What's the World Coming To?

By 2020, millennials will make up 50 percent of the workforce. By 2025, that number is likely to reach 75 percent.

Note:  2020 is only 5 years away and 2025 is only 10 years away…

Given the huge millennial population, companies must hire them in increasing numbers. A study this summer by Scout Exchange, and Oracle HCM Users Group lets us know what we can expect from Americans born between 1976 and 1994.

The survey of over 20,000 human relations professionals shows that while many millennials fit their negative workplace stereotype, there is reason for hope, too. Here's what many of the HR managers said:

Young employees have overoptimistic expectations about how quickly they'll be able to climb the corporate ladder.

One HR professional set up interviews for two millennial candidates with the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company. Not only did they both cancel at the last minute, they asked if the interview could be done over Skype instead of in person, because it was too inconvenient to travel from the East to West Coast.

Millennials' sense of entitlement is frustrating. As one HR professional noted, the younger employees feel that they are owed more respect, opportunity and pay than their experience, ability or knowledge merit.

Millennials lack face-to-face communication skills. Noting that this age demographic is most comfortable texting and can often seem socially inept, those surveyed say it borders on an avoidant society. Still other survey respondents say they are concerned with millennials' need for flexible working conditions, including where and when they get work done.

Millennials' work ethic is troublesome. Besides wanting to work remotely from Starbucks, millennials are often unwilling to put in more than 40 hours a week. Their propensity for leaving the office early — according to one respondent, for a 3 p.m. yoga class — is particularly problematic.

Note:  All I can say here is that I am glad I am not in this marketplace any longer.  I would hate to have to manage one of these individual nor would I want to work alongside one of them either.