Originally Posted by renza

I actually do think current college students and new college grads have more problematic attitudes of entitlement, but I teach at a university that is known for having rich, spoiled kids, so that could explain my opinion to some degree. Helicopter parenting and more and more pressure about college also raises the expectations of the younger generation I suppose, who maybe feel like they work so hard early on to get the payoff at a young age.

I think this might be the case too. One of the guys that was crying had grown up in a wealthy part of orange county, where every kid had a range rover, but were also expected to perform at Carnegie Hall, go to a great college and be successful in generally everything they do. They've always met expectations that they or their parents have set for themselves, and even though it was only a $5k difference to their expectation, it must have been a huge blow to their ego, etc. I think one of them is already talking about going back to business school or law school because they can get a higher salary once they graduate. Good for him his parents pay his way through another college experience, so that he hopes he can come out on top again, but what they don't realize is this isn't an option for everyone. For him its a free holiday in B-school, and for others, it means job insecurity, and $200k debt.

If they think this is a setback, then they are in for many surprises in the real world.

Originally Posted by serene

I'm just doing a research for my dissertation on rewards and compensations, and it is true that younger employees are more money orientated than "older" ones. Maybe they were supposed to pay a debt or something else with that money, so the lacking 5 thousand does then make a difference Don't know how straightforward you are there at the workplace, but I wouldn't dare to act like that in front of my boss. Makes you look very unappreciative.

No - no debt here. Just entitlement. My boss was actually embarrassed for them, that they cried. It definitely looks unappreciative - especially when we had about 1000 resume's for the one job that one of these guys got.

We work together as a team and everyone has gone through the same hard first few years.

I have definitely noticed this at my law firm over the past 10 or so years. The students and young lawyers for the most part come with a similar sense of entitlement as this - they seem to arrive with clear expectations as to salary, bonuses and work/life balance (which essentially means that they will insist that they have it, so the more senior lawyers have to pick up the slack (given that our clients' expectations and requirements do not take into account work/life balance) and are working longer and harder while the young-uns go sailing and the like) - and also as to the quality of work, so that they will refuse to take on work that they don't find interesting or challenging enough (so, again, the more senior lawyers have to do it instead). I was actually remarking with our student coordinator just a few weeks ago how sad it is that we now specifically notice when a student DOESN'T arrive with that sense of entitlement.

I know from speaking with colleagues at other firms that they see the same thing - so it isn't just that we tend to hire the overprivileged offspring of successful parents (although we do tend to do so). A friend who is a doctor said the same thing about that profession, too...

Originally Posted by laurakasbaum

They were UPSET CRYING over getting ONLY $55K?! As a nurse, I will barely be making that as a new grad, and that was JUST THEIR BONUS?!

that was my same reaction!!

That bonus is what I expected my starting salary to be when I wanted to be a doctor!! Let's be realistic - investment banking is NOT saving lives.

Originally Posted by BookerMoose

I have definitely noticed this at my law firm over the past 10 or so years. The students and young lawyers for the most part come with a similar sense of entitlement as this - they seem to arrive with clear expectations as to salary, bonuses and work/life balance (which essentially means that they will insist that they have it, so the more senior lawyers have to pick up the slack (given that our clients' expectations and requirements do not take into account work/life balance) and are working longer and harder while the young-uns go sailing and the like) - and also as to the quality of work, so that they will refuse to take on work that they don't find interesting or challenging enough (so, again, the more senior lawyers have to do it instead). I was actually remarking with our student coordinator just a few weeks ago how sad it is that we now specifically notice when a student DOESN'T arrive with that sense of entitlement. I know from speaking with colleagues at other firms that they see the same thing - so it isn't just that we tend to hire the overprivileged offspring of successful parents (although we do tend to do so). A friend who is a doctor said the same thing about that profession, too...

I totally agree with you. It's all about "me, me, me..." Its not! We're in a job where its about the clients expectations and we don't get to dictate that. If you don't want to subscribe to the lifestyle of this career, then you need to go somewhere else. After working long hard hours as a junior, I was looking forward to being promoted and doing a similar job to what my bosses were doing. But after getting promoted, I noticed I was still doing the same work because the guys below me were so unresponsive, unwilling to pick up the responsibilities I was doing before, but stuff still needs to get done for the client, so I do it.

Friends tell me that we should just fire these two kids, but who's to say that the next few aren't going to be as entitled? We spent a long time trying to find 2 employees and these two already seemed like the most eager and humble at the time.

If i got a 50k bonus, i'd probably cry with happiness.

50K bonus??? I think it's time for me to switch careers...

Originally Posted by goodmornin

I totally agree with you. It's all about "me, me, me..." Its not! We're in a job where its about the clients expectations and we don't get to dictate that. If you don't want to subscribe to the lifestyle of this career, then you need to go somewhere else. After working long hard hours as a junior, I was looking forward to being promoted and doing a similar job to what my bosses were doing. But after getting promoted, I noticed I was still doing the same work because the guys below me were so unresponsive, unwilling to pick up the responsibilities I was doing before, but stuff still needs to get done for the client, so I do it. Friends tell me that we should just fire these two kids, but who's to say that the next few aren't going to be as entitled? We spent a long time trying to find 2 employees and these two already seemed like the most eager and humble at the time.

Maybe someone should just have a talk with them (if they are pulling their weight). Maybe they have been celebrated their whole lives and this may be the first time they "failed" in their minds. Maybe they are afraid of losing their jobs, or misled into thinking they were good performers. When you are just out of school, life can be scary simply because you haven't gone through these "rejection" experiences.

When I was in high school, I was at the top of my class. When I got to college, I was one of many at the top of their class. When I got my first professional job, everyone else was at the top of their class and many had more advanced degrees than me. Life is pretty humbling in your 20s and we all have to get used to it. It can be a little rough emotionally when you realize you're not one of the best anymore.

They may just need an orientation on what is important and what behavior is expected.

That's significantly more than I make in a year... in a bonus. It's really too bad everything I am good at and care about is low-paying.

i think each generation look at the new generation with their heads shaking ....
i work in architecture...and i've seen a lot of young ppl don't want to work hard but get ahead. arch takes a lot of knowledge and experience to be a good architect...but the young gen just want to get ahead without putting in the hard work...
55K...it took us a while to make that kind of money....and they cried....wow just wow....talk about greed.

Its the same in my workplace too. I work for a big 4 firm, and the graduates who started in January this year kicked up a big stink when in June they didn't get the $10k payrise they thought they were going to get. I think they just have really warped expectations for how pay progression works in the industry. It takes 2 years for the pay from graduate to increase by that much. This is the same graduate group mind you who had a 80% fail rate for their first post-grad unit and rock up late and leave work early every day. Boggles the mind.

most of all --- in this economy....

I work in IT. People I know def aren't like that. I'm 22 and an intern. I try to do as much as I can. Sometimes I do get a lil lazy, but that's life.

They sound like they are spoiled rich kids or read about bonuses others get in their field and expected the same. You can't get a 2008 bonus in 2012. That's the past and this is the future. Take it or leave it.

sometimes it feels like a whole 'nother world but--

working your butt off and I am sure where they've graduated from is somewhat esteemed too--

only to be let down by your expectation because of the current market compared to how it was when you first started for this path, it is understandable to be upset but

that's always behind closed doors, never in front of your boss..and to top it off they were actually crying?!

yeah that sucks that they didn't have the brains to act better, how people view you at work also comes into play when it comes to promotions and raises

Originally Posted by kema042290

I work in IT. We def aren't like that. I'm 22 and an intern. I try to do as much as I can. Sometimes I do get a lil lazy, but that's life. They sound like they are spoiled rich kids or read about bonuses others get in their field and expected the same. You can't get a 2008 bonus in 2012. That's the past and this is the future. Take it or leave it.

they worked hard as OP stated

it's not them being spoiled its the expectation or entitlement to automatically get it even though a) the economy and b) the economy

yes they worked hard but so did everyone else, and just like everyone else who got a lower bonus they should expect no less because that means they worked hard and everyone else didn't..which isn't true

the other thing I wanted to point out and it's not directed at you is that the more people say its the economy the less chance it's going to get any better..it starts with paying people enough that they can have basics and save and yes, spend so that companies can grow and in turn should pay their workers better, a never ending cycle

so they should always aim for more if possible but not cry if they get less then what they hoped--I mean, literally cry