Millennials: Better? Worse? Or Just Different?

By Brad Karsh, President and Lead Trainer, JB Training Solutions

A sixty-something worker reflected…“We wanted what they want. We just felt we couldn’t ask. Herein lies the truth: What young workers want isn’t so different from what everyone else wants. However, younger workers are asking for it.”

“What’s up with the kids these days?”

Let’s face it: This expression is as old as time itself. You can imagine caveman dad saying to caveman son, “We didn’t have the wheel when I was growing up! You have it easy!” Yet now, more than ever, this timeless expression is infiltrating the workplace in response to Millennial employees.

For the first time in history, four generations are present in the workplace. Each has their own skill set, communication styles, work habits, and values, which create a challenging dynamic for Traditionalists, Boomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials alike.

Perhaps the biggest clash is that of Millennials with other generations. Employees struggle in dealing with this group calling them, “tech-savvy, entitled, high-maintenance, silver-spoon-fed brats.” The fact is, Millennials are not better or worse than any other generation—they are just different. They have an enormous skill set, and they will shape the landscape of business in years to come—if we learn to work with them.

Here are six tips for managing and engaging your Millennial employees:

1. Provide feedback—early and often. Millennials may give the air that they are confident, but this doesn’t mean they don’t want to improve. Millennials want to learn, grow, and develop. Unlike Boomers, they will not benefit from only an annual review. They expect to be given constructive feedback on a daily basis. Be open, honest, and direct and meet face to face. Share your management philosophy and style.
2. Give them structure. Unlike Boomers and Xers, Millennials want to be told exactly what to do. Their days, their entire lives, have been structured while parents, teachers, tutors, nannies, and coaches have told them exactly what to do. In the workplace, they struggle with taking initiative and prioritizing. Now, don’t give them a step-by-step action plan for each of their tasks, but do schedule “check points” for their assignments, and make time to answer their questions.
3. Tell them why. Millennials have been taught to ask why. Growing up, when they asked their parents and teachers “Why?” they got answers other than “Because I said so.” As a result, they genuinely want to know the reasoning behind why things are the way they are at work. When they ask why, they expect an answer. Never give them a project without explaining the big picture. Tell them why it’s important, even if it seems obvious to you. Give definitive reasons for policies and procedures.
4. Offer career advice. Not all Millennials are job hoppers. It is important that you offer opportunities for growth and development according to their individual needs. Show them a way that will allow them to change paths within the same company. Encourage them to join industry and professional organizations.
5. Offer flexibility. Millennials value a parallel life, and work-life balance is incredibly important. They are digital natives who believe technology allows work to be done anytime, anywhere. Consider flexible work hours and trust them to work from home on a case-by-case basis.
6. Be inclusive. Millennials like to be included. They’ve grown up their entire lives in a team-based structure, and they expect the same in the workplace. Invite them to important meetings, CC them on e-mails, and keep them “in the know” to promote team spirit. Even if they are just observing, these gestures will be appreciated.

Remember: Millennials are not better or worse, they are just different. Take advantage of their positive attitude, technical skills, and multicultural awareness. Don’t be afraid to defy the golden rule and treat them the way theywant to be treated, as opposed to the way youwant to be treated.

Brad Karsh is president and lead trainer at JB Training Solutions, which offers interactive programs to assist professionals in achieving success in the workplace. moved into HR, where he was responsible for hiring and training hundreds of employees. He has worked with companies including Abbott Laboratories, Quaker, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Redbox, and GATX. Prior to starting JB Training Solutions, Karsh spent 15 years at advertising giant Leo Burnett in Chicago. He began his career in account management, working on clients including McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, and Pillsbury. For information, visit http://www.jbtrainingsolutions.com.