Millennials in the Omani Workplace
I've recently had the opportunity to sit in a Ithraa's Inside Stories, titled Oman at Work - Millennials: A Different Work Perspective. Having shared the panel with distinguished guests we discussed various issues regarding millennials and the work place. Perhaps what struck me most is the broad perception of each participant of millennials. Some consider age as a defining factor, while others thought that attitudes are more appropriate defining characteristic. I'm inclined to believe there is a blend of both in what we might describe as a millennial.
From an age perspective, a 20 to 35 year old individual might be dubbed a millennial. However, some of the characteristic traits of this age group, such as importance of self actualization, social impact of their work and content, are shared by other generations. Research also indicates that millennials are driven by other non-monetary factors in the workplace. Empowerment, leadership, engagement and flexibility are key elements. Workplaces that want to attract and retain these talents must incorporate these attributes in the work culture. This is not an easy task as many workplaces are often conventional and rigid in terms of structures and process. This presents a challenge for organizations to adapt to new young and often creatively disruptive workforce.
How might workplaces adjust to this necessary transformation? Millennials often find engagement is key. As one of the participants indicated that millennials often want to know the purpose behind their duties and tasks in the workplace, instead of mechanical approach. I would agree that clarity of purpose helps appreciate the importance of task at hand and how it fits in with the overall organization goals. However, engagement in this form is not sufficient to attract talented millennials. Empowerment and leadership are key. Allowing for space to nurture and apply their talent is important. Empowerment may take the form of shared decision making and responsibilities.
In order to make these adjustments, organizations need to revisit their culture and processes. Cultures are more difficult to change as they take time. However, processes can be key in catalyzing the process. Reducing bureaucracy and flatting organization structures are potential tools. Creating a "Cool" working place is another complimentary approach. An architecturally dynamic work environment has added benefit to encourage engagement between generations in the workplace. Common meeting areas and lifestyle spaces can help bring down some of the barriers between generations. Managers would likely be more accessible to provide engagement and feedback in an open space environment. Millennials may find a workplace more accommodating to work at if it provides the necessary space for their creativity and talent.
It was clear from the discussions of the panel and the audience, organizations have yet to accommodate millennials in the workplace. Where larger organizations failed to reach the aspirations of millennials, entrepreneurs took it upon themselves to create their own accommodating work spaces. This I believe will be a driving force in Oman. Many examples have shown that smaller organizations are better at adapting than larger ones. They are able to attract talent and retain it. Moreover, they have an added benefit of feeding talent back into the system, by providing opportunities for other millennials to get a head start.
Despite our prescriptions of millennials we must accept that they will represent a significant shift in the Omani workplace. How well organizations adapt will be a determining factor their success in the future. Perhaps we should continue the conversation and learn more from each other.
Production & well Testing Eng(Upstream Oil & Gas) offshore & Onshore
9 年i'm very interesting
Member and Focal Point Advisory Council- Central Bank of Oman
9 年Insightful and informative!
Sr Manager
9 年this article got me at "As one of the participants indicated that millennials often want to know the purpose behind their duties and tasks in the workplace, instead of mechanical approach". I have been blessed with bosses that tells me why i do stuff before I do them , Because I work in Multinational company, and sometimes they just want to see the end results and let the Hows, whats and the Dos for me to handle. Yet is it the Y generation, or the X that should be blamed for the Mechanical Culture?!!!! Most of the workplaces in Oman don’t have a succession plans, Just do it until you find a job somewhere else, and that by itself is a reason why someone would only work just for work and not to be a creative or ambitious. Therefore they have been “ mentally” Killed by a work that believes in the status quo ..
Partner at The Firm for Business and Economic Consulting
9 年I'm not sure if smarter is the best way to describe Millennials. They have better resources available and talent to utilise them. However, the endurance is definitely issue for some. Job rotation is not the issue but the lack of clear and communicated commitment for a given period of time. There are positives to certain types of job turnover. It's healthy for both employer and employee. Having said that, organisations need to balance needs of Millennials and other generations with their own needs to ensure the right talent is retained for sufficient period of time.
PhD in Economics @UoREconomics, Mst. in Business @UniStrathclyde, Bsc. in Economics @squceps_info, ??? ???? ? #?????_???????_??????_?????????? @OEAoman and member of the State Council in its Eighth's Term. (2023-2027)
9 年I agree that leadership and empowerment are the key factors for engagement at work. I hope that the top of the hierarchy understand this and apply it. We need trust and leadership development.