Take a look around your office.
What age range of employees or co-workers do you see?
Baby Boomers? Generation X? Or Millennials…?
By now, you might be asking “What the heck is a Millennial!”
*So, Millennials are defined as anyone born between 1982 and 1996. Approximately 79 Million strong in the US workforce today!
If you’ve ever had to take a step back from a situation with a Millennial, or are looking for advice on how to best reach them in the workplace, here are some ideas to help you and your youngin’ be productive.
1. Always Reinforce The Positives. Most of this generation was raised with the “Everybody gets a trophy” mentality, so telling them that their input is valued, or you liked the way they completed a project, will give them a constant reminder that they are appreciated.
2. Acknowledge The Difference. Not all Millennials are the same, some need constant direction and others want to go at it all on their own. They want you to understand them individually and not try to “old school” them with ways that jobs used to be done back when you were a young executive.
3. Be Flexible. Nobody really likes rules. Especially these guys! Raised in environments where choice was always an option, and were rarely pushed into doing things they didn’t want to do, if you press too hard on small issues like hours or attire, it is possible that you will push a very capable and dependable employee to go to another company.
4. Give Them Ownership. The best way to build feelings of entitlement is to hand over responsibilities. This will even give you a chance to see what they have to bring to the table! Depending on the individual, a portion of a project or a solid section that is all in their hands will show you how creative they can be and how they can use their knowledge and decision making ability.
5. Be Direct. Nobody can read minds, and Millennials are not good at interpreting what you meant to say. Although they want responsibility and the authority to get something done all on their own, you still need to provide a base for them to work off of, and offer a lot of flexibility on how they wish to get it done.
*In a study from the Boston Consulting Group, the 35+ age range does not like working with the (Millennial) Generation Y at all. Now, keep in mind that many of these employees were raised to be very tech-savvy, creative and extremely resourceful workers making them the future of our workforce. Other generations could soon become obsolete if they do not keep up to date with the times and technology of today.
Millennials can be tough to figure out, and also be very challenging to work with at times. However, with the right approach we can all learn something from each other. With a little give & take and the right approach, we can all benefit from the best of all generations!
-SN