As a manager in Silicon Valley and a Gen Xers, I see too many millennials harbor the point of view that effort equals reward — they want to be compensated, promoted, complimented simply for "putting in the effort."

If they study for a test and don't pass, they still want to get credit for it and a good performance review because "I studied." This sounds like a joke, but it is actually what a millennial report of mine told me in our 1:1. I have many more examples of this type of behavior, and it's frustrating to have to explain to adults that we run a for-profit corporation, not a kindergarten where every kid gets a gold star.

Are there hardworking, conscientious, thoughtful millennials? Of course, there are. However, as a generation, this entitled attitude and waiting for help and a handout hold a lot of them back in life, and they have no one to blame but themselves.