Leveraging Millennials to Transform your Business

Whilst every generation has something valuable and unique to offer in business, millennials can prove to be the jewel in the crown when it comes to driving digital transformation.

Everyone knows millennials will question the ‘who, what, where, why, when and ‘how’ of everything, and thus can act as great, curious, challenging disrupters!

According to a report by Deloitte, millennials already hold about 20% of all leadership roles globally, and that percentage is set to grow! To put it into perspective China, alone have 400 million millennials! PwC reported in 2019 that 50% of the workforce would be millennials by 2020.

The Deloitte 2019 global millennial survey also tells us that millennials will challenge business’s motives. They do not always think highly of companies’ impact on society, leaders’ commitment to improving the world, or even their trustworthiness. Millennial leaders will prioritize values, ethics, flexibility, and feedback. While some will say they are more likely to be more timid than previous generations, they may also hold stronger convictions. Either way, they’re about to define a new generation of leadership and influence which will be evident in business.

Given how crucial culture is in a transformation, they can help an organisation go from good to great!

Here are a few  thoughts on the value the millennial mindset can bring to transforming business and industries and how to leverage it:

1.     Millennials grew up with technology and have a wealth of skills that can make a real difference to help drive new habits through a Digital Transformation. If you think about it, this is the generation who grew up with digital, they have always operated in an ‘always on’ environment and businesses can tap in and harness their experience.

2.     Digital Transformation is an ongoing journey about change, which is likely to excite and motivate the millennial workforce.

3.     Transformation invites organizations to change the way they look at their business but also at their workforce. It is an opportunity to tap into the growing millennial workforce and pull on new ideas.

4.     Millennials need empowerment, and transformation is all about empowering employees to disrupt business environments and mindsets. Talented people managers will be critical to capture the millennial mindset, regularly reinforcing confidence and celebrating successes.

5.     Millennials will welcome a regular two-way dialogue on the company’s vision.

To quote Laura-Jane Ellard, Marketing Communication Manager at Microsoft: “Starting my career in Microsoft, I’ve been very lucky to be part of such a diverse and inclusive culture that really embraces everybody’s unique working style with our “come as you are, do what you love” culture. Technology can enable us to do some amazing things and it’s time we embrace our differences and focus on creating a great experience for everybody, no matter what their age or background is.”

To be successful you must create more than good intentions: it needs new habits for Millenials to adopt, a culture of inclusion and investment in their ongoing training, to make millennials your biggest ally as you make your way through transformation.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella once said “Every time you think of all the technology that had been created already, all you have to do is look around and then there's someone new who's born with a new idea”.

In our industry, AI or Quantum technology among others are new game-changing opportunities Millennials definitely want to be part of. It’s up to us leaders to leverage their talent to ensure they feel empowered to do their best work, especially in the changing workplace.