Working With The New Generation
There are a lot of misconceptions about millennials. They're lazy, entitled and don't know how to work hard, right? Actually, most of these ideas are at best misguided, or at worst flat out wrong. Not only do we need millennials in the workforce for the next few decades because they're the ones who will be retiring in droves when they reach their sixties and seventies — but this new generation is actually outperforming previous generations on every metric imaginable.
But here's the question. How do you effectively manage a new generation of workers who are so different from the generations before them? The answer is that you should not try to manage millennials, because that's not what they want.
Millennials aren't looking for someone to tell them what to do every minute of their day and micromanage their lives. Instead, what they actually want is the opportunity to thrive in an environment where they feel like they can make the most of their potential — and that's a completely different dynamic for anyone used to managing previous generations. What millennials care about is purpose, mentorship, development and freedom — not rigid rules and micromanagement.
When you start managing millennials, you immediately run into a whole slew of problems which don't make any sense. According to their own surveys, millennials want to work in an environment that allows them to take risks and be creative — but forcing them to work within the "structure" of the rules set by older generations only makes them resentful. After all, they're just waiting for someone to come along and tell them what they can or cannot do.
Management coaching firm Growth Everywhere recently conducted a survey of 1000 millennials across 60 different industries with the goal of identifying what motivates this new generation and what's needed for them to feel good about working for your company. Here are ten insights gathered from their findings:
1. Millennials want to help the world.
You know that whole "change the world" thing everyone's been talking about? Millennials are ready to get their hands dirty. They believe that their work can make a difference and they're not afraid to try and make it happen.
2. Millennials value purpose over paycheck.
While older generations may have been happy with a steady paycheck, millennials are far more interested in being part of something meaningful. That doesn't necessarily mean higher pay, but rather better benefits like healthcare, flexibility, or working for a company with strong moral values that aligns with the millennial values of sustainability, diversity and social change.
3. Millennials aren't interested in ladder climbing.
Instead of looking for a promotion, a higher salary or some other kind of reward, millennials are looking for opportunities to serve their colleagues, their clients and the greater world. They believe that the best way to get ahead is to help others first — and they're more than willing to follow the lead of someone who's already done this successfully if it means they can learn from them. Reward them with mentorship programs and opportunities to develop within your organization as opposed to cash bonuses and promotions.
4. Millennials want flexibility — not just within work hours, but outside of them too.
Now that millennials are in the workforce and growing older, more of them are starting families. They want to spend time with their loved ones — and they'd prefer to do so without having to take an extended vacation from the office which negatively affects their career development opportunities. Offering flexible hours and allowing them to work from home are great ways to attract millennial talent and keep them from jumping ship.
5. Millennials aren't afraid of change.
Millennials were raised in one of the most rapidly changing periods of human history — so it's no wonder that they don't fear change nearly as much as older generations do. In fact, they're actually more likely to embrace it and look for ways to make sure they can keep up with the changes.
6. Millennials value diversity and inclusion.
What's the most important thing your company can do today? Regardless of what you think, diversity is definitely one of them — and if you haven't already started working towards a more diverse workplace before now, you're probably going to have a lot of trouble attracting millennials who are looking for a place where they will feel comfortable. Hiring an army of diverse employees makes recruiting millennial talent far easier because these people bring loads of perspective that your current employee base could never match.
7. Millennials aren't looking for boring jobs — they want challenging ones.
New research by Gallup shows that millennials are actually the most critical generation when it comes to finding meaningful work. If you're looking for millennial talent, make sure that any job description you post is one that challenges your employees, and not one which they simply see as another form of boring busywork (just think about how quickly people start getting burned out if they have a job where they just have to turn up at a certain time every day without really doing anything).
8. Millennials want opportunities to learn.
Millennials want to get better at their job every single day — and they want to learn as much as they can while they're doing it. Offer them plenty of opportunities to develop within your organization, whether that's through learning a new job or being mentored by someone who's already been performing well in their position for a long time.
9. Millennials are open to relocation.
This is good news if you have a geographically diverse workforce that doesn't have great links with your existing talent pool — because millennials don't really care about the city they live in nearly as much as previous generations did. This means that your employees are willing to move to wherever you need them, as long as it's somewhere they think there's a likelihood of getting promoted and making a real difference.
10. Millennials seek more than money.
Millennials place a higher value on financial compensation than previous generations, but they're far more interested in being part of something meaningful and contributing to their communities than just having a job that just pays the bills. Offer them opportunities to give back through volunteering events and causes, or opportunities where they can use their skillsets on projects related to the greater good and community building initiatives within your company.
What's your biggest challenge when recruiting millennial talent? Share what you've learned from your own experience in the comments.
If you're looking for more insight into the world of recruiting, we've got plenty of other great sources about attracting and hiring great talent for your company— check them out here!
SEE ALSO: How to attract more Millennial customers to your business with social media advertising
BY Jessica McKenzie: Jessica McKenzie is a digital marketing specialist and content crafter at Tack, a revolutionary employee engagement platform. She has a passion for building brands and businesses through social media strategies. Follow her on Twitter at @jessmckenzie_tg.
Conclusion
The importance of attracting and retaining millennial employees is undeniable. But it isn’t easy because they are so different from any other generation they are working alongside.
Millennials value a company that’s socially conscious, offers flexible schedules, and provides a great work-life balance. As the chosen generation of this century, They have big goals for their future – and their expectations are high.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2015 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
Author Bio: Jessica McKenzie has been crafting content for Tack as a digital marketing specialist since Jan 2017.