I am glad I am timely on this as well.
Hotels Rocco talks about Gen Y in hospitality:
https://www.hotelsmag.com/article/CA6630203.html
And Kirby’s response
https://www.hotelsmag.com/blog/1720000572/post/40039604.html
If you look really, REALLY closely, you can see some of my incessant yammering on the talkback, which goes like this:
“I am 32, for frame of reference. Millenials in finance and tech will react BADLY.. and will experience some professional trials unlike they have ever seen. But hospitality is a totally different professional beast. Hotel kids aren’t the types that are *overwhelmingly* “entitled” and needy. Employees in hotels know it is hard work from the ground up. I don’t know anyone in our business that would expect to become a hotel manager straight out of college with a hospitality degree, etc, like some biz kids do with finance and MBA’s. What’s more, I am not sure I have seen anyone advance past the desk or housekeeping, the line or floor in an outlet… without having a deep understanding of the thankless hard work, long hours, and loss of social life. I am not sure this hits us the same way as other industries, but I do notice for a lot of the non-lifer, non hospitality se The economist articles summed up: Gen Y are feedback junkies, with the need to have targets and milestones set up like trying to pass levels in a video game. The amount of feedback they need is almost unmanageable, but there is some good to it, in the sense they feed on real time interactive support. The already unreliable bi quarterly or annual review is made to be even more archaic, and we need new tools to manage these people who have, theoretically been coddled, spoiled, and constantly praised by overly adoring parents. The generation hasn’t gone through anything incredibly difficult like some previous generations, and this recession is going to be one of the first times they will learn to operate differently. In the meantime, tools like rypple.com instill real time feedback for these types, and there is potential in creating a professional social community of constant, credible feedback. Managing these kids is a totally different experience than the old days, to be sure… But I think both the Millenials and the Boomers are starting to be more understanding and empathetic.”
Then I got cut off because I talk to much, but of course posted again, to be unnecessary, this:
“Not surprising, I reached some critical fault Word limit with my last post. Before I describe the economist articles, I cut off. Basically I was saying that non lifer, non hospitality front of house employees have been disastrous lately. It is hard to find someone motivated, who is accountable, intelligent, and effervescent. This part I agree with. However, I think this economy and current climate will aggressively and quickly change the expectations and ideals of many workers of this generation. Not to say problem shall be solved, but better understanding between the two groups is inevitable… due to communication like this. But Millenials (I am just prior to it being from 1976), that voluntarily chose the hotel industry as a professional path and career are far and large not the types of problems that Gen Y is about.”