It always amazes me how critical of Gen Y are a number of thought leaders in the recruiting industry. You hear words being thrown around like lazy, selfish, misguided, under educated, and worse. There's no doubt that some of those words are entirely appropriate to describe some members of Gen Y but then the same words also apply to some members of Gen X and some Baby Boomers.

I recently read an article by Sarah Welstead of Head2Head and she makes the point that rather than complaining about the motivation, skills, or other attributes of Gen Y, those who complain would be much better served by directing some of that negative energy into helping members of Gen Y improve. Do you know a member of Gen Y who is unmotivated? Rather than bemoan their lack of motivation, give back to the community by investing in that young adult and teach them how to become better motivated. Do you know a member of Gen Y who struggles with oral communication skills? Give back by teaching them how to better articulate their thoughts.

Criticizing something is easy. Being part of the solution is hard. I wonder -- are these critics willing and able to become part of the solution? I hope so.