Millennials—They‘re Changing the Way We Work!

Whether we like it or not, the Millennial generation is having a real impact on how work gets done in today’s increasingly complex and competitive workplaces.  The interesting thing to me is that I feel like I am re-living when Generation X first appeared on the scene.

I remember being at a meeting in Washington, DC where Bruce Tulgan was speaking on generations at work.  Bruce was a pioneer in this field and it was a really big deal to me to get to hear him in person. 

He talked about what this new generation wanted—things like more flexibility over when they worked, more feedback on the work they were doing, a chance to be recognized for good work…and more.  When he took questions, someone said, “They are asking for the same things we wanted but we were afraid to ask!”

Fast forward to Millennials and what we know of what they are looking for and it is similar to what I wanted when I started working many years ago and probably what you wanted and still want.

According to Joe Weinlick, vice president of marketing at Beyond.com, a job board and career advice job board and reported by SHRM.org, he says, “If we think about what Millennials care about (corporate culture, workplace flexibility, making a difference and being appreciated), they’re the same things that are important to everybody.”

This same article also quote research done by PwC which is based on 300 interviews, 300 focus groups and 44,000 surveys they conducted in partnership with the University of California’s Marshall School of Business and the London Business School.  PwC realized they better learn about this new generation because by 2016, it would comprise 80% of its workforce.

They found that competitive pay is important but equally important to this generation is flexibility, transparency, collaboration, recognition and management support.

So, when you know what is important to employees, the challenge is to give it to them within the framework of your culture and your business requirements.  Seems to me that providing the things that are important to Millennials (and everyone, for that matter) just will make an organization even stronger.