Managing Millennials in the Workplace

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Millennials are the newest generation entering the labor market, arriving with distinct ideas about what they expect from their jobs. They tend to display an abundance of self-confidence and believe they are highly valuable to any agency from day one.  Being technologically savvy is one of the great skill contributions Millennials bring to the workplace.

How Millennials Operate

Millennials are extremely focused on developing themselves and thrive on learning new job skills. They are always setting new challenges to achieve. They are a “can do” generation, never worrying about failure. Many Millennials were raised with doting parents who provided overwhelming praise and therefore parental involvement is a big factor when dealing with this group in the workplace. As working adults, Millennials still seek feedback and praise for accomplishments.

When working with Millennials managers need to remember the importance of work/life balance. Many Millennials are accustomed to flexibility within their day; however, they are excellent multi-taskers. Many Millennials grew up with little unstructured time and therefore, they are highly comfortable going from task to task or activity to activity.

Millennials work best in team-oriented environments, believing a team can accomplish more and create a better end result. Growing up in a more open multi-cultural society, they are able to work with diverse groups and coworkers.  Additionally, quick and efficient communication is preferred over face-to-face interaction.

As a manager, when considering a Millennial’s performance, hold them accountable for their mistakes but praise their successes. They work best with short-term goals that result in immediate gratification, in turn, reducing turnover. When giving critical feedback, managers will need to first compliment Millennials before they will listen to any criticism.  Millennials also respond better to clear, concise, and specific directions during feedback sessions.

Tips on Integrating Millennials into the Workplace

• Provide structure, leadership, and guidance
• Encourage the Millennials’ self-assuredness, “can-do” attitude, and positive personal self-image
• Take advantage of the Millennials’ comfort level with teams, and encourage them to join
• Listen to the Millennial employee
• Millennial employees are up for a challenge and change
• Millennial employees are highly effective multi-taskers 
• Take advantage of Millennials’ technological skills
• Capitalize on the Millennials’ affinity for networking
• Provide a work/life balance and a fun, employee-centered workplace

Link for Managers

As a manager, it is important to tailor your management style for particular employees to motivate them to work more effectively, specifically with Millennials.

http://info.newdirectionsconsulting.com/adaptive-manager-assessment/ provides a downloadable self-assessment tool to determine how adaptive one is as a manager.