Navigating today’s multi-generational workforce can be a daunting task. And with the rise of the millennial workforce it has become critical for employers to realise that Millennial’s drastically differ from other generations.
They are well educated, skilled in technology, very self-confident, able to multi-task, and to top it all they have plenty of energy. Millennial’s bring fresh ideas and new workflows into an organisation and value new ways of working. They prefer teamwork and they have high expectations for themselves as they are continuously seeking for new challenges. What matters most is the end result and your values and engagement, both on an individual and organisational level. They do however make it clear that work life balance is of utmost importance and they realise that their need for social interaction, immediate results in their work, and desire for speedy advancement may be seen as weaknesses by older colleagues.
Since the baby boom generation, Millennial’s are the largest group to emerge and as they become part of the workforce over the next 20 years companies will have to start adjusting. Attitudinal differences around flexibility, recognising achievement, business ethics and management styles are only a few of the key point which will have to be addressed when including Millennial’s into your workforce. New leadership concepts promote self-management, empowerment, teamwork, agile processes and emotional intelligence.
Leadership Characteristics to manage a millennial:
There is however a few key point that can be addressed that will assist organisations to improve their engagement with Millennial workers. These include:
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Coach, rather than manage, millennial staff
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Better manage career expectations
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Empower millennial staff with greater autonomy
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Embrace new technology and entrepreneurial-ism
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Think about your organisation’s social responsibility, and how it could be improved
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Use Preferred communication methods such as mobile devices, apps and social media
In the end it is the results that matter. it’s important for organisations to foster curiosity and diversity, encourage learning, and get their millennial’s involved from the get-go.
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