Millennials at Work

The generation labelled Millennials is often misunderstood and disparaged. Some are so confused that they refer to all youth or younger people as Millennials. However, born between 1980-1996, the youngest Millennials are turning 25, likely graduated from post secondary and entering the workforce, while the upper end is pushing 40 and may even be in management and leadership positions over those in Baby Boomer (1946-1964) and Gen X (1965-1979) age groups. It is crucial to understand some of the unique characteristics of the Millennial generation in order to attract them to your workforce, engage and retain them so that they become productive and effective employees.

In a robust report from 2016, the Gallup organization looks at How Millennials want to Work and Live from the perspective of Millennials as Employees, Millennials as People and Millennials' Economic Impact. While there are some great take aways from this 150 page report, we’ll just summarize a few key findings as they relate to Millennials at work.

Unique Characteristics
“Millennials are a notably large and diverse group, so it is important to note that they cannot be homogenized. However, there are common characteristics of this group that can encourage an understanding of millennials’ behaviors and attitudes. In the course of its research, Gallup has found four themes that collectively describe millennials:”
Unattached – Millennials do not feel close ties to their jobs or the brands on which they spend their money. Millennials are waiting longer to get married and have children, and they are less likely than other generations to feel pride in their communities or to identify with particular religious affiliations or traditional political parties.
Connected - Millennials are highly connected with the world around them which has helped them gain a unique global perspective and transformed the way they interact, learn, shop and work. A common misconception of millennials is that they are selfish, self-indulgent or only capable of interacting online. However, this group is highly attuned to what’s going on around them.
Unconstrained - Millennials are pushing for change in the world and they want to be free of old workplace policies and performance management standards, and they expect leaders and managers to adapt accordingly.
Idealistic - Millennials are a largely optimistic group, believing that life and work should be worthwhile and have meaning.

Attraction & Retention
“As employees, millennials’ wants and needs are not all that different from those of the generations that preceded them. But unlike members of those earlier generations, millennials have instantaneous and far-reaching opportunities to research companies and jobs. They behave as consumers of the workplace, weighing their options and continually looking for roles and organizations that enable their best performance.”

Millennials have a reputation of job-hopping, and this turn over can be costly to the company and the economy. It's likely that most millennials don't want to switch jobs, but their companies aren't giving them compelling reasons to stay. “Their ultimate goal is to find a good job that fuels their sense of purpose and enables them to lead a life well-lived. While millennials can come across as wanting more and more, the reality is that they just want a job that feels worthwhile — and they will keep looking until they find it.” In 2016, the majority of millennials were not engaged in their work, meaning they are not putting energy or passion into their jobs. In a recent article from Gallup, since the pandemic and shift to working remotely, the engagement of millennials has spiked. In addition to working remotely, they attribute this to effective communication from management who have paid attention to their overall well being and provided them with a clear plan and the resources they need to carry our their job.

Millennials value purpose over a paycheck and development over perks. They don’t want bosses, they want coaches. They need to be valued as whole people, and have their management acknowledge and develop their strengths. They desire work life balance but instead of separating the two spheres, they want their job to be an extension of their life and they look for companies who account for all of their well-being needs.

Productivity & Management
“Why does any of this matter? Because the strength of the workplace and marketplace depend on what the millennial generation can accomplish. If millennials cannot find good jobs, the economy will continue to lag. If they are not engaged in those jobs, companies’ profitability, productivity and innovation will suffer. And if they are not thriving in their well-being, they will struggle in life, affecting how they perform as citizens, consumers and employees.”

Millennials want to do work they can feel good about and feel they are good at. When employees are not working to their strengths, they can struggle to succeed and become bored or restless. The onus is on management to provide job clarity and well-defined expectations. These are best when mutually agreed upon and aimed at utilizing their individual strengths. Millennials need to understand the organization’s purpose and how their role fits in the big picture. They desire ongoing conversations with management and recognition for their contribution. While Millennials are not afraid of pressure and have a high desire to achieve, they appreciate accountability and guidance from encouraging and supportive managers.

Understanding some of these generational traits is helpful, however it pales in comparison to understanding each of your employees’ unique patterns of thought, feeling and behavior. Managers must recognize and appreciate each employees’ different perspectives and help them to apply their talents every day. A strengths-based approach to performance management keeps employees engaged, productive and satisfied.