some movement.

 

I tip my hat to you! Your evaluation of the younger generation is outstanding and should be a lesson to us all. My hope is that there are more people as yourself; we need people like you for the sake of our future. The younger generation has much more opportunity than guys of my generation, that’s for sure.

 

The way you were brought up was a lot like mine, and at the time I thought my father was tough on me. All he was trying to do was to prepare me for life. You brought back some fond memories, such as Saturday mornings. Before I could go out with my friends, I had to make sure all my chores were done.

 

All I can say is, don’t change. Your core values will be your key to success!

 

Thanks, GREAT POST!