They (Millennials) are more free-spirited. They enjoy outdoor recreation, the environment and are health-oriented. It’s about being able to communicate what we have to resonate with them. Hopefully, speak to them in their language as opposed to the language of the past.
Jan Rogers, former SIEDO director excerpt from MagicValley
This quote rings true ever more so today as the new generation of millennials entering the workplace. You can’t enter a new establishment now without expecting at least one of them manning the front desk or typing away in a cubicle. In some cases greeting you in as the 1-of-5 co-founders of the company. With such a significant number of them, there is not a wonder that they are often subjected with varying stereotypes.
This article won’t be another dig on millennials and their supposedly “terrible” work ethics. As a millennial myself and in a position that hires millennials, I find it hypocritical to do so. Not only will it reflect badly on our team and conscience but mainly, because it brings no value to us. Instead, I’d rather do a deep dive into why there seems to be an overwhelming negative view of young people in the workplace.
“They (Millennials) Are More Free-spirited”
I think Jan’s hit the nail on the head. More specifically, I believe this covers more towards the motivations and attitudes of millennials in regards to making a living. To first understand this, let’s paint a scenario of the surrounding environments that ultimately shape us all.
- 2000s – Rise of the internet age. Personal computers are more common in the households. This period is also where we get to see the first movers of internet companies that profited from the boom.
- 2010s – The booming period of technology, namely smartphones and social media. Concept of work has warped beyond the traditional pencil pushing desk job. YouTube nurtures well content creators, social media influencer’s population grew exponentially, nomadic work such as writing, vlogging, programming and so on is becoming so much easier to accomplish.
- 2020s – It’s the 2010s but put in overdrive. Remote work are now a norm thanks to a certain Mr. C-19.
We can clearly see the changes of time that the traditional workplace has not managed to catch up to yet. Period changes, generations changes but not the companies. What used to be a career-driven generation that simply wants to provide have now cycled to a generation of abundance that values freedom and individuality more than anything.
Having said that, we can’t expect jobs such as accounting to evolve drastically just because we’ve now got iPhones. Businesses that are in operation for decades depends on an already rock-solid foundation of processes that may not be flexible to changes, even if it’s meant for the better.
I’m a big proponent for business adapting to the ever changing new normal, but let’s say that that is not an option. For the sake of saving arguments and going off on a tangent, let’s say that there are companies that still requires old processes to operate properly, e.g. construction, farming, etc. Can we say that these industries’ destined to never be able to attract young blood?
How Would Working Millennials Look Like?
My generation tend to get a bad wrap everywhere we go. Unfortunately, rightfully so if considering the experiences of a lot of employers nowadays. When we’re thinking of millennials in the workplace, we’re thinking open offices, a pool table, mountains of snacks in the pantry and of course… bean bags! A lot of companies now even went as far as adopting these “features” into the workplace. Most notably, tech companies like Google or Facebook in the west and their ever common slogan of “work hard, play hard”, a clear homage to the youth’s desires in order to appeal to them.
And yet, these millennials are still leaving the workplace in droves. Why is that so?
While these niceties are great to haves in the workplace, it’s only a part of the equation that makes for good employee retention. No matter how much sweets you supply or breaks you allow throughout the working day – it all still doesn’t matter as much as a sense of purpose and freedom that they want to experience so badly.
Peers living the dream life intensifies this feeling. Life such as being digital nomads, social media influencers, YouTubers, multi-millionaire entrepreneurs and many others they are exposed to in the world of social media. It’s as if they felt that their lives are being lived adequately if they aren’t doing all those other glamorous things. Certainly, a clerk in a local cement mixing company doesn’t really have the same zing as say a startup founder.
What’s the Magic to Make Them Stay?
I hope this doesn’t sound like a cop out, but truth is – you can’t – at least not with 100% success rate. Gone were the days where staying loyal to whatever company that employs you for 40 years is considered the norm. It begs the question on what employers are going to do now with these millennials in the workplace?
Here are some ways that I think are helpful for starters.
1. Expect that no one will stay for more than 2 years.
Detach yourself from the notion of loyalty to the company. Millennials want to experience more, learn more, find their true calling and of course persuaded by those of the highest bidder. With globalization of the workforce, it’s increasingly more difficult to find reasons NOT to hop off. The sooner you make peace with this fact, the better.
2. They wanted to be cared for in other ways.
Know that millennials are amongst the first to popularize healthy eating, and really emphasizing the notion of putting mental well-being first. It pays to genuinely care for these uber health-conscious generation beyond monetary benefits.
3. Being a cog in the machine sucks!
Make each individual have ownership in their work and show that it does make an impactful contribution to the company, client or end users. This is one way of crafting the sense of purpose for those still wandering.
4. Work with them, not with them.
No one wants to be treated as merely a replaceable entity, despite the nature of a professional relationships. Try to maintain a flat or low hierarchy in your company and engage often as colleagues rather than bosses. Even larger companies can have flat sub-departments in this case!
5. Always nurture, never deter.
This might be counterintuitive, I’d say it’s better to nurture ambitious millennials in the workplace rather than stunt them. A company does not grow on stale ideas and it can’t depend solely on you to be the main driver of innovation. Always nurture, never deter – even if it means potentially losing the too ambitious ones.
In Other Words, There Is No Guarantee…
Our generation is not strange… just different. We are only trying to fit into this old world with new technologies that we have yet to really know the full potential of. I always say that this is where the ingenuity and freshness comes in to play. It all depends on how we too can adapt with these millennials to not let them squander their potential.