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A lot has been written about millennials and their impact on the work environment. Much of it portrays a dismal future workforce with grave economic and social impacts. Maybe it’s because I’m a glass half full kind of guy, or perhaps because I believe problems are just opportunities waiting to be resolved, but as a manager and leader I’m not buying the doom and gloom and neither should you. “Millennials” is the term used to describe the generation of people born between 1980-2000 but there are two other generations in today’s workforce. These are “Gen X”, born between 1965 and 1980, and the “Baby Boomers” born between 1945 and 1965. According to the Pew Research, Millennials are now the majority in the labor force, hence the reason for so much focus on that generation. Differences in generational behaviors are influenced by the social system within which the generation was raised, and since social systems are constantly changing, its normal that different generations exhibit different behaviors and have different expectations of their work environment. Let’s examine three Millennial traits and expectations, how they are driving change in the workplace, and how Managers can use these to develop and motivate employees. Tech Savviness: Millennials exemplify this trait and anyone who has seen an Apple Store help line can see why it is not used to describe Baby Boomers. Regardless, anybody of any age, given the right training, can become “tech savvy”. Millennials, however, have the advantage. They grew up with computers on their desks, mobile devices in their hands, surrounded by an always connected internet. LinkedIn recently reported that being tech savvy is one of the top requisites companies want in new hires. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/here-skills-hiring-managers-50-linkedin-top-companies-pope-chappell Being able to use a computer, perform net searches, and fluency in MS Office tools has become a minimum requirement for most office jobs. Millennials did not drive this requirement; the ability to increase profits by being more efficient through the use of technology drove it. Millennials come in the door with this knowledge while the rest of the workforce must learn it. If managed properly, this acts as a catalyst for the workforce to update their skillsets. Managers need to keep job skillset requirements updated, communicate updated expectations to all employees, guide employees to self-assess their tech savviness, and provide opportunities to support those wanting to learn these new skills. The payback to employees is they possess updated, relevant skills that can open doors to higher paying jobs. The payback to Companies who support continuous learning for their employees comes in the form of a more dedicated and engaged workforce. The importance of this is shown by data from Gallup which estimated the cost of a disengaged workforce to U.S. company bottom lines to be more than $300 billion in lost productivity. https://www.thebalance.com/create-work-environment-for-employee-engagement-1917575 Diversity in Work assignments: Many in today’s workforce, especially Millennials, crave diversity in work assignments and become disengaged when it’s not provided. Small and medium sized companies require employees possessing skillset diversity because they may not have 40 hours of work in a specific skill area, but have 40 hours of work available when skill areas are combined. Skill diversity allows teams to quickly resolve issues before they become problems. Managers that promote diversity of skills experience a more motivated workforce, a lower turnover rate (Huselid, 1995), and engaged employees expressing a higher job satisfaction. For these reasons Manager’s should support an employee that asks to work on something outside of their area of expertise. If a manager sees an employee exhibiting a lack of motivation, address the behavior in a non-confrontational manner and ask them to share their thoughts on the underlying causes. If the cause is boredom in their work assignment, guide and offer potential solutions. Ask the employee if there is something else they would like to do and if so, help them understand if those opportunities exist within your organization or within the company, and the steps they might need to take to work in that other area. Doing this is the Function of Management. I would rather have a talented employee remain in my company, performing a different and more personally rewarding job, than to have them doing so for my Competitor. The fact that Millennials are not afraid to ask for this diversity makes them the catalyst of change and when managed properly, it produces a positive outcome. Work-life balance: Baby Boomers often express frustration that Millennials complain about working too much. Yet, the Washington Post reported https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/millennials-want-a-work-life-balance-their-bosses-just-dont-get-why/2015/05/05/1859369e-f376-11e4-84a6-6d7c67c50db0_story.html?utm_term=.a3db6cb933c 80 percent of millennial couples both work full time as compared to 47% of baby boomer couples. Millennials propose flex hours and work from home as ways to provide a work life balance. Millennials are offering creative and innovative solutions to utilize technology, that allows them to be connected anywhere, so they can not only focus on meeting work expectations, but also on nurturing a social life. Baby Boomers, who comprise most of the management positions, struggle with these concepts and interpret empty cubicles as employees not working. My message to Managers is, “Focus on results”. Global Workplace Analytics reported some of the benefits of providing an agile work strategy as improved employee satisfaction, reduced attrition, increased productivity, and saving employers money. http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/resources/costs-benefits . Though motivating, influencing, advocating, improving productivity, and innovating are all well within the scope a Manager’s and Leader’s job description, it is Millennials that are the catalyst to this change. They just need Managers, who have the power to influence outcomes, to be their advocates. If Managers and Companies want to attract, hire, and retain a tech savvy Millennial workforce, they must embrace and meet the changes this generation is bringing. Doing so will result in a satisfied, engaged workforce, decrease attrition, and increase profits. Huselid, M. (1995). The Impact Of Human Resource Management Practices On Turnover, Productivity, And Corporate Financial Performance. Academy of Management.
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David Hess is an author, business founder, and business consultant with over 20 years international business and program management experience. He has managed departments, and hundred million-dollar budgets. He has a BSEE, MSEE, an MBA, and certifications as a PMP and an ESL instructor.
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