In Defense of Millennials

Can we be done dogging Millennials now?  Thank you.

We’ve heard them all – Participation ribbons.  Super flexible work schedules.  Asking for promotions way too soon…Snowflakes, right?  If this sounds like your mindset on Millennials, you’re taking a big risk and missing a huge opportunity.  The key to your organization creatively overcoming future challenges lies in them.  And those stereotypes?  They’re off base.

The truth is that the Millennial generation and its fringes will positively impact our world for the next several decades.  Much like the baby boomers before them, they’re creating massive changes as they move through life’s stages.  Harnessing this power requires you to do some things differently.

Hire Differently.  Millennials are purpose-driven.  They want everything they do to advance their passions.  If you’re going to successfully hire and turn loose younger teammates, find candidates whose passion matches your company’s mission.  Sure, they need to meet some basic job functions, but if you match on purpose, they’ll bend over backwards to get those functional skills and to make your company great.  If your company doesn’t have a mission or purpose yet, you better do some catch-up fast.  Otherwise, you’re missing a lot more than quality talent.

Keep them engaged.  Once they’re hired, work hard to understand what makes them tick and where they want to go.  They’re going to go to the end of the earth for your company if they feel valued.  On the other hand, if you don’t care, they’ll see right through you and you’ll miss the opportunity.

Once you understand your new teammate’s purpose and vision, invest in it.  Funnel outside projects toward them that match their desired path forward.  Most Millennials will hungrily run with it.  The result – You get a more experienced teammate working hard to impress you, and they’ll eat it up so they can grow…that’s a win-win.

But isn’t this when they ask for a promotion?  Of course it is, if they’re smart.  They’re ready to give you everything they’ve got, and they just want to know that the company has their back along the way.  Use it as a positive opportunity to talk about how advancement works at your company.  Help them build a training plan to get to the new title and responsibility.  Talk about skill gaps and what you’ll each commit to get over them.

Be flexible.  Millennials want a holistic life, and their job at your company is only part of that.  If you help them facilitate that lifestyle, they’ll give you 150% effort.  Just don’t expect it to fall between 9-5, which we should all agree is an outdated, poorly designed work structure anyway.  If you force them into that box, you’re stifling the very creativity your company needs to grow, and you’ll lose them.

Let them innovate.  I’m writing this post because someone complained that Millennials have opinions on everything, including teams they don’t work on.  That’s crazy!  You’re sitting on a new breed of worker that wants to not only make their area better, but to positively impact the whole company!  Why in the world would you not turn that loose???

Friends, the bottom line here is simple: If you don’t start changing your thoughts on Millennials, you’re going to completely miss the gold mine that’s in front of you.  Go find the right ones who care about what you’re doing, invest in them, and put them in positions to make you look really smart.

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Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash