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Millennials Rising:
Are you ready to manage the next wave of young workers?
Shira Harrington, CPC, Positions Inc.
The Millennial generation (a.k.a. Gen-Y, Nexters, Echo Boomers and Digitals) are the newest entrants to the workforce and are arriving in tidal wave proportions. Nearly the same size as the Baby Boom generation (approximately 77 million), their presence widens an unprecedented generation gap: four generations working side by side with vastly different work ethics and styles.
Veterans (born 1920 – 1940) -- many of whom are still working -- brought to the workforce their dedicated WWII work ethic and military-style hierarchies. Baby Boomers (born 1940 – 1960) fought for civil rights in the workplace and were instrumental in creating the diverse population we have today. Gen-X (born 1960-1980) advocated for work-life balance, a reaction to downsized parents of the early 1990s who taught them that ‘burning the midnight oil’ did not guaranty job stability. Millennials (born 1980- 2000) have been bringing fast-paced technology, doting parents and a sense for global community which is creating a whole new set of challenges – and opportunities – for Veterans, Boomers and Gen-X managers.
The leading edge of the Millennial generation (born 1980-86) have recently begun their full-time careers. Young Baby Boomers who raised this cohort have been labeled ‘Soccer Moms’ and ‘Helicopter Parents’ because of their after-school mini-van shuttling and tendency to rescue their children at the first whimper. This style of parenting was foreign to older Boomer predecessors, known for leaving latchkey Gen-Xers at home to fend for themselves after school.
Millennial children, unlike Gen-Xers, tend to be over-programmed, over-protected and, arguably, over-indulged. They are more dependent on, and more receptive to, authority figures than their Gen-X counterparts. They are also more confident, better multi-taskers and feel more entitled to higher wages, company perks and promotions. In addition, this computer-savvy generation thinks that any problem can be fixed by technology.
Here are some of the key trends and best practices that managers of Millennials should consider:
Menu-driven thinking
This is the age of search engines, where the answer to any research question feels a close as ‘G-o-o-g-l-e’. For many Millennials, if the answer is not in the first five listings, it must not exist. The Center for Generational Studies has coined the term ‘menu-driven thinking’, suggesting that this heavy reliance on the internet is diminishing a Millennial’s capacity for strategic thinking. Recommendation: teach Millennials other ways of researching and assign them long-term analytical projects.
Sense of entitlement
A Veteran child raised in the Depression era of the 1920s was thrilled to receive a pair of warm mittens for a birthday present. Today, most middle- to upper-middle class Millennial children are equipped with a PC, ipod and cell phone, all by adolescence. This has bred young workers who expect every need met…and fast! To bring Millennials back to reality, explain their perks and working conditions; for example, the monetary value of health care benefits, why promotions take longer than six months, and why many problems can’t be solved instantaneously.
Lack of experience
Before we make a mountain out of generational differences, let’s remember that age, maturity and lack of experience play a large part in a Millennial’s successful transition to the workforce. A 24-year-old is less experienced, and generally much less mature, than a 42-year-old, so why do we expect them to perform at the same level? Let’s give these young workers a break. Older managers were once their age and didn’t have a fraction of the resources, technology or multi-tasking skills they do. In many ways, they are ahead of the learning curve and will continue to make the world of work more efficient than we could have ever dreamed.
Desire for career development
This is the ‘self-esteem generation’: children who were encouraged by parents that they were all winners, no matter who won the Little League game. They bring this confidence and ambition to the workplace. Supervisors who take an interest in their careers and desire to mentor them score a home run with most Millennials.
Focus on titles and salaries
With parents who have pushed them to climb the career ladder at an early age, this group tends to resist entry-level work or such titles as administrative assistant. Salaries matter, too, because for those whose parents were affluent, it comes as a shock when they graduate from college and find they don’t have the same purchasing power to which they were accustomed.
Seeking Veteran mentors
As much as Millennials respect Boomers’ authority, they have a special affinity for Veteran workers whom they see as grandparental figures. There is a natural pairing of these two generations that employers should develop. The partnership is win-win: retain the retiring workforce who carry valuable institutional knowledge and develop the emerging workforce who is hungry for the wisdom of their elders.
Cross-training
Millennials are accustomed to juggling multiple projects: growing up they juggled sports, music lessons, community service, school work and family life, all with one hand at the keyboard and another on their cell phone! Keep them challenged and you’ll keep them on your payroll.
Using technology
From the youngest age, Millennials have been using computers. Their mostly techno-illiterate parents relied on them to research purchases online while teachers expected school projects done in 4-color PowerPoint. While not every Millennial has advanced technology skills, many have more than they are currently using in their entry-level roles. Think outside their basic job description and challenge them to use technology to solve business challenges.
Build on desire for community and teamwork
Some call Millennials the ‘next greatest generation’. A post 9-11 cohort, they have a sense for global community that is leading many to pursue nonprofit and humanitarian work. In addition, they are wired to network with their peers. From team sports to instant messaging, virtual chat rooms and Myspace.com, this generation seeks out teamwork. Take them outside their department for a day, week or longer term to contribute their skills in a group setting. They will get to connect with peers, while learning from other generations, and feel that they are contributing to the larger mission.
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Successfully managing Millennials is a skill that supervisors will develop as the rest of this generational wave crashes on to the scene. Global events, evolving parenting values and new technology will continue to influence the behavior and work ethic of the future workforce: those currently in grade school and high school.
Some would humorously argue that there aren’t four generations, just two: “us and them”. Every generation has been challenged by the differing values of those older and younger than they. We, too, were once “their age” and had many life and work lessons to learn. Hopefully, we still do. Patience, understanding and a listening ear will go a long way toward reconciling differences and retaining skilled workers. A focus on career development, mentoring, cross-training, using advanced technology and building teamwork, will encourage this young workforce to stand on the shoulders of the generations before them and achieve greater things than we thought possible. Are you up for the challenge?
Author’s note: characterizations about the upbringing of Millennials do not reflect the non-traditional parenting of those children raised by Veteran grandparents or older Baby Boomer parents with more conservative values. In addition, the Millennials described in this article only represent a segment of our workforce: a mostly college-educated or college-bound middle- to upper-middle class population. Further generational research should be conducted on trends in lower socio-economic populations as well as those of diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
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