Harold Mitchell to Gen Y: shape up or ship out
May 28 2009, 6:05 pm | | 68 Comments
Harold Mitchel’s column in today’s smh.com.au is worth reading, especially for CB Bloggers 18 to 30. Says Mitchell: “It’s about generation Y. The people we love to hate. Marketers are always talking about them.”
68 Comments
Gen Y has decided that working their arses off for someone who takes advantage of their youth isn’t worth it. So we choose companies that give us the fabled ‘work/life’ balance where we can. No-one minds hard work, but if we were to get up at 5am every day and retire at midnight, working for most of that, we’d have no friends, family or partners – the really important things in life to our generation; not power and money.
spoken like an old person who likes to generalise.
“But why am I writing this when they don’t read the papers?”
I don’t read the papers because the fools in the media put all the information on the net for free. This saves me $400 a year so I can do other things like invest in training externally so that my skills are more diversified.
Do I care about super, no not really, but does anybody care about retirement 30 years down the track? I think that’s an unrealistic expectation. However, it also doesn’t stop me from putting more into super especially when the gov is matching and extra $1000 worth. So yes I’m aware of super, but not really worried about it.
Personally, I only changed jobs once in 8 years, while I saw others job hopping to artificially increase salaries. My advice to Gen Yers or Zers is to find an agency that matches your personal goals and stay there. It takes a couple of years to produce a few award worthy pieces and then another year to enter them, (nobody will enter them when you leave, seen that many times) and then another year to see the results come in. At that point, sure assess your situation, but the idea of 2 year job hopping is a fallacy in my humble opinion.
Then again, if I was working for STW, job hopping would be my first priority.
It’s about time someone wrote an article like this. Good on Harold for sticking his chins out.
My comment got edited so i’ll just stress a point in a more general fashion…
This industry is largely run by blokes in their 40s and 50s who have carried on the ‘get ’em young, work ’em to the bone, and let them be grateful I gave them a start’ attitude. The problem is that loyalty is expected in return for this archaic attitude – until the Gen Y gopher realises he or she is being exploited. Furthermore, there is no loyalty given back because there is a) always some other naive kid with stars in their eyes coming along or b) the organisation is part of a multinational conglomerate where loyalty means nothing to shareholders and you need to jump regularly before you get shafted.
Anyway, enough of my whingeing. I’ll get back to bludging off my parents at home and working on my book because I got mad redundant. (True Fact!)
Harold you sound a bit miffed that some of your employees saw through the four walls you had boxed them into and decided they had better opportunities elsewhere. Sorry to hear that old fella.
Gen Y are the people who spend most of the time online.
Mr Harold Mitchell,
To stereotype your generation, you were all dole bludging weed smokers that got too high on acid, didn’t shave or wash, suddently flipped out and got jobs in the mail room, stayed at the company for 30 years until someone eventually decided to give you a non-executive (non decision making) board position because it was cheaper than paying your redundancy entitlements.
Either that or you smoked too much weed then moved to the country and grew too much weed and possibly still do on your little hobby farm you bought for the price an average Gen Y would pay on rent in a year.
You are part of the generation that hates everything, hated their parents, hated the 50s sensibilities, hated the VIetnam war, hated the government, hated the 70s and now hate their kids. What a load of peace and love!
I’ve paid rent since I was 17. Most of our parents, unlike yours, are loathe to help their kids invest in property. It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s just you’ve spent all the money your parents set aside for you and haven’t made any to spend on us!
Your generation are only rich because of an inflated housing boom!
The hypocrisy!
I also remember the recession in the 80s/90s because I had no food, while our parents, you guys, were wasting their money on hip MC Hammer and Milli Vanilli LPs, Tapes and $900 compact disc players.
Our music is better than yours was. Our drugs are better. Our fashion is better. Our women are hotter than yours were. Our parties are much better. Our jobs are cooler. We’re a shitload cooler. We get the internet. We own it.
Mark Zuckerberg, gen y loser? Or jealous Boomer?
When you guys finally decide to retire, realise you’re irrelevant and stop making this country the redneck nanny state it is, our country will be better than yours was.
Step aside and let the flowers grow a bit before you stomp on them.
I take all my advice on what’s ‘now’ from this adman, whose entire vocation is about to disappear from the face of the earth.
His pose suggests he may have just consumed a Y for elevenses.
You have to give 1:15 credit where it’s due: at least he’s articulate and literate, unlike 99.9% of his monosyllabic peers.
Dear GenY in a Bottle,
You’re fucking kidding yourself right? This guy lived through and made a fortune through the best period of advertising ever.
Fuck whether the drugs are better these days. In his day, you could rack up in your secretary’s cleavage during client meetings.
You get the internet? We invented the fucker.
Our musicians played instruments, yours play “LP’s” of our musicians playing instruments.
Your women are hotter? That’s your mother you’re talking about. And you should be goddam thankful someone thought she was hot, or at least managed to get high enough on their shit drugs to bang her once.
My advice: crawl back into your old man’s ball bag.
You’ll be much happier.
Ah, it’s great seeing how insecure people get when they get old. Don’t gently show younger generations a better way, bash ’em on the head with some good old four-be-two like they did in our day.
3:44. Keep hating.
Yeah GenY in a Bottle, name just one invention by anyone under 30! Everything you use in your miserable, useless, non-orginal life: the iPhone or any other phone, the computer, Facebook and Twitter, the blog you’re on right now, all of them brilliant, original ideas of either Gen X, the Boomers or the War Babies.
What a bunch of sooky sooky la la’s you little Gen Y babies are.
My kids are going to kick your arses, not wipe them.
’bout time some one stuck it up your runny litle snotty noses and botties.
as for Gen Y chicks..oh my god..sorry, yours smells too.
3:44 again.
Keep hating?
You started it you little fuck face.
I was in a perfectly jolly mood before you started trying to tell me music has peaked with Amy Winehouse and Guy Sebastian.
Old man’s ball bag – now!
Generation Why? I think they’ll go down in history as pretty lame. Bring on Gen Z.
It’s good that Gen Y think they’re the best generation ever. Every generation tends to believe this, and then they get old and stop being the cool kids, and the next lot sneer at them for being out of date, and on it goes. It’s all part of the natural cycle.
It’s just like when you’re 12 years old, and you believe with all your heart that you are an incredibly unique and supremely talented individual, destined for true greatness. Then you grow up and get some perspective.
Anyway, Gen Y is just filling in time before the fast-tracked Gen Z kicks their sorry arses.
But yeah, I’ll give you “our women are hotter” though. But only because Gen Y women got convinced by constant media referencing to put everything on show, 24/7. I guess that’s what happens when your world is defined by Big Brother Up Late.
ps – the finest generation in modern history are those who grew up during the Great Depression… survived that… then in their late teens and early 20’s put their lives on the line to defeat Nazism and Japanese militarism in WWII. Then went on to essentially construct the modern economy that spawned all the pleasures we enjoy now. Nothing the Boomers, Xers, Y’s or Z’s do will even come close.
Of course, their music was shit. And they didn’t have ‘cool’ jobs. But hey – you can’t have everything.
I think Gen Y’s biggest problems won’t be coming from the Western Suburbs. or from Gen Z or whatever.
They will be coming from across the sea. Places like China where they aren’t writing on blogs and getting bummed out like us, they are working, working like mofo’s to get a better deal for themselves. They are working hard so they can take all the good shit that we have been keeping for ourselves. they are coming to take our sneakers, our iphones and our jobs.
bwahahaha cynical gen x think gen y listen to amy whinehouse. LOL.
guess u haven’t been out in a while, hey.
Gen Y are the future of new business and ideas…. however, we’ve still loads to learn!
b
Right now, we Gen Y-ers are seeing the fruits of company loyalty as upper level staff – suits/media/creative/everyone – are being shuffled out the back door to cut costs. Meanwhile mid-weights and juniors are safe because we cost less.
If we hadn’t seen the utter hypocrisy in the notion of company loyalty through our parent’s experiences in the early 90s, it’s damned near impossible for us to miss now.
So if Gen Y are leaving every 2 years to backpack around Europe, sorry, but it sounds better than slogging our guts out for 30 years, only to be shown the door when we need our jobs the most.
STW are sick of the young ones hey? Why then do they flick off the over 40’s at every ‘downsizing’ opportunity? Oh that’s right… it costs more to hire experience and valued opinions from those that know the ropes. It seems to me that money talks… silently.
I haven’t a clue who Harold Mitchell is, all I know is that I wouldn’t want to be picking up the tab for his lunch and he has picked you all for a pack of fools.
A syndicated columnist gets a lively debate going on a blog. Perfect for him. Job Done.
The same debate is going on other (smh) blogs. They WANT you to argue…good fodder .
Keep it going, keep it going…….chuck in a Miranda Devine reference as well…lets promote the whole Fairfax brand.
That little piece of metal in the corner of your mouth is a fish hook.
What a bunch of sour grapes – and how boring really.
So they want fulfillment, don’t sell their souls to companies would would sack them in a heartbeat if it made financial sense – big, fat, hairy deal! They’re being smarter about work-life balance, they’re the product of prosperity and they’re seeking out a better way of life. They’re smart enough to know that there is no such thing as job security.
Onya kiddos! Don’t “settle” for anything and certainly don’t listen to some pompous dinosaur who lumps 18 to 30 year olds in one group and slaps a label on them.
People are living longer so it is naturaly they are staying younger longer. And newsflash — young people live at home longer to save for a home of their own because HOUSING IS EXPENSIVE.
Jeebus, you bosses who hate the fact they’re moving on after two years — give them something interesting to do! This “you gotta pay your dues” crap boils down to your having had a crap boss who treated you like a peon and you want to pass it on.
The people coming out of school are human beings who want fulfillment, satisfaction and to take pride in what they do. They just proved they can finish what they start — as long as they’re engaged. They’re smart enough not to work 80 hours a week — I say – YAY!
Why the hell are we arguing about which generation is the best?!?! Doesn’t the older sibling always get jealous of the attention heaped on the youngest child? Get over it, things change, in 15 years time we’ll all be whining about Gen Z…
Well put 6.10 pm.
“the finest generation in modern history are those who grew up during the Great Depression… survived that… then in their late teens and early 20’s put their lives on the line to defeat Nazism and Japanese militarism in WWII. Then went on to essentially construct the modern economy that spawned all the pleasures we enjoy now…. Of course, their music was shit. And they didn’t have ‘cool’ jobs”
My dad is of that generation, but he did have a cool job, aerobatics and fighter pilot in the RAF. His awards were medals from royalty. Oh, and he got one of the hottest women of the generation younger, my Mum.
Oh 6.10, how can you say the so-called ‘Greatest Generation’s music was shit? These guys not only won the war but were responsible for the greatest creative flowering since Picasso, Einstein and the Modernists.
The music they listened to was the classic American Songbook of Cole Porter, Gershwin etc that is still being covered and sampled today. Soit was and is very cool.
But the music they created after the war changed everything. They invented bebop, r’n’b, and hence rock and everything else we listen to today.
The art they created was Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Art Brut and hence everything we look at now as fresh and ‘Street’.
They started the revolution in movies which broke the studio system, became the French New Wave and then independent film makers like we have today.
They started the alternative lifestyle movements which became the Beats, which became Hippies, which became every hipster you see working in agencies and hanging around pubs in Surry Hills today.
And so on.
Shit, they even started jeans and T-shirts as a fashion statement, and outlaw bike gangs.
Every Boomer, Gen X,Y or Zer should watch ‘Band of Brothers’ then do a bit of Art, Music and Culture historical research before claiming generational bragging rights.
And thus endeth my sermon.
Ease it up guys. There’s good and bad in every generation. Churchill / Hitler. Hendrix / The Monkeys. Sex Pistols / Abba. INXS / The Bangles. Muse / Amy Whinehouse.
I don’t think we should be dividing here, especially in our meritocratic industry where you’re a peacock one day and a feather duster the next. I have utmost respect for most of the people who’ve gone before me. Without their guidance, I don’t think my book would be half as good – even as a Generation Y person who thought he was Gen X because he listened to grunge.
I also certainly don’t think that after year X (or Y or Z) there’ll be a ‘different generation’ of people and workers hurrying through to banish the evil, thoughtless ‘Gen Y’s’. There’s good and bad in every race, generation, colour and creed.
To think otherwise is ignorant, belligerent and ignominious. I’m ashamed a figurehead of our industry could publicly behave so backward and reflect on the rest of us who’ve been trying to convince everyone it’s actually cool to work in Advertising.
Play him off keyboard cat.
Harold telling others to shape up.
A bit rich, isn’t it?
1:15 I’m interested to know how you get a Redneck, Nanny State. Seems to me you need to go back to school and learn a bit about the Right and Left of politics.
I reckon, we need a good World War to pull you shits into line. To teach you you’re not owed anything, how to work for things and to respect the basic things in life such as mateship, family and a good fucking job.
Your drugs are better??? Get with reality dickhead. We invented that new shit to distract you fuckers from taking our jobs and so you’d forget about your hot women so we could take ’em off you.
You’re original, so you think. You’re the gullible marketing targets that we’ve conned to follow with the pack. WE WROTE YOU DICKHEAD!!!! Funniest thing is, you think you’re free spirited and independent, but you’re a pure product of our marketing. I love it.
Dream on Dickhead.
Gen x – about to be fat, forty and …. You know the rest.
In 1965, British band The Who recorded ‘My Generation’, a song bemoaning the lack of respect afforded to the younger generation.
It was re-recorded by limp Bizkit in 2001. It resonated then. It resonates now.
Just think there was probably some old bloke back in the 60’s wondering whether Harold was any good.
The old want to hold on to their hard earned positions (by their finger nails if necessary). They convince themselves only they can lead. The young want respect and acknowledgment. It has always been the same.
My generation lyrics
People try to put us d-down
Just because we get around (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don’t you all f-fade away (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
And don’t try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I’m not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I’m just talkin’ ’bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don’t you all f-fade away (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
And don’t try to d-dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I’m not trying to cause a b-big s-s-sensation (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I’m just talkin’ ’bout my g-g-generation (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
People try to put us d-down (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Just because we g-g-get around (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Campaign Brief,
Not much happened in advertising today?
Too late at night to scope out anything interesting?
There are thousands of Gen Y aussies around the world, doing brilliant things YOU should be reporting on.
Why would you even post such a link?
Look at any award list – how many of the winners were Gen Y?
What about the Melbourne director’s success at Cannes?
What about the kid who started the website “Junior”?
What about the aussie student who won a Gold pencil?
Your choice to post a link to such rubbish is appalling.
In a bid to disappoint half your readership – you’ve succeeded.
This labelling gen x,y,z is a marketings version of racism. We are all individuals – it just suits the media companies to shove us in groups. Get fucked stop telling me my behaviour because of how old I am.
2:20am simmer down.
Just because you don’t agree with him it’s probably good to hear what a stupidly successful guy who employs a lot of people has to say.
Generating generalisations is a popular past time for people of all ages it appears.
Simplifications lead to simple planning and strategy.
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”
The Library of Congress claims this is “attributed to Socrates by Plato”.
Gee, it’s all a little angry isn’t it?
Every emerging generation thinks they’re the best.
Every older generation can’t quite understand the ones coming after it.
One monumentally stup id commment from Gen Y Bludger. You claim that only young people care about their friends, family and partners. Do you really believe that?
Because ironically, most of the behaviour attributed to Gen Y….unreliable, spendthrift, flitting from one career to another, won’t work as hard as more established (older) employees etc etc…are actually the behaviour of people who are only interested in themselves, not in others.
If I’m looking for people who value family, friends and partners, I’ll look for the married ones with kids before the ones taking drugs with their mates each week and then bitching about the same people via all these new social media sites us Gen X people will never understand.
Sorry (truly) you got made redundant. It’s not nice for anybody and yes, probably more manageable when you don’t have a mortgage and other older generation debt and responsibility to weight you down, so well done for staying free.
Not sure this is the best way to find yourself a new job though
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ndx_IdlUQU
All I have to say.
Like anyone cares about Gen Y.
Time’s running out Gen Y. Give us an invention or a decent band that will be remembered for a while. Go on – something! Anything!
Hasnt EMITCH made a killing from online users like Gen Y? Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth
The best gen Y can come up with
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8ekGzKQExs
The best Gen X (I assume) can come up with
http://www.doritos.com.au
Guy R, I usually like your work and actually publicly defended Samedi at a pub once, but as punishment for a badly run comp and a terrible outcome, I sentence you to having this ad first on your reel for 2 years.
Oh and on the Gen dialogue, I think my doco that I shot a few years ago shows how cool we were, they’re airing it on a think called “cable” I think.
Hope you like, I’m out of the office for the rest of the day, have a mistress to attend to.
Gen X, move over. Gen Z is coming up behind you…
Well, those that aren’t satisfied with themselves usually try to find deficiency in others, so I guess we’re all a pack of losers really.
So, Gen Y better shape up in the current recession.
Remind me Harold, which great generation caused the recession again? And the one before? And the one in the late 80s?
Oh… that’s right. The one that knows what to do with it’s money.
9:07,
Muse, seriously?
Arrogant fucks. The lot of you.
2:34 – that Gen “Z” that’s coming up behind us Gen “X”ers are our kids. And we teach them to say please and thank you, and to speak their mind while being respectful. We teach them to work hard, to read books,to use paint’s on paper, to watch the original movies not remakes of old (gen x) TV shows. We teach them to use the internet as a way of learning about ideas not stealing them. We teach them to be self – reliant. But most importantly… we teach them how to terrify Gen “Y” by simply pointing out their unoriginality. So if you think you “Y” guys came up fast – watch what happens when “Z” kicks in behind you.
See ya in the old folks home – suckers.
Xx
Who cares about letters of the alphabet. Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z Gen Next, Gen whatever.
It’s all same shite different decade.
If you want a generation that rocks you have to go beyond. To the generations that lived through the great war, the great depression, and the war to end all wars. The generations that don’t sport a label. The generations that are the reason we’re all here.
These people lived like no tomorrow because they quite possibly wouldn’t have a tomorrow.
I’m not one of them, but I think they trump us all.
*YAWN* who cares?
Older man takes swipe at young un’s. Young un’s get uppity about ‘the man’ having a go at them.
Half the old boys on here whining about gen Y are a tad bit blind to the fact that if they were in their youth in the 60’s and 70’s their parents thought they were the most irresponsible and strange misfits the world had ever seen.
Same old story, different decade.
For the record – I saw this while at my desk (on a sunday) working. I’m a Gen Y and I detest the cheap shots of Gen Y being lazy and selfish. I think boomers are the most selfish Gen of all time. They lived through the boom, recieved free education, cheap housing and cost of living, rewarded for loyalty instead of intelligence and hardwork, always voting for their future, not their childrens and then they sit in an ivory tower – looking down at some poor account coordinator making 30K a year, working 10 hours a day and say ‘why arent these lazy kids loyal to me?’
It’s time the oldies had a look at what’s happening in the real world.
To use a term you trendy cool gen x and above may understand,
BFD.
Snooze…
Headhunter, I do agree Gen Y Bludger should pipe down a bit, but the family thing? What happened to young, creative footloose people who could pack up and go overseas at the drop of a hat? Or work through the night when everyone else seems to be at home?
I’d better start leaving the office before 8pm, stop coming in on Sundays and fake a few ‘family emergencies’ so I can nail my partner a bit more!!
I think this is a valid argument on both sides of the fence. A lot of younger people are very disillusioned with the industry and having their expectations mismanaged.
Employers are pissed off they have to hire new talent every couple of years, and unfortunately the old talent tells everyone what pricks they are to work for, and headhunters love it.
I think, humbly, it’s simply down to managing expectations.
Gen Y are generally very passionate, hardworking, talented people. But if you promise people they’re going to win awards, have a great career, use the agency as a springboard, fly around on shoots, mostly work on TV but you still want thinking ‘right through the line’ then you cherry pick their ideas and do the sexy stuff yourself while they get to write the long copy for the trade presenter and become a mac resource for the CD’s / seniors, they’re inclined to feel a little bit fucked off.
The best young upstarts in the Australian industry have done extremely well, and we talk about them as ‘legends’ today. And two that come to mind decided ‘fuck it, we’re starting our own agency’ on the day of the crash in ’87. They are unbelievably wealthy and happy, satisfied individuals today.
So youngies, have hope and faith in yourself. If you think you can do it better, do it – nobody is trying to stop you. And if you want to have a job without the stress of running a business, ask very upfront questions during the interview process and don’t let them ‘sell’ you on anything. Look at the work they’re doing now – it will be the work you will be doing, no matter how much they preach they’re ‘turning things around.’
Then negotiate more hush money based on the fact that you’ll be predominately doing dm / retail / pitch bitch / big bad brand work 90% of the time while the seniors cherry pick all the good briefs.
Well at least the bickering in this thread has proven we’re all adults. No, wait. It didn’t.
Gen Y? AhhhhhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!
Idiots.
12:07AM, Hasn’t it always been that way? Gen X are going trough what all previous generations had to endure. We all got exploited and ripped off. Why should they be any different? Harden the fuck up I say.
@12:57 PM, given the time of that entry and what he has written, one can assume he is gen x and doing fairly well offshore.
Calm the fuck down I say and keep bitching about how little seniors get paid these days.
12:07….John…..I’ve racked my brain & can’t work out who you’re referring to. Market crash in ’87…..help……
5:23…. I presume John’s referring to Siimon Reynolds and Dave Droga. OMON (formed by Reynolds, Marcus Barnett and Mark de Teliga with employee Dave Droga) opened shop in Balmain on Black Monday, October 19, 1987.
Har’old’ who?
Mick, you are an ignorant fuck wit.
Wolverine part of the Uncanny Y-fronts?
Porn rated YYY?
Y marks the spot?
How’old may be stupid, but at least the moniker “Gen Y” is just as stupid.
I think it’s great the owner of the biggest media company in Australia can be so in touch with the youth of today.
Gives me faith in this world.
Gen Xers are those that are most completely perceptive and importantly mostly unspoiled!