Searching for the right candidate for the position is probably one of the hardest things to do, especially now that a third of the world’s workforce are millennials, a generation that gets a lot of negative press and, by all accounts, not a group of employees. would like in the workplace.
Words that are synonymous with the group are titled, unfocused, narcissistic, lazy, selfish, among a host of other words with negative connotations.
But what has such an empowered generation cultivated (enter other negative words here)? Or what has caused such a backlash against them?
In a popular viral video, motivational speaker and marketing consultant Simon Sinek gives four reasons why this has happened and ties it to why it is now causing problems in the workplace. He attributes it to parenting.
Sinek claims that millennials have been subjected to failed parenting strategies, stemming from being overly spoiled in settings where children have received participation badges when they ranked last, or received the best grades in school for due work. to the persistence of a parent. This then causes a problem in the workplace, as the parents are not there to secure a promotion for their child.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology is a problem for millennials according to Sinek due to engagement on social media. It states that millennials are constantly involved with social media because it is an addiction: when a person receives a ‘like’ for a state, image, etc., or receives a message, dopamine is released from the hypothalamus in the brain, the The same chemical that is released when someone smokes, drinks, or gambles. Sinek says that technology is being used to deal with stress, much like an alcoholic would be dependent on alcohol, and it has prevented millennials from developing meaningful relationships as they will turn to technology instead of a friend.
IMPATIENCE
Sinek also claims that millennials are impatient; This has been caused by instant gratification due to the ability to buy something immediately on websites like Amazon, or watch a movie instantly through channels like Netflix. Sinek says this instant gratification has followed millennials into the workplace, causing them to expect their work to make an immediate impact, leading to immediate promotion. When this has not happened, millennials will leave the workplace, resulting in a culture of job change.
ENVIRONMENT
Sinek concludes by stating that issues related to parenting, technology, and impatience have persisted as a result of the millennial environment. The business environment has not helped millennials, as there is a greater focus on numbers than people; therefore, they haven’t developed the skills necessary to give them the satisfaction of working towards something, which is why Sinek says the generation needs help in the business environment.
But who are the millennial generation behind the allegations? There has been a lot of confusion over the definition of this generation, as social changes and disruptions mean that the story cannot be clearly put into neat labels. In fact, the only officially designated generation according to the US Census Bureau are baby boomers, as the beginning of this generation was a clear event: the aftermath of WWII. Only recently has Pew Research ‘defined’ millennials as those born between 1981 and 1996 because they were shaped by events like September 11 (although different sources claim that millennials can be born from 1980 to 2000).
Confusion about generation also occurs, wrongly, because people attribute these generational characteristics to those who are simply young adults but, at the time of writing, the oldest in the generation are 36 years old.
All that said, there is no question that influences like technology play a bigger role in the lives of millennials than a baby boom would and this of course shapes a person (just maybe not all people born between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1996). Sinek’s article also makes a valid point about the use of technology and how there is less face-to-face communication and how it can lead to impatience.
So does this mean that when employing people, you need to avoid millennials or provide them with a special environment, as Sinek suggests? Maybe not, but there are common sense practices that can be implemented and encouraged at Benchmark International that any employee would appreciate.
BE A LEADER, NOT A MANAGER
This is important from Sinek’s perspective, as millennials have gotten used to constant feedback and want to be coached and coached. On the other hand, millennials are, like the youngest members of the office, the least experienced team members, so they will need training, as would any inexperienced staff member. Either way, an employee can be trained with training, leading to decision making in the workplace.
USE THE SKILLS OF AN EMPLOYEE
Since technology plays such an important role in today’s world, it doesn’t have to be seen as a problem, but rather as a solution. If a millennial (or any employee) is aware of e-literacy, this can be used, especially in an increasingly globalized world, as it helps employees on a business trip stay connected, or even facilitate communication with international offices.
OFFER PROFESSIONAL SAFETY
Yes, millennials have been accused of changing jobs far too often, but it turns out this could be down to age, as the older generation, Gen X, was shown to skip jobs so much at a similar age. Although, this could be avoided if it is shown that staying with a company leads to career progression, in the sense of promotion or building a portfolio of skills and experience, instilling a sense of loyalty in the employee.
BE FLEXIBLE
More and more people are looking for a job that is flexible and perhaps looking outside of the 9 to 5 office regime, Monday to Friday. Use advances in technology to enable this, allowing employees to work outside of the traditional office environment.
ENCOURAGE IDEAS AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
According to Sinek, millennials have a mantra that they can do anything because their parents told them they can. To inspire in the workplace, encourage this mantra as it has the potential to lead to the provision of good input and ideas.
In short, the stereotype of the millennial generation cannot be followed to the letter, since despite the limits, although imprecise, established by Pew Research, the objective of such bodies is to see how the coming of age during certain events Historical and technological changes influence people. – Don’t make radical generalizations like Sinek has, especially since these negative perpetuations of millennials would make it an awkward watch if it came to culture, race, or gender. However, it is worth paying attention to the points above regarding workplace practices to help promote a happy workplace, millennial or not.