Enter any organisation in today’s world and you’ll see Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials working together, whilst it appears to be harmonious on the surface each generation is defined by events in their collective history and have a preferred way of interacting with peers… The newest generation to the workplace party are the millennials.
Millennials now form the largest part of the UK population, they were born between 1980’s and early 2000’s, they are defined by coming of age during the cash strapped noughties and grew up with the latest technology at their fingertips, this tech savvy, team-oriented, communicative yet insular cohort are entering a work environment defined by the self-reliant boomers and work hard, play hard generation x’s who each have very different work place experiences.
Millennials have been have a somewhat bad reputation from their older counterparts but with ever increasing numbers entering the workplace, learning what makes millennials tick is key to having a happy and well-functioning work environment.
Find out four of the best ways to engage with your millennial team members:
Communication
This may sound like a given for any member of your team at any point in their career, but Millennials expect communication to be a two way street and frequently require structured feedback and tips on how they can improve their work from their superiors. Many millennials thrive on recognition for their role within a project and also wish to engage with their peer network, a shout out on social media or on a digital screen will help millennials know they are valued.
Work Life Balance
With developments in technology millennials seek a flexible aspect to their working week and they don’t definitively separate their working life from their home one, when in the office millennials expect to develop social interactions with their colleagues.
Seeing work as an extension and statement of their life goals the technology available must reflect their need for interaction and provide status within their peer group, using technology to set up instant messaging for communication purposes will allow them to interact with their colleagues in a similar way to how they would interact on their mobile devices.
Involvement
All through their life millennials have been encouraged to be part of a team and recognise how their actions impact the team’s success, they will employ the same logic to their working practices. Ensuring millennials feel part of your brand immerse them in your culture, use your interior décor, digital displays and wearables you grow a millennials team spirit and create your very own brand ambassador.
Technology
Millennials were the first generation to use technology as part of their education and therefore they view technology as a necessity for them to be able to perform their roles to the very best of their ability. Keeping your technology at the cutting edge will help millennials to perceive that your company is actively invested in their success.
Over all millennials entering the workforce are ensuring their expectations are met, as a direct result of this they are pushing companies operations forward and keeping them current. By tapping into the motivations of this generation you could be future proofing your business and building lasting relationships with the youngest people in your business.