How We Ended Up With a Generation of No-Discipline, No-Talent Job Seekers

[bonnie]

Commentary: How We Ended Up With a Generation of No-Discipline, No-Talent Job Seekers

By Marina Ein, Published: February 2

Helicopter parents, professors who aim to please, the dumbing down of standards in courses and decreasing curriculum requirements have succeeded in reducing our young workforce to a no-discipline, no-talent pool of job seekers. Harsh words for sure — but a generation out there is desperately in need of a reality check.

As a small-business employer, I have seen a disturbing downward talent drift in job candidates — most acutely in the past five years. When a job candidate’s first question is about vacation days or benefits, we know we have encountered collateral damage from the teachers and parents who believed in “softening the learning experience.” Armed with a meaningless bachelor’s degree from colleges and universities that allowed majors in non-core subjects, we see youngsters who cannot write, research or think analytically. Their lack of discipline is evident in job applications filled with typos and cover letters that reveal no interest in teamwork or service — rather, they emphasize their high opinion of themselves. (Many young job seekers come forward with an executive attitude that is backed by zero capabilities).

To heap insult on injury, this generation is unable to face criticism or negative evaluations. Having been shielded from the hardships of tough educational standards, they require praise and positivity — no matter how superficial their work and dedication may be. Recently, George Washington University Medical School offered faculty the opportunity to attend a lecture on how to work with millenials. It has come to this: They cannot perform, so it falls to employers to figure out how best to save their careers.

As someone who has worked with countless extraordinarily hard-working and skilled young people over the years, the dearth of college graduates with any ability is fear-inducing. While there are still some wonderfully capable individuals among this age group, the sweeping majority are simply not hirable. And the institutions of higher learning that passed them along to us need to take a long, hard look at the damage they are causing. Bring back core curriculum courses, cease grade-inflating and stop allowing professors to be popularity-graded by their students — a practice which pushes professors to go easy on students to get high marks in return.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently gave a speech in which he recognized that America’s competitiveness was at risk if we continue to allow an entire generation of students to get by on lessening standards and discipline. It is not just our competitiveness that is at risk — but also the likelihood that with this generation of non-learners, America will not fill critical jobs, develop public leaders or establish a framework for excellence in the future. Surely this is too high a price to pay for satisfying anxious parents, preserving failing students from their own lack of effort and keeping teachers from truly teaching. Let’s hope for all our sakes that we can get this millennial generation back on track and equipped with the tools they need to succeed.

Marina Ein is founder and president of Ein Communications, a public and crisis relations firm in the District.

[Gerr]

Hey, don't hurt their feelings!

[M. T. Cross]

Great article.

I see the problem in schools being this. There will always be kids that will have a harder time learning. But usually they can be reached with some modified programs or extra work and mentor programs. But rather than put any funding into that, we end up with this "no child left behind" approach. So its just made easier for everyone, there is no encouragement to actually achieve something. While it might get them through school without hurt feelings, the workplace will not be so forgiving.

I remember we used to have the Canada Fitness program in schools when I was in school. It was a three day track and field type of event. The awards were, Award of Excellence, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Everyone under that got participation awards. Kids really tried for this. Now you can go out and bust your butt in the thing and you get the same ribbon that the kid who just doesn't care gets. Same with scholastic competitions.

Life is not an even playing field much as it might be nice if it was. Kids are coming out of school with no sense of drive or need to succeed. You can try to instill this in them at home, but the reality is the world that they function in outside of home tells them that they can make it without putting out an effort. That they are entitled to get to the next grade, that they are entitled to the best of everything.

Funny I see here in B.C. a clamping down on Welfare policies, yet no clamping down on educational policies. Yet we are turning out an unemployable generation.

[Kevin H]

This is a good article, I was expecting the same excuse that the Reagan Administration gave: That there was a lazy generation who after college decided to just go home an mooch off of mom and dad. (Strange how after Clinton got in that generation woke up and got away from their minimum wage jobs at Kmart and 7/11 type stores and became responsible citizens and things went well until the Bush-Obama years came in) but at least our generation were praised for giving good service to the customers at the K=marts and restaurants that the college graduates of the 1980s were working at. There has been a big changed in the education system over the past few years and a lower quality of workers more interested in things such as vacations and benefits.

Also, until the 1980s the non-core bachelor's showed employers that a person was trainable and opened a lot of doors. In the 1980s things became more specialized and thus the degrees started to become worthless.

What we need to do is to first teach our young people to get a trade. Once they have a trade to fall back on then they can use it to help pay for college and have it to fall back on to support what they really want to do. But try not to get deep in debt in going for the trade.

Interesting, I've noticed that Mrs. White recommended this plan. However our schools used that counsel to just have low paid student janitors and food workers, which is a good idea for the work skills but we need to start emphasizing having trade go together with education. You may be called to be a minister or teacher but the economy may not be able to support you as a full time minister or teacher so have a trade to support yourself to do your ministry.

[phkrause]

I'm in agreement MT. Except from what I've seen in the past 20+ years, or more, is kids coming out of school and wanting, expecting that they will be paid the big bucks right of the bat. In other words what took many of us years to get to the top pay in our field, they think they should just get the same, with no experience. What's actually happening is employers, at least in the printing industry, are taking high school kids, and hiring them at the lowest pay possible and than training them to fill the positions that much higher pay scale workers used to occupy. As far as schools and education go, I agree, we used to have many programs for kids that needed extra help, but as money has been taken from education to go to other things, like military, etc. Unfortunately all this stuff is getting to political. One party wants the money to go here and the other party wants the money to go for that. Than they both complain about the other party for not doing enough for this or that. Its a catch 22 for all involved.

[Kevin H]

Just read MT's post. Have any of you read or heard a recorded copy of C. S. Lewis' "Screwtape's Toast"? It was written after the Screwtape letters but some copies include it. It is quite eye opening when you see what has been happening. I thought a little about it in the original article I thought of it more with Phkrause's post and even more with MT's. I just read it again looking to see if I could find a link to it.

http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/screwtape-proposes-a-toast-SEP.pdf

In the 1700's there were 2 revolutions: The American Revolution and the French Revolution. One based on freedom through good laws the other saw freedom as a lack of law. While the demon's like the philosophy of the French Revolution better, they found it was more work to have to craft a deception to each individual. The French Revolution developed into communism. The American Revolution branched out into two directions. People like Thomas Jefferson wanted the US to have a more agricultural base and people be very independent and develop into individuals with individual rights and freedoms and liberty of conscience. The other direction was the industrial revolution with the rich robber barons gaining wealth off the back of cheep labor. This second method was picked up by Italy and Germany and Hitler was strongly supported by the Robber Barons. The demons learned in their experiment with Nazism that it was a lot easier to just have one deceived leader with the masses choosing to follow instead of the come up with individual deceptions of the French Revolution or the hardcore clamping down of the child of the French Revolution, Communism.

In the years after W. W. II the demons have been discussing and planning how to implement the ease of Nazism on the world, especially in the world that was influenced by Jefferson and his liberty of conscience and freedom through good laws, which is abhorrent to hell.

In Catholic Europe there was feudalism: You had the Emperor and Pope then kings and princes etc. and then the peasants. This continued to the American and French revolutions; now the part of Pope was either the Roman Pope or the state churches of the Reformed Catholics. The puritans tried to implement this in the US with of course purified Catholicism. Rodger Williams had the weird idea of liberty of conscience. Patrick Henry and others wanted to implement this in the US but overthrowing the king. People like Jefferson and Madison wanted not pope nor king. The great military-industrial complex wants to return to this but instead of the politicians (kings/emperors) they want the business giants to be the power and the rest of us their cheap laborers, who give up their individualism to be a cog in the machine. They thought that Germany was going to be where they could implement this. As the United States ended up being the great giant at the end of W. W. II they turned their attention here, but need to destroy the Jefferson-Madison view for America. _

[phkrause]

That's very interesting, will have to read that and check it out. thanks for the post and link.

[Geoarrge]

It's not really a question of education exactly. Schoolwork is not exactly an ideal vehicle for building a good work ethic and professional attitude. Yes, with discipline, it can be an effective training tool for building good habits, but an internalized respect for the value of work is not really possible without being materially rewarded for it. And since it takes at least a few years to get from entry level to something worth a living wage, there's an obvious problem with delaying that first job until after college.

[bonnie]

It's not really a question of education exactly. Schoolwork is not exactly an ideal vehicle for building a good work ethic and professional attitude. Yes, with discipline, it can be an effective training tool for building good habits, but an internalized respect for the value of work is not really possible without being materially rewarded for it. And since it takes at least a few years to get from entry level to something worth a living wage, there's an obvious problem with delaying that first job until after college.

Discipline and building a good work ethic begins at home with the parents.

If you need to be materially rewarded to respect the value of work and a job well done it will be a hard lesson to learn when you enter the work force

[Naomi]

Discipline and building a good work ethic begins at home with the parents.

If you need to be materially rewarded to respect the value of work and a job well done it will be a hard lesson to learn when you enter the work force

Bonnie, you nailed it!!!

[Geoarrge]

If excellence is not rewarded, the lesson the kids will learn is that it's not worth anything.

[bonnie]

If excellence is not rewarded, the lesson the kids will learn is that it's not worth anything.

So a child should be rewarded for every chore he does in order to develop a good work ethic?

[Kevin H]

If excellence is not rewarded, the lesson the kids will learn is that it's not worth anything.

Have you checked out the book "Punished by Rewards" by Alfie Kohn?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfie_Kohn

[debbym]

Quote:

If excellence is not rewarded, the lesson the kids will learn is that it's not worth anything.

Excellence is it's own reward.

[phkrause]

If excellence is not rewarded, the lesson the kids will learn is that it's not worth anything.

They are rewarded! When doing homework, tests, etc. There teacher rewards them with certain grades depending on how they do?? I know that I never did well, most of the time didn't want to put forth the effort, so I was rewarded accordingly, with Cs, Ds, and Fs!

[Geoarrge]

The problem, however, is people not being prepared to enter the economy, which is not about doing chores around the house or getting good grades at school. There are certain skills that carry over from those disciplines, the lack of which certainly is a contributing factor, but I wouldn't fixate on them. There is a distinct difference, in terms of psychological maturity, between being good with chores and being a valuable worker.

I would maintain that the main issue is young people being funneled into higher education without the opportunity to get their first job experience early in life, the obstruction of youth employment through misguided regulations, and the denigration of the skilled trades in academia.

[bonnie]

The problem, however, is people not being prepared to enter the economy, which is not about doing chores around the house or getting good grades at school. There are certain skills that carry over from those disciplines, the lack of which certainly is a contributing factor, but I wouldn't fixate on them. There is a distinct difference, in terms of psychological maturity, between being good with chores and being a valuable worker.

[pierrepaul]

This is nothing new. Middle-aged and older folk have been complaining about the next generation for centuries. Rest assured, those of your parents' and grandparents' generation thought your generation was useless, and in 30 years, the "millenials" will be complaining just as loudly about the useless youngsters born in the 20-teens.

[bonnie]

This is nothing new. Middle-aged and older folk have been complaining about the next generation for centuries. Rest assured, those of your parents' and grandparents' generation thought your generation was useless, and in 30 years, the "millenials" will be complaining just as loudly about the useless youngsters born in the 20-teens.

I think there is a good reason for that.Each generation has had it easy in terms of physical work than the previous.

There is a big difference now in that most of the current generation really has no idea what hard physical work is and the thought of really extending themselves is beyond their comprehension.

Many have been raised on handouts and welfare so they have not had the pressure to find a job,whether it was the best paying or not. The need to eat and have shelter was a far bigger concern.

I don't think you would have found to many of previous generations Occupying Wall Street demanding free education etc.

There is a whole different mind set today

[fccool]

Quote:

Many have been raised on handouts and welfare so they have not had the pressure to find a job,whether it was the best paying or not. The need to eat and have shelter was a far bigger concern. I don't think you would have found to many of previous generations Occupying Wall Street demanding free education etc.

There is a whole different mind set today

It's a bit ridiculous to cast the entire generation in this mindset. This generation, in many ways, is one of the most hard-working generations because there are no financial loans that would simply be given to them, which in 90s would be a piece of cake.

They are likewise one of the most inventive ones, with people skipping colleges and going straight to their business venture and start-ups.

Claiming that the new generations is somehow more dumb and lazy seems to be a trait of the older generation that's making this claim, and is getting more senile and crabby :)

[bonnie]

Quote:

It's a bit ridiculous to cast the entire generation in this mindset. This generation, in many ways, is one of the most hard-working generations because there are no financial loans that would simply be given to them, which in 90s would be a piece of cake.

They are likewise one of the most inventive ones, with people skipping colleges and going straight to their business venture and start-ups.

Claiming that the new generations is somehow more dumb and lazy seems to be a trait of the older generation that's making this claim, and is getting more senile and crabby

To conclude that what was said included ALL in that statement passes "crabby and senile.I worked with many amazing young people,that was part of the job I enjoyed the most.

They were outnumbered by those that commonly used the excuse for less than their best of "they don't pay me enough to work that hard".The biggest concern was making enough to purchase some popular concert tickets or a 100.00 pay of jeans..

It was a excellent job for those looking to supplement family income without paying daycare,entry level,and those using the entry level to pay their own way thru college or to advance in the company.

Some worked two part time jobs and cleaned businesses on the weekend.

Those were the ones that did not rely on mom and dad or welfare of any kind. Young mothers would refuse the extra hours because it would deduct from welfare benefits. Those that did not want to rely on the taxpayer grabbed every hour extra they could.

As hand outs increase the need to do your best decreases

[fccool]

Quote:

They were outnumbered by those that commonly used the excuse for less than their best of "they don't pay me enough to work that hard. The biggest concern was making enough to purchase some popular concert tickets or a 100.00 pay of jeans...

Perhaps you are in the wrong industry? I think it's difficult to judge based on your local experience.

I can actually say the opposite for the yonger people these days. I run a tech business, and the older generation feels like they deserve higher salary, more benefits, with less contemporary tech knowledge and understanding that they bring to the table...Their justification for wanting to be paid more - they have families to take care of. That's the most common excuse I hear when I tell them what they are worth to me as an worker.

The younger generation tends to work harder, and want to learn more, and take much more initiative in my case, especially if you encourage them to. They want to belong and contribute. Most of the younger people that work for me, work longer hours and for much less than the older generation.

I don't really mind. I'm a father, so I understand the proper priorities... Thus, I don't think that this characterization is fair based on my experience. If you are working in a sector or industry where any regular person can just join in and loaf around... perhaps it is the wrong industry for you?

[bonnie]

I can actually say the opposite for the yonger people these days. I run a tech business, and the older generation feels like they deserve higher salary, more benefits, with less contemporary tech knowledge and understanding that they bring to the table...Their justification for wanting to be paid more - they have families to take care of. That's the most common excuse I hear when I tell them what they are worth to me as an employer.

[bonnie]

I know that the source of this statement means little to you...

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,

But to me that doesn't just mean if you are employed at an occupation that interests you.

For me,I don't think the first or even second job someone has

is all they hope it to be.

If someone can't do their best regardless of the task at hand,they are not someone that I would trust to hold a responsible position later in life

[fccool]

Quote:

I can well imagine that the older generation may not be as tech savvy. Having a family to care for is hardly an excuse.They do need to be fed and clothed.

People should be paid based on how many children or wives they have or don't have... that was my point. They should be paid for the job that they are able to do.

Quote:

It takes regular people. A regular person needs to eat as much as what sounds like "superior people" in your world.

I find it very difficult how you can take my use of "regular" and twist it to imply "inferior".

Quote:

Yes,it was a service job,people didn't last long when they loafed around. I take it that you feel superior to "regular" people.

Again, I'm not sure how you get that out of my use of "regular".

Quote:

The point was that many of these people you seem to feel superior to took the job to go on to being more than a regular employee. A large number didn't because of a poor work ethic,others didn't have to extend themselves because it would cut into their welfare check.

Again, I'm not sure where you are getting "superior" from.

Quote:

A couple of generations ago you never saw something like OW,demanding free whatever. A strong work ethic shows regardless of the job you commit to.

OW was not about demanding free stuff. It was about selling this country to corporate elites for pennies on the dollar, and then demanding the young generation to pick up the tab. They should have every reason to be upset. They shouldn't be held responsible for the debt your generation has racked up in the monopoly game they were playing for the past 40 years.

Now, 40 years later, you hand them a piece and tell them to begin playing... and pay up when they land on those properties ... I wouldn't want to work hard either if I was them. Hardly any of that is for their benefit.