Millennials have been labeled as ego-centric, lazy, narcissistic, and entirely lacking in devotion since their inception in the workforce, but they’ve also been dubbed smart, bright, and the last hope we have.
Regardless of your opinion on whether the most recent generation of workers is the best, getting the most out of your millennial employees will become increasingly vital in the future.
Who Are Millennials?
“Millennials,” also known as Gen Y, are people born between the 1980s and the early 2000s. They are the offspring of individuals who are members of the baby boomers demographic era; hence they are also known as echo boomers. They follow Gen X.
Millennials have surpassed Gen X and Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the US job market. They are also the world’s most intellectual, diversified, and tech-savvy generation, fully realizing their potential as “the first digital natives.” This over-scheduled, over-stimulated generation is here to stay, whether you like it or not.
How To Keep Them Motivated?
1. Provide Meaningful Work
To give meaningful employment, assist young workers in understanding how their work contributes to the company’s mission. Allow them to see the larger picture and learn directly how a great business operates.
Allow them to perceive their function as a part of a broader whole and assist them in accepting the significance this brings to their work. As they progress in the organization, assist them in seeing where their career might lead them and the possible influence they can have.
2. Sense of Accomplishment
Provide plenty of detailed comments to foster a sense of success. Assist Millennials in determining the areas they excel in and where they may grow. Compliments and coaching should not be saved until quarterly or yearly reviews.
Instead, find a means to interact with Millennials weekly and provide feedback. This form of involvement gives young professionals confidence in their work’s direction and ensures that they won’t be surprised by a negative rating.
3. Flextime
If your organization doesn’t offer flexible work schedules or the ability to work from home, you’re falling behind the curve and will struggle to retain young workers. Allow users who meet certain criteria to choose from a variety of solutions.
Organize for competent employees to take time off or work from home one or more days per week to attend to significant personal problems. Take a page from Netflix’s playbook and focus on efficiency rather than hours while establishing a hugely successful business.
4. Communicate Clearly
Young professionals who have grown up in the information age have come to anticipate hyper-connectivity and the ability to always know what is going on with everyone. While all-encompassing communication isn’t feasible at the corporate level, several things may be done to promote greater transparency.
Make sure everyone understands what is expected of them — a report due at 5 p.m. is preferable to a report due “soon.” Also, make sure your nonverbal communication matches your spoken communication — actions still speak louder than words.
5. Respect Employee Feedback
Expect your Millennial employees to look for work elsewhere if employee input is degraded or simply not welcomed at your organization. Encourage two-way conversation instead. Millennials appreciate working as part of a team and want to contribute to the company’s success.
Giving young professionals comments while encouraging them to share their opinions increases their sense of worth. Expect candid critique, as Millennials aren’t known for following unspoken business standards.
Conclusion
Keeping Millennials satisfied isn’t rocket science, but it does necessitate a departure from traditional corporate practices. You’ll be well on your way to retaining Millennial employees if you provide meaningful work and a sense of accomplishment, listen to employee input, give flexible work options, and keep communication open.