Millennials – Can’t Work With ‘Em…Can’t Work Without ‘Em: So what’s a company to do?
Millennials – Can’t Work With ‘Em…Can’t Work Without ‘Em: So what’s a company to do?
The fact is, most, Millennials are hardworking, team-oriented and loyal to their employers. But, having come of age witnessing huge corporate melt-downs as a result of a variety of corporate bad behaviors, and large scale lay-offs of workers after decades of loyal service to the company, Millennials have rightfully learned that perhaps the corporate world cannot be trusted, and loyalty to one company is an ideal long past its prime.
Add to that the fact that their parents (Boomers), teachers, and the media at large have emphasized to Millennials the importance of believing in yourself no matter what (that everyone is special and good at something), so you can be self-confident and proud of even your smallest accomplishments, and you have a group who are at once exceptionally optimistic and demanding; untrusting and dubious.
So, how do companies, and particularly we Boomers, make the most of these young workers’ capacities while we help them learn how to navigate a work world that will not always be as warm and fuzzy as was mom and the soccer coach?
To start, let’s look at their strengths and some of the realities that belie the stereotypes.
Contrary to stereotypes, Millennials respect workplace protocols and structure, if these are designed for maximum performance enhancement (vs. “this is the way we’ve always done it” or a “just do as your told”, both unhealthy culture expectations anyway), and then the expectations are taught to them right up front. They are accustomed to being given lots of direction (a regular aspect of their upbringing by “helicopter” parents) so they are very open to learning, guidance, and absolutely respect appropriate (read respectful) authority.
They also have another wonderful trait that fits well with a healthy company culture: they take work seriously yet balance it with a well developed personal life. That’s just healthy for everyone in the company – it is, however, something Boomers didn’t do at that age so tend to translate as “slacker” behavior. It’s not. Millennials want their job to have meaning (not just a means to a paycheck) and expect your workplace to be challenging and creative, which means they want to work from your company’s vision, rather than be just a cog (isn’t that the kind of employee you really want?). In return for high productivity, complete immersion in your mission/vision, and a willingness to share ideas for innovation (rather than give you the “it’s not my job” line) they ask for flexible work hours, from the option to telecommute to having a compressed workweek (all options now being considered for gas savings…it’s unfortunate that few companies understood these as just great workforce management, like hospitals, for instance, have done for decades).
A third strength that will greatly benefit any company is their technological savvy. Millennials think of email, text-messaging, and social networking (the latest and state of the art marketing technique) as a part of their being. The downside is that now the line between work from social life can be fuzzy so you want to be diligent about that; the upside is you now have someone who can quickly move your company to the next level using the latest in technology and marketing strategies (such as internet and social marketing).
So, on to a few “how to’s” for working with them to get all this great stuff out of them.
According to Network World. Millennials described their dream boss as being “understanding, caring, flexible and open-minded, as well as someone who is authoritative but respects, values and appreciates his employees.” In other words, they do not want a supervisor who simply tells them what to do and expects such an approach to garner their respect or motivate them to work hard. That wouldn’t work for me either, frankly. A mentor who hands down firsthand knowledge and experience is OK, but not the gold ring. Millennials want a coach who will bring out the best in them, build their confidence, and give them free reign to explore new ideas and solve problems without constant oversight or “how to” direction (that does not mean a lack of accountability by the way – there’s a big difference between feeling “micro-managed” and being held to a performance standard).
Finally, they crave interaction with their managers and will gladly accept lots of feedback (again, something with which they were raised), especially if it comes with praise accompanying the steps for improvement. In return, they expect their opinions and ideas to be heard and respected, despite lack of experience. But that is not only a good thing, it’s something a healthy company culture wants from all employees: just because you don’t have lots of experience or a nifty title doesn’t mean you don’t have lots of great ideas!
Bottom line: Millennials will work very hard for you and not treat your position as just a job, as long as they know the ground rules up front, have lots of opportunities to participate in problem-solving or give constructive ideas/feed-back, and are permitted to use their 21st century talents/skills to move your company forward. That’s not chopped liver! And the good news is this: if you already have a very healthy company culture, you’re well positioned to not only attract the best and brightest Millennials, but keep them growing with you!
Millennials Cant Work With EmCant Work Without Em So whats a company to do - To learn more about this author, visit Terri Benincasa's Website.
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Baby boomers are the “me” generation. Gen-Xers are cynical and difficult to work with. And just like these stereotypes (which, like all stereotypes have only one foot in the truth), Millennials are thought of as wanting a reward for merely showing up, and having a less than admirable work ethic.
The fact is, most, Millennials are hardworking, team-oriented and loyal to their employers. But, having come of age witnessing huge corporate melt-downs as a result of a variety of corporate bad behaviors, and large scale lay-offs of workers after decades of loyal service to the company, Millennials have rightfully learned that perhaps the corporate world cannot be trusted, and loyalty to one company is an ideal long past its prime.
Add to that the fact that their parents (Boomers), teachers, and the media at large have emphasized to Millennials the importance of believing in yourself no matter what (that everyone is special and good at something), so you can be self-confident and proud of even your smallest accomplishments, and you have a group who are at once exceptionally optimistic and demanding; untrusting and dubious.
So, how do companies, and particularly we Boomers, make the most of these young workers’ capacities while we help them learn how to navigate a work world that will not always be as warm and fuzzy as was mom and the soccer coach?
To start, let’s look at their strengths and some of the realities that belie the stereotypes.
Contrary to stereotypes, Millennials respect workplace protocols and structure, if these are designed for maximum performance enhancement (vs. “this is the way we’ve always done it” or a “just do as your told”, both unhealthy culture expectations anyway), and then the expectations are taught to them right up front. They are accustomed to being given lots of direction (a regular aspect of their upbringing by “helicopter” parents) so they are very open to learning, guidance, and absolutely respect appropriate (read respectful) authority.
They also have another wonderful trait that fits well with a healthy company culture: they take work seriously yet balance it with a well developed personal life. That’s just healthy for everyone in the company – it is, however, something Boomers didn’t do at that age so tend to translate as “slacker” behavior. It’s not. Millennials want their job to have meaning (not just a means to a paycheck) and expect your workplace to be challenging and creative, which means they want to work from your company’s vision, rather than be just a cog (isn’t that the kind of employee you really want?). In return for high productivity, complete immersion in your mission/vision, and a willingness to share ideas for innovation (rather than give you the “it’s not my job” line) they ask for flexible work hours, from the option to telecommute to having a compressed workweek (all options now being considered for gas savings…it’s unfortunate that few companies understood these as just great workforce management, like hospitals, for instance, have done for decades).
A third strength that will greatly benefit any company is their technological savvy. Millennials think of email, text-messaging, and social networking (the latest and state of the art marketing technique) as a part of their being. The downside is that now the line between work from social life can be fuzzy so you want to be diligent about that; the upside is you now have someone who can quickly move your company to the next level using the latest in technology and marketing strategies (such as internet and social marketing).
So, on to a few “how to’s” for working with them to get all this great stuff out of them.
According to Network World. Millennials described their dream boss as being “understanding, caring, flexible and open-minded, as well as someone who is authoritative but respects, values and appreciates his employees.” In other words, they do not want a supervisor who simply tells them what to do and expects such an approach to garner their respect or motivate them to work hard. That wouldn’t work for me either, frankly. A mentor who hands down firsthand knowledge and experience is OK, but not the gold ring. Millennials want a coach who will bring out the best in them, build their confidence, and give them free reign to explore new ideas and solve problems without constant oversight or “how to” direction (that does not mean a lack of accountability by the way – there’s a big difference between feeling “micro-managed” and being held to a performance standard).
Finally, they crave interaction with their managers and will gladly accept lots of feedback (again, something with which they were raised), especially if it comes with praise accompanying the steps for improvement. In return, they expect their opinions and ideas to be heard and respected, despite lack of experience. But that is not only a good thing, it’s something a healthy company culture wants from all employees: just because you don’t have lots of experience or a nifty title doesn’t mean you don’t have lots of great ideas!
Bottom line: Millennials will work very hard for you and not treat your position as just a job, as long as they know the ground rules up front, have lots of opportunities to participate in problem-solving or give constructive ideas/feed-back, and are permitted to use their 21st century talents/skills to move your company forward. That’s not chopped liver! And the good news is this: if you already have a very healthy company culture, you’re well positioned to not only attract the best and brightest Millennials, but keep them growing with you!
Millennials Cant Work With EmCant Work Without Em So whats a company to do - To learn more about this author, visit Terri Benincasa's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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