75 Percent of My Office Is Under 28

GL Hoffman

(Other possible titles for this blog entry could have been: Observations of a Young Workforce From an Unlikely Source. Or, I Am Tired of the Negative Observations of the Younger Workforce—I just don't see it.)

We have nearly 100 people at JobDig, and I just realized that 75 percent of them are under 28. Amazing and LOL.

With so much being written about the younger generations, here are some random observations from the front line:

1. They are very bright, articulate, and convincing. They can cut through cluttered issues as fast as anyone and arrive at the right point.

2. They are much more caring and not so me-oriented. When a sales rep misses a day here, another always volunteers to take his calls and help close his customers. There's no need to share commissions.

3. They are highly principled. This has been true of other generations, but with them, more so. They will much more likely quit over a principle than a work issue.

4. They are more careful around the 30s and 40s folks than with the 50s. I think it's because us 50s have run the "race" already. Or it might be that we remind them of old Uncle Earl, and they just want to pat us on the head and point us to the kitchen.

5. They just go ahead and do it. Remember the saying: Go ahead and do it, and beg forgiveness later? Don't bother with that one. They assume they can, and do, and what did you expect anyway?

6. They can organize anything, and love to just get together. Certainly, there are "groups," cliques even; but I am struck by how many softball teams we have, how many parties they seem to organize, and even the stupid bean bag game they have organized in the parking lot.

I like 'em.

G.L. Hoffman is a serial entrepreneur and venture investor/operator/incubator/mentor. Two of his companies have traveled the entire success path from the garage to IPO. Currently, he is chairman of JobDig, and his blog can be found at WhatWouldDadSay.com or at JobDig.com.