LeadingMinds Tip #136

Coming to your Workplace: ‘The Millenials’

This week's LeadingMinds Tip was written by Dorien De Vidts of Kaizen Training.

Are you ready? Here they come!

With a whole army, the largest generation after the boomers, born between approximately 1980 and 2000. While the jury is out on the numbers, maybe even the largest generation in history.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you: ... The Millenials ...

also known as Generation Y or WHY, the Net Generation, the Echo generation, children of the boomers and echoing their huge impact on society.

The many names of the generation that is hitting the work place step by step, reflects a couple of their many characteristics. According to Neil Howe and William Strauss, authors of “Millenials Rising. The Next Great Generation” they are more affluent, more technologically-savvy, better educated and more ethnically diverse than any previous generation. They describe themselves as cofident, sociable, optimistic, multi-tasking and determined.

These guys and girls grew up with parents that told them they could do anything if they really wanted to, hence their can-do attitude and ambition. They also learned from the changing world aroung them. Financial instability of major industries such as the airlines and automobile industry and rising scandals taught them to have no faith in the long term stability of jobs.

Doing the 60 hour work week, like mum and dad, won’t give you any guaranties either. Except for the guarantee of missing out on other things in life. These realisations have led to the fact that loyalty to the company they work for comes after loyalty to their family, friends and themselves.

Bruce Tulgan, co-author of “Managing Generation Y”gives hope: “This is the most high-maintenance workforce in the history of the world. The good news is they’re also going to be the most high-performing workforce in the history of the world. They walk in with more information in their heads, more information at their fingertips – and, sure, they have high expectations, but they have the highest expectations first and foremost for themselves.”

Here is the high quality question: ‘How do we keep and get the best out of the Millenials? And here is the answer: Seven Ways to keep the Marvellous Millenials:

Social interaction

Friendship and a great life are on top of the Millenials’ list. They love to work in teams and believe that a team can accomplish more than the individual. They want interaction with their teams and their managers and executive leaders and to know that they are open to connection with them.

Work-life balance

They don’t want to make the same mistakes their parents made. Spending time with children, family and friends are priorities. Balance and flexibility are musts. Give them the freedom to scedule where, when and how they do their job.

Technology

Millenials are the most connected generation in history by e-mail, text messages and internet, 24/7. They like to network around the world electronically.  They are truly wired. Take advantage of it.

Challenge and variety

Millenials are thirsty for skills, intellectual challenge and change. They want to explore and develop through ever changing tasks within their work. Be aware when they are bored, most likely they’ll have one foot out of the door.

Respect and invest

While millenials appreciate leade