The workplace is rejuvenating as more and more Baby Boomers retire, and young recruits can enrich the work place and provide a valuable complement to the experience and knowledge of their older counterparts.

But after having worked with, managed and supervised youth for a few years now, and still being a young person myself, I’ve come across a number of preconceptions that, in my view, widen the intergenerational gap and can make the work place challenging for young workers and our older colleagues alike.

These myths seem fairly common and I believe they need a little busting.

I don’t mean to speak for all people aged 18 to 30, but to share some of the things I’ve learned in the hope that it might foster better understanding between generations.

Myth #1: Youth think their older colleagues or bosses have nothing to teach them

In my experience, youth workers and volunteers are keen to learn and to prove themselves. We crave mentorship and guidance but also want to prove we can work effectively on our own. However, since we’re entering the work sphere for the first time, we may not know who to speak to or have the confidence to ask for advice.

We also tend to learn very quickly, particularly if resources are made available to us at the beginning of our job. Having a mentor can be extremely effective, as well as letting us know we can ask as many questions as we need to. As a manager, I’ve found that preempting questions by remembering what I felt like when I first started working is usually very helpful.

Mythbuster #1: Youth tend to be grateful to learn from older co-workers if they have the opportunity to do so.

Myth #2: Youth are disorganized, irresponsible and sometimes lazy

While I can’t speak for all youth, I haven’t yet met any young person who fits this stereotype in the workplace. Generally, if we got through college or university, we’ve developed good organizational skills and self-discipline, and we’ll learn to put them to good use.

However, everyone occasionally needs motivation. Telling us we are doing good work or what we could do to improve is very important, particularly since we may not yet have a good sense of the quality of our work. We also often like challenges and an unmotivated Gen Y staff member should potentially be given more work and responsibilities, not less.

Mythbuster #2: Youth will be more motivated if they receive feedback and have the opportunity to be challenged.

Myth #3: Youth can be arrogant and have high expectations in the work place

I don’t think young workers are more arrogant than older generations. However, we often feel a lot of pressure to succeed and sometimes try to “fake it until we make it” in terms of confidence in the work place. Rather than being comfortable with our new positions, we may try to seem like we have more experience and speak more forcefully than we need to. Managers should make a point to listen to what we have to say and let us know we are appreciated.

Mythbuster #3: Many youth have high expectations of themselves and feel pressure to seem like an expert.

Myth #4: Youth cannot be trusted with highly responsible, difficult or visible tasks.

I may be biased here, but I think while experience gives skill and wisdom that cannot be summoned out of thin air, youth can be extremely productive and resourceful, even if we have no previous experience. It’s not for nothing that youth are linked to qualities such as energy, enthusiasm, curiosity and willingness to work hard and long. A combination of freedom and guidance will likely produce unexpected – and often exciting – results.

Mythbuster #4: The capacity of youth to learn and innovate should not be underestimated.

How do you think some of the other myths surrounding Gen Y in the workplace can be turned on their heads?