For those who are not familiar with the term “millennials” and what it refers to, the definition provided by Time magazine is, “generations born between 1980 and 2000”. In 2015, the majority of your employees will be individuals born in this time period, and in the following article, we will address the problem of new working forces entering an outdated market and building the brands of the future.
By the end of the year 2014, more than 28% of the managers, as reported, were employees that we can categorize as millennials. By the year 2024, this statistic is expected to reach even 74%. It is only natural, as Bob Dylan would say, “times, they are a-changing,” and we should try to make this change work to our benefit.
Where is the problem, one might ask? Well, while some of the millennials can’t relate to the reference about Bob Dylan’s song, and all chances are that they’ve Googled it already, those that can feel particularly proud of their knowledge. The cultural change is simply too big, and the development of technology in the 20th century led to a whole new set of standards. Everything is accessible, misunderstood as comprehensible, and, to put it down simply, everything seems easy to us. Let’s look at some statistics and categorize average millennial employees and their characteristics.
The model worker
Your typical twenty-something employee is most likely a narcissistic person – 80% of them are. Only 23% of them are team players, and if you tell them not to check their Facebook page while they are on the job, 71% of them will simply do it anyways. However, all research reports do agree that they are open to change, 72% of them, and adaptable, 60%. Believe it or not, 80% of millennials are more worried about the future of the world and much less about their careers and jobs.
That instigates that this model of a selfish worker, that won’t listen to your instructions while he makes fun of you through social media, might just be a false assumption. Well, to some extent. Certainly not the selfish part, or the social media part, in fact, 33% of them would prefer Facebook and Twitter access instead of a salary increase. But there is a way of dealing with this generation gap and get the best out of the deal, and here are some basic directions on what your company should adapt to if you want to sustain a highly motivated and productive workforce in the following decade.
Culture revolutionized
Three out of four employees, under thirty years of age, will expect that they can modify their desktops at work. This is the best example for us to analyze the generation gap problem. While the employee wonders where the problem in rearranging icons and files is, the average employer, older than 40 years, might just lose his mind. The perception of the organization is simply widely misunderstood. While older generations grew up learning how to adapt to technology, the new technology is adapting to future generations. All millennials will certainly show as more productive if you grant freedom to their style of dealing with technology. Some 90% of them are already using their smartphones for at least some of the work-related activities.
Providing the proper tools is simply a must, and if you are struggling with your current workers and their motivation level while insisting that they are spoiled or selfish, you should know that they are aware of the possibilities that these devices provide in a much more profound way. Plus, maybe we did spoil them a little bit, but no matter the industry and the line of work you are in, first-class devices will always show a positive effect on your employee engagement. Even if you offer construction services, find high-quality tools for your workers, they will feel more confident and relaxed, and show much better results in the process.
While we are on the subject of confidence, know that this is a vital part of your future company. Yesterday, emotions were a very important factor in business, even with all numbers presented and thoroughly examined. Today, emotions are business. With strong leadership and a confident approach, you will surely leave a positive impact on your workers and motivate them to engage.