Millennials are changing the workforce-for the better

With universities across the country preparing for graduation it's that time of the year when employers start exploring options to attract millennials to their companies.

Coca-Cola Company  is the latest employer to extend its paid leave policy beyond biological mothers—and it’s giving millennials props for spurring the change. ~Forbes, 2016

Four years ago, as I began my journey into the profession of career services, I remember reading articles written to help employers preparing for the emergence of millennials in the workplace, and they read much like a preparation guide for the invasion of an alien life form. It was interesting because I thought then, as I sat in a job I loved with policies and procedures I didn't, that millennials were going to be the greatest hope to change a workforce that honestly is still being ran according to very old fashioned beliefs, for no good reason besides, "this is how we've always done things."

Much like unions in the 19th century came from a huge surge of new workers entering the labor market and their need for representation, millennials are the fastest growing population in the workforce, yet the most misunderstood. Probably because for the first time in history, managers are finding themselves working with four generations at a given time, making it ineffective to manage everyone the same.

Four years later, the presence of millennials is finally being felt as they are on track to make up 40% of the workforce by 2020 and 75% by 2025 according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics project. As every year passes I hear them singing, "we're not gonna take it" in regard to resisting the status quo for the way we view workplace culture and practices and it truly sound like music to my ears. 

The biggest difference now than 100 years ago however, is that millennials are not waiting around for anyone to represent them. Shoot most employers don't even understand them and are doing very little to improve upon that. It is this lack of responsiveness from employers which has lead millennials to become a true entrepreneur generation.  A new survey released by Bentley University suggests that millennials sense that career success will require them to be more nimble, independent and entrepreneurial than past generations.

67% of millennials surveyed by Bentley University said their goal involves starting their own business, while only 13% of survey respondents said their career goal involves climbing the corporate ladder to become a CEO or president.  

So how do you attract millennials, should you decide it's worth the effort?

Feedback

Millennials need and appreciate feedback, while many employers on the other hand think, "Hey, if you're doing a good job you won't hear from me." This is a terrible way to manage a millennial (well anyone for that matter). Think about it this way for a second; millennials have grown up with technology, hand-held, instant gratification at their finger tips.  They get answers right away, they can send money with the click of a few tabs. Nothing takes them very long any more and neither should your feedback.

Waiting until the end of the fiscal year to complete an annual review with no touch points along the way is the best way to get your millennial employees to disengage, or they're going to drive you crazy by being in your office all the time to making sure they are on the right track. 

Suggestion: Schedule weekly one-on-one meetings with all of your team members and make sure the people you supervise that have team members hold weekly one-on-one meetings with their team members.  

Goal: This is going to allow everyone to always know how they are doing at their job, whether it be good or bad. Remember, no one wants to hear from you because they are "messing up", but if that's the only time you talk to your employees they are  going to have an anxiety attack every time you say "Can I talk to you for a minute." When all you wanted to know is if they wanted in on your Jimmy John's order. 

Outcome: By scheduling a standing one-on-one  both you and your team members feel comfortable sharing work idea, personal information that may effect work outcomes, and constructive feedback to make them a better employee. Think about it this way, if you're too busy to hold a weekly chat, you're certainly too busy to help them with an issue when it arises.

Put the time on the calendar. Worse case you really don't need to chat that often, you can push them to every two weeks rather than once a week. Your employees feel supported and respected and you're truly serving as a leader by providing them the tools and guidance they need to be successful at their job. 

 Flexibility

Technology has made the time it takes for us to execute our work responsibilities much shorter. Therefore millennials values flexibility over the old 9-5. We had a recent grad visit our office to get career advice. He had a good job as an accountant, he was excelling in his work, but he felt unsatisfied. He said, it doesn't take him 8 hours a day to get his work done so he spent much of his day pretending to be busy because he had to be at work 8 hours. He was starting to become bored and now wants to find work that is more meaningful to him. 

It has often been the belief of employers that if they can't see you, you're not working. Yet 77% of millennials say that flexible work hours are key to boosting productivity within their generation. Another 39% believe that more options to work remotely would result in higher productivity.

Today employers desire employees who are "always on" yet fail to acknowledge work done away from the office. The Bentley survey found that, of the 80% of millennials who own a smartphone, 89% regularly check work email outside normal work hours, with 37% reporting that they always do so.

Honestly, this becomes an employment law issue and one that never needs to see the inside of a court room, if employers would allow for a greater sense of flexible work hours by simply switching their thinking. Providing your employees a little more trust than has been allowed in past generations that they will get their work done whether they are in the office or at the beach goes a long way.

I know very few people who try to get paid to do nothing, not that it doesn't happen, but it is rare. The problem is, managers have often just been gloried babysitters and are often not leaders, so they treat their staff like children rather than as a team. Take the approach to deal with those problem children as they arise and resist the desire to manage your entire team based on the possibility of one bad apple. 

If you have siblings, do you recall a time your brother of sister did something and  all of you guys got in trouble for, most likely just because your parents were tired and it was easier to punish you all rather than find a way to cleverly deal with the child responsible, in a way that sets an example of acceptable behavior. Don't be that type of boss.  

If you've hired the right people for your team and you truly believe that why is it then that you can't trust them? 

=======================================================

If you own your own business and need help recruiting and retaining millennials  MSU Denver Alumni Career Services is here to help. Please give us a call and schedule an appointment with one of our experienced career coaches, who works with millennials often and can provide you feedback to create a more attractive work environment. 

Click here to learn more about me and my role at MSU Denver

For other career advice and resources we encourage you to visit MSU Denver Alumni Career Services. Many of our career resources are free or deeply discounted for MSU Denver alumni.  Services are also available to community members in the alumni and career service office. To book an appointment call us at: 303-556-8320 or send us an email at [email protected]