¶ … hire large numbers of Generation Y employees can function very well within the travel light philosophy. Evaluate this claim
Generation Y employees, also referred to Millenials, are those employees born between 1980 and the early 1990s. They are technology savvy, have preference for digital and instant communication, and are ambitious and family orientated. Having grown up in a digital era, where everything is done using computers, and solutions to problems are available at the touch of a button on Google and Wikipedia, members of this generation have grown to prefer things or solutions that provide instant gratification. They will tend to go for options that provide instant results. In the organizational context, Gen Y members love companies that have richly embraced technology as opposed to those that are still tied to the traditional mindset. Further, having grown up seeing their Baby Boomer parents live their lives on the job, with no work-life balance, Generation Y members have developed a strong sense of work flexibility -- they will often go for a company that respects the fact that employees have a life beyond the workplace.
Owing to increased levels of competition for jobs, however, Generation Y members will often settle for an organization not because it meets their specifications in terms of family-work balance and technological advancement, but because it is the only available opportunity. However, since these do not offer them the gratification they expect within the shortest time possible, they commit their days searching for 'greener pastures'. As a result, most Gen Y members will often join an organization to gain additional job skills that would take them a step closer to their 'dream job' (Schawbel, 2011). They often will not expect to work in an entry-level position for long, and as such, they will not give their loyalty. A traveling light approach would, therefore, work effectively for this group of employees. There is no need for the organization to spend so much investing in employees who will after all not be spending a lot of time there. I agree, therefore, that an organization that hires a lot of Generation Y workers could cut down on costs by adopting the traveling light approach, and making training and skill advancement a personal responsibility of employees.
References
Schawbel, D. (2011). Who's at Fault for High Gen-Y Turnover? Forbes Magazine. Retrieved June 8, 2015 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2011/11/22/whos-at-fault-for-high-gen-y-turnover/
