The workforce includes workers of different age groups. As a result, it is usually difficult for the employers to find a common ground of ensuring cooperation and understanding at the workplace. Some of the generations include the Baby Boomers who are the eldest with birth years ranging from the early 1940s and the mid 1960s, the Generation X ranging from the mid 1960s to the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the Millennials ranging from early 1980s to mid 1990s and early 2000s. The latter have received significant backlash at the workplace as they are considered lazy, entitled and difficult to manage. With estimates showing that by 2025 Millennials will occupy 75% of the working population, it is essential that one undertakes significant measures of coping with the generation and getting the best of their skills. Many leaders have taken up the stereotypes of Generation Y as a measure of managing them only to find that they are neither true nor effective in management practices. As a result, it is important to identify the best industry practices of Millennials management to ensure the employer adapts accordingly.
Profile of Workforce
As mentioned previously, more employees in the modern workforce are of the millennial generation. This change creates the need for employers and leaders to understand their behavior in comparison to that of the Baby Boomers and the Gen Xers. The quality of a good leader is his or her ability to adapt and effectively bring out the potential of the workers that can lead to profits for the organization (Brack, 2012). There are numerous stereotypes that generalize the behavior, attitudes and beliefs of the Millennials. However, leaders who may incorporate such perceptions take the wrong approaches only to realize they were entirely wrong. The biggest mistakes that leaders may fall into are incorporating their own experience and expect that the new generation will conform to such practices (Brack, 2012). As a result, the millennials will retract and seek employment opportunities elsewhere where they feel it associates more with their lives.
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One should note that due to the differences in birth years and the surrounding events at the time of growing up, the experiences and the resulting behaviors are also varied. For instance, the preceding generation, Gen Xers grew up at a time of increased rate of divorce and both caregivers were working. Though they experienced significant development of technology including video games, computers and MTV, it was a means of ensuring a balance between work and personal life (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2016). In this regard, the generation required to move around and establish autonomy by working alone, at home or while on holiday. In contrast, the millennials identify the need for working in teams and learning from different perspectives through diverse groups (Brack, 2012).
On the other hand, there is the Baby Boomers who precede the Gen Xers. They are considered to be an individualistic lot who believe in a command and control management where the leader is the overall expert. This age group grew up during the Vietnam and Civil Wars, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Liberation of Women (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2016). The experience brought about significant confidence among the group believing they could do anything they participate in a notion that was enhanced by moon landing event. The group did not require much feedback from their supervisors as they had built in confidence. Despite the expansion of technology, its main use was to increase the volume of work and not make it less (Brack, 2012). This group is a stark contrast of the millennial generation where they crave constant feedback and work better off in teams than individually.
The profiles of the preceding generations show a clear difference between the millennials and the other groups. Their lives have been shaped by mobile phones, terrorism and social networking. In this regard, their lives revolve around technology and ensuring they stay connected to the latest developments in the world around them. Terrorism and disastrous events which have been plentiful make them fearful hence look to enjoy the few moments when there is happiness. The expansion of technology has been integral to making working easier not voluminous (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2016). Their parents who continuously praise them even when they fail brought about the need for feedback and motivation. Millennials have been shaped by a life of diverse society where everyone has a different background and perspective of life (Brack, 2012). As a result, they prefer to work in group where they are always learning one thing or another.
Industry Best Practices
From the above profiles of the different generations in the workplace, it is evident that the employers and managers alike are required to develop an adapted leadership style to incorporate all these groups. The younger generation is depicted to have distinct differences from the preceding ones as their experiences have not been similar. As a result, a good manager should be able to effectively identify these variations and incorporate them into the management practices.
Opportunities for Learning
One of the most distinct traits of the Millennial generation is the continuous is their desire to learn new things on a daily. Other than ensuring constant connection with friends and family, the individuals in Gen Y have developed an attitude of seeking to learn about the current things in the world. This notion particularly applies to those born in the 1990s who are shaped by a culture of immediacy and constant stimuli (Brack, 2012). They tend to get impatient and seek new experiences hence the need to achieve short-term goals rather than long-term. The group also requires their managers to identify new skills that they can develop in turn increasing their importance in the organization. The supervisor may do this by providing formal training regularly or frequently assigning new projects to “level up” (Brack, 2012).
Team Player and Collaboration
Another common trait among the Gen Y group is ability to associate with a diverse group hence high levels of collaboration. These workers are more likely to perform exceptionally in groups where their purpose and goals are well understood. In a workforce where all the above generations are present, it is important that the leaders set up a working environment that is more flexible. Research has shown that the future of the workplace does not include a one-size-fits-all model (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2016). It is the most important incentive of the labor force following salary and benefits. In this regard, a supervisor may incorporate different models of working where emphasis is on the output rather than the time spent at a desk. The leader should set clear deadlines and boundaries related to the task given.
Coaching and Reverse Mentorship
The generation of millennials includes individuals who have been raised by parents who provide wisdom and knowledge on the different tasks they encounter in life. As a result, the group expects a similar practice to continue into the workplace. The employer should demonstrate presence and visibility in the workplace. However, this practice should not be confused by micromanagement (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2016). The latter is a detested trait by the millennials who perceive this as a lack of confidence in their ability to take on the work assigned. Visibility is only a measure of ensuring the leader is available when the employee requires some assistance. Due to the high level of education by the young generation, these workers believe there are cases where they could impart knowledge to their supervisors (Brack, 2012). It is evident that they do not respond well when leaders are rigid on protocols and prefer a more flexible leader ready to hear out subordinates.
Socially Conscious and Motivation
Research has shown that the behavior of millennials has been shaped by the social networking practices. The age of social networking has brought about behaviors of constant encouragement and approval from those closest to them. Their upbringing by parents who constantly support them even when they fail is extended as an expectation at the workplace (Brack, 2012). The millennials require a leader who is more visible even to the low-ranking employees. Their presence enabled them to participate in an environment that inspires them to make a contribution without fear (Brack, 2012). Researchers suggest giving workers an off day or a small party for a job well done. In additions, the supervisor should enable the group to maintain a balance between work and personal life.
Flexibility and Structure
As is the case in majority of the workplaces, employees are regularly assessed sometimes on a yearly basis or in other cases twice in a financial year. In this regard, millennials seek to understand the measures or structures that will be used to judge them (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2016). The leaders should communicate clear and consistent criteria of job assessment that relate to their positions. Nevertheless, it is important for supervisors to demonstrate flexibility from the traditional measures of appraisal (Brack, 2012). This practice identifies the attitude of promoting passion among the individuals such that they are motivated to continue working for the organization.
The millennials have been classified as a generation that is difficult to manage. Majority of the leaders particularly from the preceding generations associate them with significant stereotypes. This study shows that despite the distinct variation of characteristics, it is within the best interests of the company and leaders to adapt to the new group of workers who will soon be the majority in the workforce. The employers should take on one significant attitude, not all the millennials are the same. In light of this, the leaders should expect constant learning and change in the workplace which will effectively lead to positive results.
References
Brack, J. (2012) Maximizing Millennials in the Workplace . UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Retrieved from http://avds.com/images/blog/UNC_Millenials_Workplace_Study.pdf
Espinoza, C., Ukleja, M., & Rusch, C. (2016) Managing the Millennials: Discover the Core Competencies for Managing Today’s Workforce. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
