Given how narcissistic and self-absorbed most young people are today, I am surprised that any of them are actually employable in any position that requires one be subordinate to and respectful of any authority figure... especially one that doesn’t have the time or patience to constantly tell them how great they are.
Try being a boss. Don’t get me wrong - there are still a lot of good kids who will work. They will bust their butts and give you very little grief. But more and more, they come on the job expecting me to take care of their “needs”. In their mind, they are doing ME a favor by gracing me with their enlightened presence. Here is a recent example: “Billy” has been employed less than a year. Due to the recent downturn, everybody is doing more - even the Boss. “Billy” informed me he needed to go to the Dentist. Now, I’m not Satan. If you are in pain, Good Lord, take off and get your toothache fixed. No, “Billy” just needed a cleaning and checkup. He informed me he was going to make an appointment for Friday at 1:00 PM, and he would not return to work. This is the worst possible time for us, the best possible time if you want a long weekend. I suggested he make it during the middle of the week, so everybody else wouldn’t have to pick up so much slack. I then was called a literal monster, that all I cared about was money and he wasn’t ruining his health so I could get rich. Well, Young “Billy” does get one thing. It is about money, that’s why I do it. It’s also about not wanting to see the good folks get stuck. (Although “Billy’s” performance is less than stellar.) This is just the latest in a series from the lad. Letting people go is something I truly hate to do. But a lot of these kids don’t get the fact they are a liability. And, in todays economic situation, I can’t afford liabilities.—JM