Generations Across Borders
While the concept of generational differences is universal, how those generations are defined remains specific to a given country. Both the timeframes for these divisions as well as the common traits are not the same for everyone.

Generational differences are shaped by the political, socioeconomic and cultural events that have a transforming impact on a country. These events become the turning points for new generations that incorporate different behaviours, attitudes and aspirations from the preceding generation. If the timing of critical events varies from country to country, then the definition of generational behaviours will change at different times as well.

Gen Y currently makes up about 20% of the worldwide workforce (according to McCrindle Research) and this is set to increase to 42% by 2020.

China
China's Gen Y consists of approximately 200 million young people born between 1980 and 1989.
The first generation of single children to emerge after the introduction of the One Child Policy in 1980 has a reputation of being individualistic and confident but also self-centered and rebellious. Compared to preceding generations, they are regarded as innovative and open-minded toward new ideas and approaches.

Company branding is far more important to Gen Y in China than it is to Gen Y elsewhere. They are much more likely to be turned on or off to a company based on what they hear in the news or how it is portrayed by friends and family. Gen Y in China want to work for large multinationals that can invest in their career growth and development. They are more likely to want an opportunity to work globally --- even more than having a flexible work schedule.

Japan
The most recent entrants to the workforce — the Yutori — is Japan’s Gen Y. They were born between 1995 and 2000. The product of a more liberal education due to education reforms, they are perceived to lack the focus and discipline of earlier generations. Within the workplace, they typically demonstrate greater individualism. That can be a source of friction with older generations brought up to accept group thinking. While technically competent, many believe that the Yutori need more coaching and guidance.
As a result of the decline in Japan's economic fortunes from 1990, as well as the death of the “job for life”, the Yutori generation has grown up in a time of high economic anxiety, rather than the perpetual growth of their parents' era. Yutori-generation workers tend to be risk adverse, insular and more focused on themselves rather than the company's goals. In many instances, they are less ambitious than previous generations striving, above all else, for job security and employability over leadership and personal advancement.

India
Gen Y employees were born between 1980 and 2000. While most of the developed world is struggling to create new jobs in the aftermath of the 2008 recession, India is experiencing a job boom and a tremendous growth in employment opportunities.

India’s Gen Y have fully embraced a career model of rotation between employers as they pursue career advancement. High priorities for them are talent programmes that address their development needs, opportunities for advancement and enrichment. Opportunities to work globally are particularly prized.
However, company loyalty no longer matters if the next company promises greater opportunities for advancement and better pay. This is why employers now have to deal with the problem of attrition and retention. With so many jobs to select from, Gen Y are only too willing to jump jobs for better prospects.
United Kingdom.

Prior to the 2008 recession, Gen Y were very spoiled. From an early age, they saw Britain begin its greatest ever period of sustained economic growth. For the children of the 1980s, recession was something that happened to other people.

Gen Y has little interest in their parents' work-dominated lives. This generation isn’t seduced by salary and status. Instead, the ability to "make a difference", balanced by plenty of downtime, is their career dream. Most pertinent to the corporate world is the disturbing notion that Gen Y workers are unprepared to put up with stressful working conditions. When unhappy, they simply resign.

Despite the current depressed job market, Gen Y hasn't altered its values. Recession or no recession, this is a group that will "walk away" if the company doesn't match its ideals.

Germany
In Germany, Gen Y born between 1980 and 1989 make up approximately 15% of the population. Gen Y is regarded as highly educated, with university degrees, but very little income and huge problems entering the job market due to high unemployment.

The German Gen Y has very different expectations compared to their counterparts in other countries. Compensation is a priority when choosing an employer, while opportunity for learning is the top priority of Gen Y in other countries. Opportunity for learning is not a top choice for Gen Y in Germany in marked contrast to Gen Y in other countries.

The workplace and the right working environment are crucial in influencing Gen Y performance. Gen Y in Germany is very vocal to the point of demanding that their employers need to be green, sustainable and show they are well above other companies in meeting standard environmental compliance.

Russia
Beginning in 1983, the first truly post-Soviet generation to enter the workforce under the presidency of Vladimir Putin was the so-called “Generation Pu”. This group was born from 1983 to 2000.

This group is far more focused on professional development than the generation before them. They typically demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice work-life balance early in their careers in exchange for quick advancement. They are more pragmatic, decisive, straightforward and more willing to take risks than their predecessors.

Living in an unpredictable and fast-changing environment, they learned to gain quick profits and to live in the present, not in the future. Interestingly, Gen Pu is uniquely nationalistic compared to its generational contemporaries in other countries.

Kenya
Gen Y is expected to account for up to 50% of the total workforce in Kenya by 2012. They were born between 1990 and 2000.

What most of their employers consider as incentives does not really matter to them. What does matter are clear work related goals, challenging and interesting work, coaching and mentoring as well as benefits and incentives.

Gen Y in Kenya is not necessarily driven by social networking, fast cars and technology gadgets as previously perceived, but instead is driven by the urge to grow, gain experience and succeed at an early age. Another common notion that the Gen Y tends to change jobs often also does not appear to be true. Most expect to remain with their current employer for at least 5 years.

Conclusion
The impact of technology cannot be emphasised enough as to the impact on Gen Y. People under 30 are becoming more similar worldwide due to the proliferation of technology and the "world getting smaller". This is unlike preceding generations that were much less alike because of the inability to connect with their peers worldwide. Now the world is bound together by sharing external events in real time.

If anyone needs convincing, think about the recent events in the Middle East. For example, the revolution in Egypt was organised by Gen Y that mapped out a strategy designed to disperse police forces and boost the number of demonstrators. They called, on Facebook, for demonstrators to assemble at five staging grounds around Cairo. Such advance planning helped these young Egyptians outsmart their elders in the government. These revolutionaries will forever be known as the “Facebook Rebels”.

Jacque Vilet, President of Vilet International, has over 20 years’ experience in International Human Resources with major multinationals such as Intel, National Semiconductor and Seagate Technology. She has managed both local, in-country national and expatriate programs and has been an expat twice during her career. She has a BS and MS in Psychology and an MBA. She also holds the CCP, GPHR, HSC and SWP certificates. She is a member of World at Work, Society of Human Resources Management and the Human Capital Institute. She has presented at industry events in the U.S., Asia and Europe, and is a regular contributor to a number of HR and talent management publications.