Live Chat

Is Your Company Millennial Ready?

January 2, 2018

By: Omnia Group

Many people have a lot to say about Millennials, especially as this generation begins to distinguish itself as the largest segment of the workforce.

If you’re like me, you likely once harbored the mistaken belief that Millennials, despite their size, could expect to be conformed by the workplace like everyone else. In other words, they’d learn to suck up the bureaucracy, the hierarchy, the authoritarianism, and so forth, just like the rest of us.

Well, maybe not.

Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace has this to say on the topic (bold mine):

“Most workers, many of whom are millennials, approach a role and a company with a highly defined set of expectations. They want their work to have meaning and purpose. They want to use their talents and strengths to do what they do best every day. They want to learn and develop. They want their job to fit their life.”

So here’s my question – is your company Millennial ready?

Working to Live and Not the Other Way Around (With a Twist)

The Great Recession of 2008 put a hurting on many workers, including millions of Millennials entering the workforce at just the wrong time. Armed with their liberal arts degrees and their idealism, they found themselves smack dab in a highly competitive market where professional, good-paying jobs with benefits were few and far between. They became salespeople. They became nannies, baristas, and bartenders. They moved back home with their parents.

Eventually, the market got better, and Millennials did better. But the damage had been done. Traditional employers expecting to keep these workers inline using the old “command and control” style of management would find themselves, for the most part, disappointed. Millennials had learned their lessons. Employers aren’t loyal to them, and they won’t be loyal to employers. These young employees like paying their bills, and they definitely want to impact their communities, but if the working relationship doesn’t work for them, they’ll stop working for it.

Now here’s the twist. Although Millennials are working to live and not living to work, work is still vital. In fact, it’s so important that they’re prepared to keep switching jobs until they find one that fits. 

Never a Dull Moment

Most of us want our work to be intellectually stimulating. Being bored at work, as a matter of course, is … well, boring.

In fact, millennials are no different and may be even more prone than the rest of us to eschew boredom. After all, they came of age during a time when constant stimulation – via the Internet, hand-held electronic devices, and television – was the norm. (Actually, it still is the norm.)

And guess what? Gallup reports that Millennials are the most bored generation at work. This is particularly bad news for many employers, because (as previously mentioned) Millennials want their work to have meaning. If they’re bored, most likely, they aren’t long for your workplace and/or are merely “going through the motions” until “something better” comes along.

But there’s hope.

Getting Ready for Millennials – The Big Six

In that same report referenced immediately above, Gallup offers the following advice for getting your company “Millennial ready.” They call these the “Big Six:”

  1. Understand that Millennials aren’t driven by money. Paychecks matter, but they don’t matter more than meaningful work and work environments that treat people respectfully.
  2. Personal development is key. Perks like free coffee and casual dress codes are nice, but Millennials want to be learning and growing.
  3. Command and control management is out. Well, it’s not out just yet, but Millennials (and a bunch of Gen-Xer’s too, I might add) wish it would go away. Instead of authority figures, Millennials want coaches who offer support, guidance, and resources.
  4. Forget the annual review. Millennials want feedback in real-time. The traditional once-a-year-review won’t do.
  5. Focus on strengths. Rather than focusing on “fixing” weaknesses, Millennials want employers to develop their strengths.
  6. Work needs to enhance life. Again, Millennials want their jobs to fit their life. Work needs to provide purpose and be aligned with their personal values.

To be sure, this is a tall order and maybe impossible for some organizations for a variety of reasons. However, organizations willing to take on the challenge of meeting Millennials where they are will be rewarded with a team of decidedly un-bored and highly productive staff.

Omnia Group

For over 30 years, we’ve helped organizations across the world improve and optimize their workforce operations and company cultures. While we take a unique, scientific approach to hiring, development and retention, we also believe every business is a people business. Our passionate advisors always put people first.

Related Posts

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram