Hearing the voices of Generation Y employees: a hermeneutic phenomenological study

There is a need to study and better understand the organizational impact of Generation Y and how they perceive their experiences of work. This article presents findings from a hermeneutic phenomenological study that was conducted to understand the meaning of work for five Generation Y individuals and provide a deeper, richer understanding of their lived experiences. Ten essential themes were constructed, including the meaning of work is: influenced by education, influenced by the economy, the opportunity to do work that is meaningful, balance, a reflection of who we are, working for an organization that functions well, influenced by our social networks, considering and exploring all opportunities, the importance of social relationships, and completing tasks and being compensated to meet our basic needs. Based on these findings, theoretical contributions are provided as well as recommendations for future HRD practice and research.