Sharing Your Corporate Bed With Millennials

The Millennials joining your workforce now are employees born between 1980 and 2000.   There are about 76 million of them - children of boomers like me who will have to co-exist with three other generations in the same workplace.

• Traditionalists (born before 1945)
• Baby Boomers (1946-1964)
• Gen Xers (1965-1977)
• and Millennials (alternately known as gen-Y, echo boomers, Net gen)

According to Claire Schooley @ Forrester:

[Millennials] have an innate ability to use technology, are comfortable multitasking while using a diverse range of digital media, and literally demand interactivity as they construct knowledge. Millennials lack the workaholic drive of their burned-out predecessors, but they compensate by using many technologies — often simultaneously — to get the job done quickly and have a personal life as well. They don't have the skills and experience of the many retirees they are replacing, but they look to technology to help fill this gap.

Hence, my question.  If you're a old style traditionally organized enterprise - vertically silo'd, how are you going to adapt to manage these digital natives, individuals who expect a collaborative and networked work environment? (lets not forget the four generational styles that must be accounted for).

I place my bet firmly on the Millennials.  These workers will not stay long with companies that don't adapt.  They expect and in fact demand that things change.  Need an  example?  From FastCompany:

A 22-year-old pharmaceutical employee learned that he was not getting the promotion he had been eyeing. His boss told him he needed to work on his weaknesses first. The Harvard grad had excelled at everything he had ever done, so he was crushed by the news. He told his parents about the performance review, and they were convinced there was some misunderstanding, some way they could fix it, as they'd been able to fix everything before. His mother called the human-resources department the next day. Seventeen times. She left increasingly frustrated messages: "You're purposely ignoring us"; "you fudged the evaluation"; "you have it in for my son." She demanded a mediation session with her, her son, his boss, and HR--and got it. At one point, the 22-year-old reprimanded the HR rep for being "rude to my mom."

Now, I wouldn't expect to have my mother call my HR department if I were dissatisfied, but I've seen Millennials have their parents intercede on their behalf in a number of companies in much the same way outlined above.  I can tell you it happens!  So all you vertically organized enterprises, how are you going to adapt? Need help figuring this out? Well then...

1. Get help - hire intergenerational experts who can (1) educate you on the intricacies of intergenerational differences, (2) help construct the appropriate educational plans to inform and educate your executives and (3) guide you on tone, process and policy.  Learn before doing.
2. Employ Social Media and Social Networking internally and allow for access to external social networking sites - give Millennials the digital tools to which they are so accustomed.  Its an expectation that they be available for their life, both professional and personal!  According to Joseph Gibbons, the research director at the Future Work Institute,  "These values don't change over time." So if companies want to attract, retain, manage, and motivate the next generation of workers, they're going to have to adapt."
3. Train your Managers to Lead Differently - Managers must be managers, leaders, guide posts - people that are looked up to, as well as  therapist. Millennials require a more passive listening and teaching management style. Further you have to work hard to set their expectations. Especially since they believe strongly in themselves, demand advancement (see above) before having paid their dues (as us boomers believe)  and expect to be heard in all situations. Finally you will need to explore ways of providing constructive criticism because profiles of this generation indicate that they are not very good at accepting criticism in a meaningful way.

A lot has been written on how to manage Millennials so I wont go into this topic here.  This is meant to be a wake up call for all vertically organized enterprises. Your workforce and customers are changing.  Are you going to change with them?

Comments

[Thomas Otter]

1.

Steve,
You would have loved the Stockholm workshop. A great mix of design, customer centricity and primary research.
http://theotherthomasotter.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/stockholm-sap-design-and-the-millenials/
Thomas

[Steve]

2.

Yes, I'm sure I would have Thomas. Invite me next time! :)

[Margherita]

3.

If a 22 year old guy needs his mom (at work) He has a problem.

[Steve]

4.

Margherita - one would think eh? But in point of fact, its not about "needing his mom" but about a sense of entitlement, that everyone wins and that the family unit is there to make sure that entitlement takes place.

[Den the aweful]

5.

The real issue here is the parent. Mommy just has to stick her nose into the problem because if Timmy fails it MUST be a reflection of her parenting skills.

There's no indication that the kid here asked his mother to get involved. This parents just pull this crap, and you'll notice if she can't blame the company, she'll trying to blame him.