Millennials (also known as Gen-Y) are the generation born directly after Generation X from the early 1980s to the mid 1990s. This generation is comprised of about 50 million people. These young people were nurtured by their parents and told they could achieve whatever they wanted. As a result, this generation had gained a reputation for having a sense of entitlement and a poor work ethic. Millennials are also known to be tech savvy, social, optimistic and good multi-taskers. To learn how to work with Millennials, you should focus on being a mentor, avoiding confrontation, providing a structured, social workplace, and giving feedback that makes Millennials feel like they are valued co-workers.
Edit Steps
- 1Be a mentor.
- You should model professional workplace behavior and expectations by demonstrating the way a task should be executed in great detail. Since many Millennials don't have real world work experience, offer your Gen-Y co-workers resources that will help them to complete assigned tasks.
- 2Speak to Millennial employees in a positive, supportive tone.
- Be optimistic and provide Millennials with regular constructive feedback. Avoid being confrontational with this age group.
- Be open and honest when communicating with Millennials. This group has been found to be responsive to transparency.
- 3Treat Millennials as valued members of the staff.
- Include Millennials in discussions about work tasks. Encourage them to contribute opinions and ideas. Resist the urge to treat Millennials like children, especially if your own children are around the same age.
- Ask Millennial co-workers for their input on how to improve technology in the workplace.
- You should make an effort to get to know your Gen-Y co-workers to discover what their goals are and the role they wish to play in the workplace. Be open to ideas presented by Millennials even if they differ from traditional business practices.
- 4Define work expectations.
- Provide Millennials with concrete examples of what is expected of them in their jobs. Make sure they understand in detail the tasks you are assigning them to complete. Offer constructive criticism and praise as appropriate.
- A written job description can help keep Millennials on task with job expectations.
- 5Add freedom and fun to the workplace.
- Once you have assigned a task, allow Millennials to work independently, but keep the door open for them to ask questions.
- Encourage Millennials to participate in staff activities inside and outside of the workplace. Office parties or volunteer opportunities will allow Millennials to have collaborative interactions and to learn from mature co-workers.
Edit Tips
- A 2010 Pew Research Center study reported that Millennials will become the most educated generation and eventually make up about half of the workforce.
- Millennials are known to work well in small groups and with diverse cultures.
Edit Warnings
- Millennials will often leave a job abruptly instead of trying to work through a difficult work situation.
Edit Sources and Citations
- http://www.shepardcomm.com/managing-millennials-wp.pdf
- http://www.cbsnews.com/2102-18560_162-3475200.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody
- http://apps.americanbar.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08044.html
- http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Workplace-Coach-Learning-what-it-takes-to-manage-1270124.php
- http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2006-06-28-generation-next_x.htm
- http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1501/millennials-new-survey-generational-personality-upbeat-open-new-ideas-technology-bound
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