My last post got me thinking a little bit more about how
different generations view the workforce.
I’m interested in entrepreneurship, and frankly, I’m not sure why or
where the fascination comes from.
Neither my parents nor grandparents are entrepreneurs. Everyone in my family worked for “the man” in
corporate America. They put in the
hours, gave 100% effort and loyalty to their companies, and were rewarded over
the years for their dedication. My
grandparents were particularly loyal to their employers – both of my
grandfathers worked for the same major corporations for nearly their entire
working life, which wasn't atypical of the generation. My parents have had a couple employers
throughout their careers, but that list has never included themselves. My brother is an entrepreneur, and a
surprisingly good one considering his lack of experience. I, like my parents, work for an employer as
do a majority of my friends. In fact, I
went to college, and then grad school, just so I could have my pick of
employers. However, I have this deep
fascination and respect for those who work for themselves.
I think a lot of people in today’s workforce consider
themselves entrepreneurs, even in the smallest of senses. However, I believe this is due to fear, and
not true innovation. Younger generation
workers are scared of getting screwed by corporate America. I’ll admit it, I have felt that way before
and worry about it occasionally. My control freak tendencies push me to identify this area of my life as having some
risk, which helps me relate to some of those feelings I'm describing. Many American workers saw their parents give up
everything for corporate life and then get let down. Workers today are fearful of repeating this
in their own lives. I read today that some
hockey teams were releasing some of their business staff due to the recent hockey
strike. My organization could be
similarly impacted by a prolonged labor strike, and it’s terrifying that I
would have little to no control in that situation. It’s easy to see why workers are looking at
contingency plans, particularly with so much uncertainty about US employment and
economic growth.
For this reason, much of today’s workforce believes that the
safest route in employment is entrepreneurship, which is a departure from
previous beliefs on the topic. Owning
your own business has traditionally been viewed as the “risky” career move, and
the idea it is a “safety” route sounds absurd to most serial
entrepreneurs. In many polls, Gen Y
indicates that they want to own their own business. Decoded, I think what this really means is
that people want a safety net. They want
to feel like if they were to be let go from their job, they wouldn't be left high and dry
like their parents were. This creates a
disconnect for many workers. The Society
for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has done studies that show many people in
today’s workforce like assignments, meetings, feedback, group efforts and
after-work happy hours. These are all signs
of people who work for someone else.
Most entrepreneurs experience phases in their careers that come with
loneliness and anxiety. Entrepreneurship
is living on the edge of what’s normal, and that is enough to make most people
run right back to corporate life.
What are your thoughts?
