The oldest members of Gen Y (b. 1981-2000) are recent college graduates, just beginning to enter the workforce. Having been pushed since birth to constantly go the extra mile — whether in school, sports, or other activities — Gen Y is characterized as a highly-driven generation. They were also raised with open access to the Internet — a tool that opened their eyes to the world around them, and made them more tolerant of diversity and more aware of world affairs. All of these characteristics have led many researchers to predict that the tech-savvy, innovative, and motivated Gen Y workforce will shake up the landscape of modern-day business just as much, if not more, than their boomer parents have.

Then why are employers noticing that this rising Gen Y workforce is in a constant state of flux, changing jobs — and even entire career paths — at the slightest dissatisfaction? It would be easy to say, “Those young people are spoiled!” or “Who do they think they are, with this naïve sense of entitlement?!” But it’s more than that. A major characteristic of this generation is that above all else, Gen Y is focused on achieving personal fulfillment in all aspects of their lives — especially at the workplace.

Gen Y thrives in a working environment that fosters open communication, positive reinforcement, appreciation for their input, and professional development in the form of mentorship and growth potential. They also expect their careers to be portable. Having done much of their college coursework on a laptop in a student lounge or coffee shop, why should they be tied to a desk all day — or even worse, a cubicle — as long as the work gets done?

Rather than dismissing the needs of this rising workforce as “ridiculous” or “arrogant,” employers need to recognize that unless they create a working environment that resonates with Gen Y, they will lose their most valuable young employees, or lose out on recruiting them in the first place. Because a large majority of Gen Y looks at freelancing and entrepreneurship as easily obtainable fall-back options, big business needs to remind Gen Y that there is much to gain from working for the corporate sector: namely, a steady income with growth potential and benefits that provide ample work/life balance.