Think you’re stigma free? Careful. At least on a subconscious level, still jump to conclusions about others for any number of reasons. You might automatically have certain assumptions about a person based on their nationality, their clothing or even their hair color. In most social situations, these unconscious thoughts don’t do any direct harm and as long as you’re open to adjusting your perception of a person as you get to know them, there’s nothing to feel too bad about.
But there’s one such set of preconceptions that is very harmful to business, those regarding generation. This can work both ways between an older and a younger generation, but more often than not, it’s millennials getting the bad rap these days. Older managers and business owners often see them as entitled, lazy or even collectively dumb.
Besides being just flat-out wrong, such assumptions and misconceptions are increasingly dangerous for businesses as time goes on, and that’s because millennials make up more and more of the workforce. Perhaps sooner than some would like to think, millennials will soon be running the show themselves, and they’ll probably have their own misconceptions about the generations after them. In the meantime, businesses need to make more of an effort to understand millennials and play to their strengths in the workplace.
And they have plenty of strengths. Statistically, millennials are the best educated, most socially engaged and forward-thinking generation in history. So, what are some of the ways your business can tap into the millennial potential rather than shutting it out?
Put them in charge of something! Just about anything will do to start out with. Many millennials have been raised in an environment supportive of individual empowerment and they look up to responsible figures and decision makers, great industry movers like Steve Jobs. Most are eager to get started right away, and even if you can’t feed their enthusiasm right away, avoid making them feel like a cog in the machine at all costs.
One intriguing idea is to reshape your businesses slightly by creating mini-responsibilities. A newcomer doesn’t need to be promoted to manager of an entire department for no reason, but give them some task that is theirs and theirs alone. You’ll probably find they’ll be eager to please, no matter how minor the responsibility may seem. Dividing up responsibility this way may actually make your business more efficient anyway, while everyone feels they have an important part to play.
Handoff their personal lives! Millennials have different priorities than many baby boomers, raised by parents who were ready to give all and do everything that was asked of them. Millennials usually value their personal lives above work, believing that success at work is not the goal itself, but a way to make their personal lives richer. So, best not to get in their way. They want to live great lives and they’ll kick butt while at work as long as there’s a clear-cut separation from their personal lives.
Step up your ethical game! Most millennials care a great deal about the societal impacts of their work. While they general accept that only a few will ever have the chance to make the world a better place, almost all of them are determined not to be a part of a project that causes it harm. This means making sure your company’s environmental, political and social policies are updated so your millennial employees can’t get behind them.
Tell them how to improve! They all want to succeed, so help them out. Intimate schooling and parenting have given them solid experience with support and feedback from authority figures. The lesson: Don’t leave them guessing as to whether or not they’re doing their jobs well. That also means generally taking a more active interest in the quality of work being produced even in the lowest levels of your company. Mediocrity may not matter financially in certain cases, but it matters to the employees producing it who want to feel good about what they do.
Employers with a bias against millennials need to do some urgent reevaluation. This generation is dedicated and hardworking in its own progressive fashion. And, like it or not, millennials are the future of the workplace! Those who don’t keep up with the times are sure to fall behind. Join us as we revolutionize the HR industry and move into the future.
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