You must be familiar with notions like: “millennials are sluggish,” “millennials have a sense of arrogance,” and “millennials are tech addicted.” But how many of these convey the truth? Do these assumptions paint the real image of millennials?

With Generation Z’s oldest members just entering the workforce and Millennials beginning to take on managerial responsibilities, it’s time to take a deeper look at what they have to offer and debunk some of these clichés.

The Myths

Working millennials have sparked a surge of fear, suspicion, and hostility among older CEOs and supervisors in the previous decade or two. “They’re not like us,” we often hear, and the remedy appears to be “they should be more like us.” 

They’re frequently portrayed as erratic intruders that cause business disruption. Not in a good way, and not as valuable assets to the companies for which they work. Here are some common myths about millennials that need to be disregarded:-

1. Millennials Are Lazy

Millennials may work in a variety of ways, but labeling them as idle does not give a complete picture. The motto of this age is “work smarter, not harder.” They despise delay and complexity and are always looking for ways to accomplish more in less time. 

This new look isn’t always a bad thing. It can even aid in the improvement of corporate procedures and the increase in total production.

2. Career Goals and Expectations are Vastly Different

Employers used to expect candidates to stay in one job for more than two years, but millennials have helped shape business’ tenure expectations. They have a lot more realistic notion of what tenure is, and workers are more likely to change jobs or firms after a year.

Internal promotions are also expected to happen within nine months, and individuals who are passed over for such opportunities will begin to search elsewhere.

3. Millennials Aren’t Loyal

Managers that are concerned about frequent recruiting and retraining have made a meme out of the job-hopping millennial.

However, it turns out that this idea is also based on myth rather than reality. Employees who are younger change employment more frequently than those who are older. This trend, though, isn’t new, nor is it as concerning as we’ve been made to believe.

According to a 2015 article by FiveThirtyEight, younger employees changed jobs at the same rate as older employees in the 1980s. Given the Internet and other recent economic revolutions, we may expect this.

4. Addicted to Technology

Millennials grew up surrounded by technology, so it’s only natural that it’s a big part of their lives. When it comes to their favorite mode of communication in the workplace, however, 39 percent of millennials choose face-to-face conversation over emails and text messages.

5. Millennials Want Constant Praise

According to an IBM survey, most millennials want a fair, ethical, transparent, consistent, and dependable manager. Only 29% stated they were hoping for recognition for their achievements. This disproves the stereotype that millennials value praise above everything else.

6. Millennials Lack Social Media Etiquette

This could hardly be more untrue. This generation grew up with social media and understands the dangers of blurring the barriers between their personal and professional lives better than any previous generation in the workforce. They are more adept at establishing these boundaries than previous gen-Xers.

Conclusion

It’s time to let go of these unsubstantiated stereotypes about millennials and accept them for who they are: brilliant, driven, and productive workers. 

Understanding the millennial worker and the critical role they play in today’s multigenerational workforce will help you develop a more effective hiring plan to attract the best and brightest from this generation.