Company leaders currently manage multiple employee generations, from baby boomers to millennials. The younger generation has different traditions and work ethics that they must study and embrace to guarantee success. While some leaders like Eyal Gutentag already have experience with younger employees, others will need to identify, study and learn from the difficulties inherent in leading millennials within the workplace.
Desire for a Meaningful Connection
Millennials generally want to work in a career meaningful to them and avoid job disengagement sometimes found among their parents. They want to form a genuine attachment to the company and its vision. Managers know that disillusioned and apathetic workers are more likely to make mistakes, lack productivity and go absent more often. They need to establish a clear vision and build individual trust to encourage meaningful connections between employees and the organization.
Value of Workplace Diversity
Younger generations are not only more open to diverse working environments, but they outright thrive in them. According to a 2018 Deloitte survey, 69% of employees find diverse management to be motivating. These employees may even recommend diverse places to other potential candidates. Company leaders can encourage the recruitment of candidates with varied backgrounds, as well as encourage viewpoints from underrepresented demographics.
Need for a Flexible Schedule
Strict work schedules are becoming increasingly outdated, between non-job responsibilities millennials must juggle and the greater emphasis on work-life balance. They require flexible and dynamic schedules that allow them to accomplish other tasks and take necessary breaks. The business’s leadership can meet this challenge by assigning work that employees can complete at home, as well as providing access to technology that facilitates alteration of work hours.
The millennial workforce will slowly replace older generations, bringing in new ideas and risks. A company’s current leadership will have to adapt to the transition’s difficulties to maintain or increase productivity and profit.