Here I go, I’m getting involved. Even though I too am sickened by the whole millennial saga. In all transparency, I own a company that hires mostly millennials. Technically, I’m not one of them (I’m on the line), but I think they’ve got it all figured out. No, there is no guide to healthy collaboration with millennials in the workplace (if you find one, beware). But if you’re a manager who’s tearing your hair out in incomprehension, I hope this post will provide you with some answers about this segment of the population that is too often wrongly criticized . And if you’re a millennial, stay tuned, the catharsis is beginning. First, let’s tackle a few persistent myths.
“Millennials are not willing to work hard. They want everything ready-made and are not loyal to their employer.”
Ah, the famous expression “doing your shift ”. Do you find millennials capricious? I remember a new employee referred by one of his teachers. His teacher explained to me that he had talent and a lot of potential, but that he lacked motivation. Today, this guy is really good at his latvia mobile phone numbers database job. He is not only motivated, but motivating. He even recently expressed to us his willingness to sacrifice part of his salary to get shares in the company, he believes so much in what he does.
Typically millennial, in your opinion?
The problem is not a lack of interest, but a lack of challenges. At school, if a student is bored because his teacher doesn’t push him enough, whose fault is it? At work, if an employee is bored because he isn’t given enough latitude and is “micromanaged”, who corporate values: more than just is responsible? No, millennials will not wait their turn. Shouldn’t the best working conditions be given to those who break down doors and always seek to go further, instead of those who wisely let time pass by counting on their seniority?
And then, if millennials are really lazy, how do we explain the entrepreneurial boom within this generation? Entrepreneurship is definitely not the easy path.
“Millennials are addicted to technology and no longer know how to communicate in real life.”
In 1968, when students rebelled by proclaiming values of freedom and equality, the internet did not exist. The difference with the Y is that they have a platform to spread their ideals. They are a bit like today’s hippies. When we go beyond the stereotypes, we see that the values they defend are similar, especially with the idea of contributing to a better world.
I admit, for a portion of society (and not just millennials), technology addiction is unhealthy. Have you ever seen baby boomers on Facebook? They are addicted too, but business to consumer reviews they will be on their iPads in front of the TV at night, while we will see more millennials on their phones at restaurants. I think technology addiction is a societal problem that needs to be addressed, but also that millennials are probably the generation that is most tech-savvy right now.
“ Millennials are slackers who live with their parents and don’t know what they want in life.”
Just because you’ve had a stable job for 20 years doesn’t mean you know what you want in life. The difference is that some people are committed to it, while others aren’t. It’s normal not to know. Life options are no longer as limited as they used to be, when the path to follow was simple. Today, you can rethink your career in a thousand and one possible ways. For example, by not pursuing higher education, by building an online community around a blog and by traveling. Or by selling collectible LEGO blocks around the world thanks to the Web! These are unusual paths, certainly, but much less so than a few years ago.
As for living with your parents, guess what? It’s a good thing to put family back at the center of our lives, which provides unstinting support. In an increasingly individualistic world, if you have to be broke to adopt the family home for a longer period of time, it’s a blessing in disguise, in my opinion!
Millennials— the ones I know , not the ones described by nostalgic columnists from an old time—once they’re turned on by something that really excites them, they’re 20 times more motivated than any generation. You know why? Because for once, it’s not ego or money that motivates them, but experience and the promotion of their values above all else. They’re willing to eat ramen and live in a small apartment for the rest of their lives if it means building a lifestyle on their own terms. There are plenty of examples. Are you familiar with the minimalist movement ?
“So what do we do with millennials?”
Now, let’s talk solutions. As you can see, millennials will let you know when they’re not motivated. As a society, we have two choices.
Option 1: Try to get them to join the ranks and draw their attention to superficial details. Unfortunately, this is what too many companies do. There are even disciplines created for this: HR marketing. A slide or a ball pit in the office will not replace the emptiness of a meaningless job. A fun workplace can compensate for a while, but not in the long term. Employees will still drop out.
Option 2: Build your business on the basis of strong values. And if that means a keg of beer in the office, so be it! The difference is that the little extras will be linked to the values and not the other way around.
At Spektrum, for example, we encourage employees who want to start a business to quit their jobs to do so. It may seem counterintuitive, but the reality is that we won’t be able to keep these aspiring entrepreneurs around for long. We might as well help them flourish by being part of the adventure! In short, ask yourself what you believe in. Ask your employees too and find meeting points to build together: you’ll see their motivation increase tenfold!
Putting lifestyle first
It used to be normal to move for a job. It was work first, waiting for retirement. Today, people decide where they want to go and how they want to live. Then, they choose a job that fits their lifestyle. That’s why we see millennials negotiating part-time jobs and vacations over big responsibilities and big salaries. It’s simply a matter of priorities and it’s justifiable too.
Knowing all this, whether at school or at work, we must loudly assume our values and a lifestyle in which millennials will recognize themselves and that will give them the desire to be loyal . For example, the culture at Spektrum encourages remote work, flexible hours and employee initiatives to add to the office atmosphere, whether it’s with our slackline , our foosball table or the frequent happy hours. We didn’t create a place from scratch to retain our employees: they are the ones who improved it so that it reflects them. In some cases, they even got together to buy equipment, like our bench (incidentally, this als o makes our community manager happy, who says that photos are excellent for engagement on social media) .