As a millennial myself, it’s hard to write an article
telling baby boomers how we need to be treated. I mean, why take me serious?
Aren’t I just asking you to cater to us so we don’t need to work and grow?
No.
The thing is, baby boomers tend to think young workers
aren’t inspired. I can’t tell you enough how much we KNOW you think technology
made our lives way easier and we probably wouldn’t have been able to get where
we are if we had it the way the boomers did.
They also didn’t have to have over a 3.5 GPA to get anywhere
in life. That is the minimal requirement for anything.
Back to my original topic, your millennial workers do want
challenge. They are very creative, because creativity is highlighted everywhere
they go (thanks to that crazy technology stuff), and they want to be the best.
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| www.Millennial2020.com |
If your business isn’t changing to work with both
generations, your millennial will become robots to whatever you tell them to do
and your business will start to decline. As hard as it may be to accept, a millennial
will NEVER think like a baby boomer. Stop trying to change and mold.
As you cater to their creativity, you still hold reign. All
you need to do inspire.
Give Feedback
Regularly
Honestly, so many young people have it in their heads that
their boss will never see them as an equal in the company to a baby boomer.
Most people who’ve been with a company over 10 years get feedback, try it for a
day, shake their head and go back to thinking they know how to run the office.
A millennial, when given feedback, WILL change. A simple “thank you” does the
job most of the time, and your youngsters can handle constructive criticism
better than anyone. Let them know you reward hard work and they will want
nothing more.
Share Ideas with Them
and Give them Opportunities for Idea-Implementing
Invite the youngsters to more meetings. They probably want
to sit in on the big-wigs talk, and they want to feel important. On your end,
they will be most active when implementing new ideas, not to mention have ideas
of their own. Ask regularly what ideas they have, and if they have a good one,
allow them to work on it. Google is a great example: they allow team members to
work on whatever they want on a regular basis. It allows them to feel in
control while boosting innovation.
Complete win-win.
Allow work-life
balance and flexibility
Some of the greatest companies of our time allow unlimited
vacation time, travel time, and the opportunity to where from anywhere. This
may sound ridiculous to give them so much freedom, but provided their great
performance, why not work from home if possible? You can still have constant
communication, and a millennial honestly couldn’t ask for a better day than
sitting in sweats and making money. Vacation time can give given without being
taken (millenials are in tune with school and other debts after they get a
job), but freedom is the best feeling.
A millennial who feels encouraged, inspired, and free at
work=a loyal and hard worker.
