Cheryl Croce Sr. Consultant Veris Associates, Inc. “…my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open…”[1] With all of the recent news around the Millennials – Generation Y -- and their impact on the workplace, you would think they were creatures from another universe. Who are these kids, with their iPods and their Social Networks and their – gasp! – flip-flops? Why do they think everything can be solved with the click of a mouse? They think they’re heroes because they showed up and mentioned something about working ‘green?’ When I think of how seasoned professionals will ‘deal’ with Generation Y’s own theories of how work will be done and their contributions, I think of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The story is about the construction of a creature from borrowed parts, and the subsequent events when it becomes part of the Doctor’s world -- whether he wants it to or not. Ultimately, the novel resonates with philosophical and moral ramifications: themes of nurture versus nature…and ambition versus social responsibility dominate readers' attention and provoke thoughtful consideration of the most sensitive issues of our time.[2] Imagine that – all that influence from a book authored by a nineteen year old. Generation Y, similar to Frankenstein’s monster, is our generation’s creation; and the generation before us; and the generation before them. They are the product of years of revolution and evolution. We have a choice – and a responsibility – on how we integrate our creation into the workforce. We can either fear and loathe them as they enter the workforce, or we can harness their strengths and help them through their weaknesses. In the end, the Millennials will add value to our workplace, and teach us things we didn’t know we needed to learn. Borrowed Parts: The Genesis of Generation Y “Every thing must have a beginning ... and that beginning must be linked to something that went before.”[3] From Baby Boomers to Generation Y, while our music, dress and political tastes may be different, we share a lot in common. Like each passing generation, Generation Y’s genesis is embedded in the social, political and environmental elements of previous generations. For people of the Depression Era, it was very simple: If you didn’t work, you didn’t eat. Many turned to manufacturing and government relief work programs, as jobs in farming and mining were devastated by the collapse of the economy. People, young and old, had to make due with what they had, and children grew up quickly in order to survive. There were no computers to automate any of the work done at jobs or in homes. While the Stock Market crash of 1929 defined the Depression-era workforce, World War II defined the Baby Boomer generation. A sense of patriotism and necessity drove ingenuity, resourcefulness and mass production…in many respects. The Baby Boomers are roughly 80 million strong; with a work ethic set firmly in the belief that if you work hard now, you can do the things you really want to do when you retire. While the Baby Boomers did just fine without the use of computers, one technological advancement shaped their world: Television. Just in time for this wealthy generation came a magic box that showed them exactly what they could buy, where they could travel, and what dreams they could accomplish, all in a wholesome package that cheerfully emitted the benefits of the good life. Life wasn’t perceived to be as ‘perfect’ for Generation Jones, otherwise known as the Shadow Boomers, who were influenced by the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Rock music did for the Generation Jones era what television did for the Baby Boomers: it defined and shaped their way of thinking. For them, distrust and anti-establishment eclipsed patriotism and loyalty. Entrepreneurs were borne from the skills, independence and latitude that came from higher education as it became more commonplace. Instead of