I had a little spark of inspiration that I quickly wanted to write about.
I work in Human Resources, in an industry that hires a lot of Millennials, so I want to talk a little bit about Millennials and the workplace.
Millennials, aka Generation Y, are born anywhere from the early 1980’s to the early 2000’s. I guess that would make me one of them!
Older generations often complain about this generation.
They are so selfish, it’s always me, me, me! They’re so entitled, and expect to be paid a high paying salary right out of school. They think they can just get away with doing whatever they want. They have no respect.
This is definitely a generalization, as there is a lot of variation out there depending on how you are brought up, your nature, who you surround yourself with, what you’re interested in etc. But Millennials are typically misunderstood.
My argument is, maybe they have something that older generations are not used to seeing. Something that is actually inspiring and worth mentioning.
Millennials are probably better at living a life according to their values and not letting the status quo hinder themselves.
While Millennials tend to be more “me” focused that other generations, they may just be more vocal about what they want than past generations. That means being more expressive about being more conscious and deliberate about living meaningfully. Challenging the status quo and what has been the traditional mindset for so many years. Valuing authenticity and being true to themselves and being happy. (Again, I realize a huge generalization, as many people from all generations are very vocal about living a meaningful life, it just seems to be more ‘accepted’ to live this way in today’s world.) Today’s world encourages us to be our awesome unique selves, and not to hide that. There is a paradigm shift in this type of living. We can see it in the increase in lifestyle blogs and self-help books. I mean, look what I’m blogging about!
Millennials want to live lives that are in line with their dreams and values. They don’t want to compromise their dreams, freedom or happiness for security.
While potentially frustrating for older generations, below are some of the things that Millennials look for in a workplace which may aid in a shift in perspective (and make your company pretty awesome too):
- Vision: Millennials look for meaning in their work, so having a company vision, and making that part of the company culture will motivate them to feel like they are working towards a purpose of the greater good.
- Giving Back: Any opportunity to give back to the environment or community is a plus. Things like recycling programs, being green, toy drives, food banks, picking up garbage, feeding the homeless, and other charities that are of interest.
- Career Development: Millennials want to see progression in their careers, so we typically see them moving around from job to job every 1-3 years. Opportunities to grow within their careers in the same workplace through title changes (even junior, intermediate, senior titles) are appealing.
- Values: Making sure that the strengths and values of a Millennial match their job role is important, otherwise they may get bored, feel unmotivated or frustrated. Find something they are good at, and help to grow and support that skill, especially as the manager.
- Flexibility: Flexibility is really important, in all aspects. A work/life balance is a huge value as personal time to be with loved ones and learning new things is becoming a higher value than slaving away at the 9-5. Also, personal and work life lines are becoming blurred, so a flexible work environment that allows for people to move around, work where they want (like having a laptop where they can take it to a lounge area). Time flexibility is also appealing and we see many progressive tech companies moving to an open schedule, as long as employees are there during core hours, and are trusted to work on their own schedule and get things done.
- Training: Providing training and development opportunities for staff and leadership help motivate Millennials. It shows that the company cares about their growth and is a huge appreciation for having them work at the company. It will keep them there longer.
- Fun: Incorporating fun and play into the work environment is a huge bonus. Things like Foosball Tables, Pool Tables, Darts, Video Games, Events, Team Building, and Parties.
- People & Culture Person: Not to toot my own horn as this is my job, but having a designated People and Culture person who can focus on keeping everyone happy, whether it’s for the fun company stuff, or having someone they can talk to when there are issues, or want to develop their career. I see it more and more these days. This role is popping up in a lot of high-tech industries.
- Food: Who doesn’t like food! Having it easily available in the office, with healthy varieties, is a great way to keep people happy.
- Management Style: Do not Micromanage! Whatever you do, do not do it. It will only piss the Millennials off. It would probably piss anyone off. It’s so important to have a progressive view of management if the culture is to succeed and be appealing to Millennials. Go for the coaching conversations technique, versus the high-school dictator style. Treat Millennials like adults, not children. Trust they will get things done when tasks are due. Address behavioural issues early and often if necessary, but do it properly. That means motivating from within (coaching style). As soon as we tell them what to do like they are teenagers, they will automatically stop caring about the manager or the company. And that breeds a negative company culture.
- Openness: There should be open communication at all levels, whether it’s the CEO or the cleaning person. Everyone should be treated equally and be easily approachable.
- Health & Wellness: A focus on health and well-being is a plus when Millennials look for a workplace. Whether it’s health related lunch and learns, having sports or work-out groups/teams, showers, and a bike room.
Basically what it comes down to is that Millennials want to work at a place they are proud of working at. A place they can tell their friends and family about, and share how cool it is, and how much they are growing and giving back and contributing to the greater good. I even heard of BANKS trying to go this route. It makes for much happier people, who live a more purposeful life.
You raise some interesting points Pia! I’ve thought/written a lot about the generational change and impact we are making. I keep arriving at the same notion that we are building and improving upon what the past generations have done. I don’t know if we’re necessarily living more according to our values than past generations, rather I think we have greater/easier means to show it with blogs, social media, etc.
Either way, it’s all very exciting to be a part of!
Thanks John, yeah, I think it depends on the person for sure. I think all Generations will have its Positives and Negatives, and I think we are as you said, building and improving on what the past has done.
This article fits exactly my sentiment about work. I am a recently graduated engineer, and the “old way” of doing things just bores me to no end. I don’t care how much I get paid, if I’m spending half of my waking life doing something I want it to be fulfilling. I want interesting, meaningful work that makes the world a better place, and that is hard to find. Sometimes I wish there were part-time engineer jobs so I could have more time to pursue meaningful goals.
I’m sorry, but this post makes Millennials sound like spoiled little brats who expect to get a lot without really giving much of anything in return. Let’s say I’m a business owner (I’m not, but for illustrative purposes…). Instead of focusing on improving my product, or making a profit, or doing all those other things that make a business, you know, a business….Millennials think that my business should really be all about helping them find meaning in their lives. I need to provide plenty of food at the office, because…why? Are they too busy or too incompetent to make a PB&J sandwich or a salad and throw it into a lunchbox? I need to invest in expensive gym equipment to help my employees stay healthy. Again, why? Are they incapable of using their own initiative to take a walk around the block? Here where I live, there are several gyms that cost as little as $10/month and are open 24/7. I should let my employees work whenever and wherever they want, and not even full-time because “slaving away from 9-5” is just too much. Even so, I should have pool tables and video games and throw parties so that my poor employees aren’t too bored during those few hours they are “working”. And of course, I can’t “piss them off” by managing their activities too closely. I should just trust that they are competently doing their job in between darts tournaments. But I won’t have to deal with their childishness too long, because in a year or two they will move on to some other company. So much for all the time and money I had to invest in professional development and training. I don’t think so. I’ll pass this Millennial by and hire the older guy who wants to come to work every day with dedication and hard work; the one who wants to show himself an asset to my company before receiving the extra benefits and compensation he has earned.
Yeah, I hear what you’re saying, and that’s definitely a frustration that comes up a lot. Unfortunately, in order to be competitive (especially in high-tech) companies are implementing these strategies in order to attract and retain their mainly Millennial employees. If they had the choice of working somewhere where their boss was breathing down their neck and fun was not allowed, it’s likely they will choose somewhere that allows them more freedom, autonomy, awesome perks, and the ability to grow and develop. Just the way it’s progressing these days, especially for the Millennial generation, who are quite entrepreneurial and trying to find meaning. Thanks for your comment, great insights.