There is no doubt that Millennials have a much different perception of work compared to their predecessors. Known as the least engaged generation at the workplace, business leaders are urged to acknowledge this generation’s characteristics and find what drives them in the workplace. Expected to make up 75% of the labor force in 2025, Millennials are coming in droves and ready to bring significant changes to the work landscape.
If you are an HR leader looking forward to welcoming more Millennials to your growing team, here are four mistakes to avoid when nurturing them at the workplace:
Leaving out digital technology will be a huge mistake because Millennials grew up in an era when the internet and digital technology are the norms. This is no surprise that they are considered the most tech-native group in history. For starters, your millennial employees may be the key to the success of your company’s technology department. They know how to utilize productivity apps like Trello, Jira, or Asana, which makes work simpler than the conventional ‘email me for every update’ type of culture. Moreover, as the global pandemic forces everyone to adapt to remote working practices, they may find it unfavorable to be forced to attend offline meetings that can actually be done through video calls like Zoom. Technology is inseparable from the millennials’ workforce and it is a huge mistake to not abide by this culture.
It is time for employers to embrace digital transformation and engage their younger workers. If you have not adopted automation technology at work, then you should consider allocating some budget for it. As they are educated in a more tech-focused and collaborative environment, conventional training practices may need to be adjusted. Companies should think of ways to leverage millennials’ enthusiasm in their technological abilities. Reverse mentorship can be an excellent approach to do this. Companies may provide both younger and older workers the opportunity to mentor one another by matching them together. This can also provide opportunities for them to share their technical expertise with the rest of the team.
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Millennials are insatiably curious about everything and have a strong desire to advance both personally and professionally. They are constantly eager to enhance their talents by monitoring their own progress at work. They will be pleased to learn of their advancement, and they eagerly await feedback from their superiors. One of the fatal mistakes employers can make is to emphasize commands only, but little to no feedback.
If they ever make a mistake in their job, they need to know which specific part they did wrong. This is why they value growth and think that feedback is important. Employers need to carefully consider how to approach the millennial workforce when it comes to the deliverables of their job. The old-fashioned “you are wrong, fix this” is no longer in the favor of millennials. Moreover, they also like it when their great job is acknowledged and appreciated. Seniority culture where senior and older employees do not feel like they need to compliment the young employees should stop in this era. The more they are appreciated for their job, the better they will perform in the office. Growth is easy when everyone is given the right feedback and appreciation the way they deserve.
The global pandemic has surely brought a new realization to many that work-life balance is important. With the rise of remote working, many employers began to think that employees can actually work flexibly anytime and anywhere. Sadly, this is often mistranslated into some employers thinking that employees can still work during their day-offs, as they are most likely staying at home anyway. One common mistake in nurturing millennials is to take work-life balance away during the rise of remote working.
It is not so surprising that the notion of work-life balance is favored for millennials, as many of them are at the age where they have already had their own little family. Making money at work is essential, but giving time and attention to their family is just as important to them. If you, as an employer, can support this by giving family-related benefits and flexibility of hybrid working.
Millennials are always in touch with the latest trend and often behave as high-achievers since they are at the peak of productive age. This is why it makes perfect sense if they aim for growth and a chance to lead. This is also why they do not hesitate to quit if their employer prevents them from growing within the company. No matter how well-established a business is, it is likely that your employees will outgrow the company’s development.
It is understandable that as a business owner or manager, providing opportunities for advancement to everyone, especially if you employ a larger amount of people, is not easy. Nevertheless, if you do not empower your employees to pursue a career path, you may find that the turnover rate goes way up. Thus, establish a growth program that encourages career advancement for employees at all levels, including high-performing millennials. Preventing young employees from securing a top-level position just because there are ‘older employees’ who are not there yet just does not fit in nowadays.
Millennials in your office are ones to treasure preciously just how you retain older employees and newly-coming Gen Z. However, nurturing them surely takes a different approach from how you do it with other generations. By knowing the right way to do it, you will end up with the most productive and enthusiastic workforce in your company!
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