Dealing with Millennials at your workplace!

If you are surrounded by millennials / Gen Y on your office floor, chances are high you would have witnessed a virtual clash of ideas and personalities with the Baby Boomers.

That’s right –?Millennials are the future of business with fresh perspectives. That affirmation itself might stir up egos. And since my work usually involves meeting new people, communicating with potential candidates from all age groups for hiring purposes, I have learnt many things when it comes to communicating with the millennials. So, who really are these millennials? Typically, the younger employees in their early 20’s and 30’s are called the millennials. And like the age explains it, they are very casual and define themselves with what they do.

So how different are they?

? Millennials have really grown up in the age of texting and social media and hence they believe that any kind of communication must happen through the phone primarily.

? They are usually impatient, hyper-connected and tech savvy.

? Very collaborative people and cannot succeed in individual roles unless challenged.

? Love fast-paced work and environments

? Want everything quick – food, coffee, parties, work, promotions, results!!

? Won’t appreciate traditional rules and org charts though they will abide by them.

? Usually have a good sense of humor and irony in their words. And if you are a HR or a Tech leader, you will agree when I say that the millennials are here to reshape your workplace like never before. Like every great thing in this world has something unique about it, these young somethings are also powerful workers with the right attitude and skill set. Yet they have that unique trait that most people around might feel very intimidating to deal with, especially if you are an older person.

And if they have so much to offer and help re-brand and renew your workplace, we could learn a thing or two to deal with these hyper talented bunch as well.

Work Style:

? Millennials yearn for mentors - a positive motivating person whom they can constantly look up to.

? Keep them engaged in work. Millennials are constantly goal driven and appreciate fast work, faster rotation of work and highly collaborative teams.

? They expect lot of feedback and honest opinions to improvise. If you think you can hand over a task and appreciate or criticize them at the end of the week, their focus would have already fizzled out. Like I mentioned, they are always in the instant mode. Try conveying constructive feedback and in a positive tone to keep them motivated.

? They love open hierarchies at workplace and are confident to approach top level leaders. This should be viewed as a way of encouraging new ideas.

? Work/life balance has always been a priority. Flexible working hours and cash bonuses are an added wish-list.

? They love to talk and socialize on the work floor. Hence you could devise an interactive community and a work space if you have too many millennials in your team. They’d love to partake in something special every day at work.

? They are 24*7 available for work – remote or not remote is secondary.

? Excellent multitaskers and can handle many things at a time.

Dressing Sense:

? They don’t differentiate between personal and professional life and hence are extremely casual and love comfortable dressing especially their jeans.

? Very practical too and hence wouldn’t mind dressing up as per the need. ??

Aspirations:

? Want to be consulted and involved in daily team activities including some decision making as appropriate to their roles. They are usually good on the confidence and skills and you could put that to good use.

? They love to work for a cause or for a brand which they value. Hence you will first need to create that value around the brand that you wish to sell them.

? They are not always about the money – They would rather not work than work in an unhappy environment.

? Highly vocal and connected online and hence can be an excellent PR for your brand and vice versa.

? Have huge goals and don’t hesitate to switch jobs very soon to realise their goals (instantly) and hence addressing their aspirations is a manager’s biggest challenge. Middle managers need to be trained well to handle this bundle of talent though.

? They love new technology and challenges and grasp new concepts pretty soon. Giving them the trust that you value their ideas will make them stick around longer with renewed interest.

? They are passionate and look forward to appreciation for their hard work.

By leveraging the true style and sense of the millennial you are dealing with, you are sure to reap in tremendous power and creativity at your workplace. Even out of office, you would make a great friend for life!