Millennials in the Workplace: Understanding & Overcoming Stereotypes

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1 Millennials in the Workplace: Understanding & Overcoming Stereotypes

2 In this Whitepaper As they continue to enter the workforce, professionals of the Millennial generation remain the subject of much debate within business circles. Often perceived as spoiled, needy, overindulged, and even flaky, Millennials incur several negative stereotypes regarding their worthiness in the workplace. According to a CFO.com s Global Outlook Survey, a large percentage of employers feel that Millennials have a poor work ethic, are easily distracted, lack loyalty, and have a sense of entitlement. We ve spent plenty of time discussing what millennials lack and why we are afraid to hire them. But instead of going around in circles, perhaps we need to look at the root of the problem in order to move forward. After all, by 2020, this generation will be nearly half of all working professionals. Why not take a moment now to understand where our biases whether conscious or unconscious are coming from, and how to combat stereotypes? 2 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

3 Where do Millennial Stereotypes Come From? Let s first break down a few common stereotypes about Millennials to really get to the issue of why the stereotype exists. While these stereotypes may apply to some, but not all, of the Millennial population, it is imperative to understand why they exist and how they came to be. Understanding the issues can aid in successfully integrating Millennials into business settings of today. They re lazy! One of the most common stereotypes regarding the Millennial generation is laziness. While we hear this stereotype thrown around easily, the supposed logic behind it isn t quite so simple. Millennials values tend to differ significantly from their professional predecessors. Because of this shift, traditional workplace rules simply do not make sense to this generation. The Millennial generation balks at, for instance, strict dress codes, steadfast 9-5 hours, and meetings for the sake of meetings. It s always been done this way makes little sense as a point of reason to the Millennial colleague. Because Millennials do not value tradition for the sake of tradition, this is often misinterpreted as laziness or a weak work ethic. 3 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

4 They don t want to work very hard! Millennials emphasize efficiency much more than they emphasize hard work. The phrase work smart, not hard perfectly sums up this generation; to the Millennial, why spend an entire workday doing something that could be done in two hours? While this stems from a desire to utilize innovation and creativity, one might argue that it reaffirms stereotypes about not working hard enough. They re not loyal! Millennials are infamous for their lack of loyalty to today s employers. In fact, according to Inc., today s year-olds median employment lasts less than 16 months. Although a lack of loyalty is undoubtedly significant in the lives of Millennials, why is this the case? Research has consistently shown that Millennials priorities differ when it comes to workplace satisfaction. While previous generations emphasize aspects such as compensation and health benefits, Millennials worry more about whether they are making a contribution to the common good. Millennial Talent Fact Sheet Enjoy praise over pay 80% would rather receive feedback on a job well done (Time) Enjoy collaboration and working as a team over solo work Flexible, mobile, have the ability to pick up and go, open to new opportunities and locations Can offer insight into new target audience: Millenials more relatable to generation that is online Extremely comfortable with technology, all social media platforms (the average grad switches their attention between media platforms as many as 27 times per hour, according to Forbes) Greater ability to multi-task as a result of constant technology plug-in 4 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

5 This generation loves to feel that their work matters in the long run, that their work will benefit the world, the future, or the industry. They are more concerned with a sense of purpose than they are with longevity. Therefore, if an employer does not fill that need, they will find one that does. They want a promotion too quickly! Millennials may also have a skewed conception of upward mobility. This stems from many factors: on the one hand, Millennials along with the generation following them have been told since birth that they are brilliant, skilled, valuable winners regardless of actual performance. Because of this, this generation is faced with unrealistic expectations, undue stress from these expectations, and a sense of failure when they do not meet perfection. This strange mixture of stress and entitlement leads to two outcomes: one, this generation believes that they must be the absolute best in order for their achievements to matter at all. This stems from the unrealistic expectations placed on them from various figures. On the other hand, they believe that they deserve a management position as soon as they walk in the door because they are simply worthy. This stems from the everyone is a winner ideology that they have been taught since birth. Top Drivers for Millennials Giving Back and Being Civically Engaged A Boss that Acts as a Coach or Mentor A Collaborative Work Environment Flexible Work Schedules Work-Life Balance Feedback & Engagement Encouragement Professional Development Personal Projects Leadership Opportunities 5 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

6 Overcoming Stereotypes While Millennial stereotypes certainly do not characterize every member of this generation, there is a reason that these stereotypes exist. As such, these stereotypes must be dealt with by those wishing to succeed in hiring Millennial talent. Combatting negative sentiments toward the generation as a whole is easier said than done. If a Millennial walks into an interview with a manager who sees their generation as lazy and disloyal, the odds are certainly stacked against the potential employee. In order to combat these stereotypes, Millennials and employers must understand a few key concepts: Employers What You Should Know Despite their increasing presence in the workforce, many organizations are still wary of hiring Millennial talent. This is largely due to the fact that Millennials may require extra training, extra patience, and more direction. They may lack traditional workplace skills and have trouble relating to older employees. 6 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

7 As the worldview of Millennials shifts, employers and recruiters are placing a heightened emphasis on focusing on the potential positives of hiring fresh talent: They Want to Prove Themselves Because Millennials are new to the field, they often bring the energy, excitement, and focus that it takes to prove oneself. If they plan to stay in a current field for the duration of their career, Millennials especially desire to make a positive impression on the employer, make themselves proud, and succeed in the field. They are Eager to Learn Millennials are coming from an academic environment that emphasizes knowledge, education, and success. Therefore, in order to get through college, Millennials must have motivation and ability to learn new things. This often carries over into employment and produces enthusiastic employees. They Bring Fresh Perspective Millennials bring new ideas to the field. They often view problems differently than their older counterparts due to generational differences and educational shifts, thereby allowing them to solve problems differently. In addition, they add value to an organization that is otherwise stagnant due to their excitement and energy. They Are Tech Savvy Some resent the ways in which Millennials (and young individuals in general) use technology every second of the day. Because they grew up in the age of smart phones and advanced technology, however, they have the ability to adapt to and suggest new technologies in the corporate world. The frequent use of technology also translates into the ability to multi-task and take on many projects at once. 7 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

8 Millennial Candidates What You Should Know Know the Difference between Cooperation and Agreement While outdated traditions might seem absurd and useless to a Millennial candidates, this does not entitled one to ignore the rules and regulations of a company. If an employer requires a strict dress code, follow it. If your employer requires employees to be on site at a particular time, be there. Once you have earned the employers trust, you may push the envelope by approaching your manager with professional recommendations to streamline company processes. Earn their Respect Voicing one s opinion in a respectful manner is an employee attribute desired by some managers, but at the end of the day, the employer has the ultimate say for a reason they are more seasoned in the field. Over-arguing with every decision will not change this reality; rather, it will depict the employee as disrespectful and arrogant. Work to establish a respectful voice and know when to bring up a counter-point and offer solutions to problems rather than argue for the sake of arguing. 8 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

9 Work Smart AND Work Hard Millennials tend to value efficiency first and foremost. While this is certainly a valuable position, these individuals must learn to combine their innovative methods with a strong work ethic. For example, if they can complete a 7-hour task in 2 hours, this employee would be wise to immediately begin the next task, ensure they have done the best possible job they can on the project, and ask what else can be done. Combining these two ideas working smart and working hard would create quite a proficient, valuable asset to the company. Conclusion Millennials may not be able to entirely escape the negative stereotypes that exist in the workplace. That being said, the goal of the Millennial employee must be to stand out, overcome these stereotypes, and prove themselves as valuable to the employer. Employers and older generations, on the other hand, must recognize the ways in which they have contributed whether intentionally or not to this viewpoint of Millennials. While Millennials must be held responsible for their own actions (or inactions), many employers assuming stereotypes, not wanting to give them a chance, and perpetuating the cycle of rumors without factual based evidence have become part of the issue. Professionals with more life experience than millennials have created a problem in how they are viewed, and now it s time to fix it. Employers have criticized this generation on numerous occasions while failing to offer any productive alternatives or solutions. If these criticisms can be harnessed and transformed into suggestions and instruction, perhaps Millennials can begin to recognize their shortcomings in a more productive manner. Rather than assuming that Millennials present no value to a company simply due to their age, employers must weigh the pros and cons of each individual candidate based on their skills, attitude, cultural fit and competencies. Let s not forget that similar stereotypes were said about the generation before Millennials, the generation before them, and the generation before them! 9 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e

10 More Information Now that we ve learned about Millennials, what about the generation after them? Truly understanding Generation iy, the next generation to enter the workforce, requires a real understanding of why such individuals think and act the way they do. From technological advances to modern expectations, today s work climate has created a unique situation for this generation. Gaining a comprehension of how to aid them in the real world will be key to the success of the next wave of business professionals. Generation iy: What We Must Prepare for and Understand as they Enter the Workforce Download the ebook at Stevelowisz.com/ebooks 10 M i l l e n n i a l s i n t h e W o r k p l a c e