Recently, we came across an article that talked about an employer’s guide to working with Millennials. Some refer to this group of men and women as “Generation Y” or “The Facebook Generation” or in some cases “The 9/11 Generation”. Generally, Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000. They are the first group to come of age in the new millennium.
Millennials, who now account for 80 Million individuals in the workforce. Other research about Millennials shows 71% of Millennials want to consider their co-workers a second family. Creating a family-like culture at work means a collaborative work environment, work-outings, and hiring like-minded individuals. Millennials don’t want to work for the sake of working and making money. They want to know that their work is making a difference. Millennials are commonly accused of having attitude and being job hoppers. Although having attitude is rather harsh, it’s safe to say they aren’t afraid to voice their opinions. They are also more likely to hop from job to job to get the experience they want, than previous generations that often climbed the ladder within one company.
So what should an employer look for in working with a Millennial? Here are just a few notes:
* Attention span can be an issue. Keep your presentations and discussion short and to the point. Brief is a key word with this group.
* Don’t be surprised or judgmental if your young employee/colleague lives at home and talks with their parents daily. This group enjoys living at home and may not incur some of the stress involved with living on their home. This could be a good thing. Just don’t find ways to make fun of the fact they still live with their parents. Many of them like it that way.
* They can multi-task. They’ve been doing homework, watching TV, texting and using social media all the while listen to their parents. They know how to multi-task. Don’t necessarily say “I need you to put that down so I know you’re paying attention”. They probably are. Assign the task with the assumption they can multi-task and even go as far as acknowledging this while also stating your expectation of project accomplishment.
To read the entire article on maximizing your work with Millennials, click here.