I was listening to a radio programme recently that discussed future trends in society and discussions with others highlighted something I think may interest people here on FF as it might reverberate on employment and recruitment.
A new focus is emerging apparently. Over the last 10 years with the introduction of University fees and the "anything is possible" society, the focus has been on young people and catering for their needs. The focus highlighted a phenomenon called 'helicopter parenting' whereby the senior hovers over the junior endeavouring to cater for all their wants and needs, either at home or work, and allowing juniors the expression of freedom without responsibility, to a large extent.
Problematical, 'helicopter parenting' has produced a take, take, take society and is now producing side effects where the senior can no longer give or focus on the junior without causing detrimental effects in other areas of their senior life, such as the home and workplace.
This new phenomenon and its effect will most likely impact on 'Generation Y' (suggested to the be Generation of junior's ideas put into action) in numerous ways
- recession restricts, thus enabling Generation Y to come up with the ideas and simply implement irrespective of the cost to society is no longer a 'can do' option;
- the senior generation have sustained such deterioration in quality of life, working conditions and home affairs, a tsunami is building leaving the senior no where to go, but implode at work or at home;
- the senior will ignore the junior and re-focus on re-establishing the boundaries that brought about prosperity in the first place;
- Apparently the juniors are getting fed up with the effort behind cheap labour compared to the outlay costs which are greater than the sums earned, leading to heavy debt and gambling;
- The gulf between the haves and have nots which imports detrimental effects on the home life of the have nots is growing exponentially;
- etc
Now I don't usually involve myself in these areas because it is not my skillset, but David Sullivan opened my eyes to recruitment and employment trends as a speaker at the last MTEB conference 2009.
I am not qualified or skilled in this area, but my instincts tell me this is signifcant. These are the same instinctions, along with my technical understanding that I have, that I know when there is going to be 'trouble 't mill' in forensics; so these same instincts only tell me this time this is something you all need to know about ('helicopter parenting')….that significantly that era is coming to an end after 10-years and a syndrome is about to follow.
I cannot tell you anymore, but if I am right, my observations are find out more, plan, and have a CARE how you handle this one, for it can hit not merely in your work-life, but your home-life too.
If you take my intentions here by raising these observations to you as nothing more than kindness; then kindness knows no shame.