A CHANGING OF THE GUARD: 6 Behaviors Needed To Transition Millennials into the Workforce

“Why would I have to do what my boss asks me to do?” The student who asked this question of his friend was quite serious. Though it seems incredulous, with some thought, that question is not so easy to answer. The Millennial’s sincere curiosity wasn’t meant to be disrespectful. Yet the perception from most people who hear this question would be quite the opposite.

The Millennials aren’t coming. They’re here! In the workforce, there are 40 million of them (26% of the workforce) with 40 million more on the way. The hard truth is: to get the results you want, you’ll have to give Millennials what they want.

Unfortunately perceived attitudes of this younger generation often annoy managers and distract them from what’s important. That dilemma creates the danger that the incredible talent of this emerging generation will remain untapped. Instead, they need to be challenged to take on some of the world’s most critical issues and be instrumental in solving them. Rather than vilifying Millennials, they need to be engaged.

That cannot happen without understanding who the Millennials are. Of Millennials, 90 percent say they have a close relationship with their parents. These parents are very invested in their kids’ lives. American Idol engages 30 million generationally diverse families who bond with each other around the plasma screen. Millennials have values congruent with their parents, whereas Boomers rebelled against their parents.

With regard to technology, Milliennials have ianything. You name it, they’ll get it. Some GenXers are able users. But most Millennials are turbo-users. As toddlers, their favorite mouse wasn’t “Mickey.” It was the one on the desk next to their computer.

Millennials have been teamplayers throughout their childhood. In constant contact with others, they have an enormous capacity to work together. Teamwork is the nature of the future workforce, and Millennials are up to the task. For an idea of what the workplace of the future will look like, Rob Carter, chief information officer at FedEx, suggests observing the online game World of Warcraft. In this game, teams embark on fast-paced quests, which involve a complicated series of obstacles. The team leader is the one who contributes the most. When someone else steps up to contribute more, that individual becomes the leader. This game is intensely collaborative, constantly demanding, and often surprising. Carter explains, “It takes exactly the same skill set people will need more of in the future to collaborate on work projects, and kids are already doing it” (Anne Fisher, “The Future of Work,” Time).

Here are 6 things to consider as the generational guard transitions to the next.

1. Don’t confuse “work” with a location.

For Millennials work is a state of mind, not a place to be.  Think beyond a particular location being synonymous with work.  Work can be done all over the map and at different time zones.  Focus on the product, not the process.

2.  Provide real time feedback.

Millennials often seem overconfident, especially with their “limited experience.” Typically Millennials hate that phrase because it’s the reason usually cited for not promoting them. That’s why Millennials need instant and ongoing feedback. And, they need to be challenged. With those specifics in mind, the downside is not so down. The upside is that Millennials are techno-wizards, quick learners, resourceful, and hard workers. Sound like someone you’d like to hire?

Provide feedback based on performance, not just for showing up.  Giving Millennials a context for how their contributions relate to them, their organization, the customer, and society at large engages them and answers the question of why they should do what their supervisor asks.

Ask for their ideas, and, when possible, use them. If they make a mistake, and they will, don’t chastise them. A better way is to ask for their feedback, “What did you learn from this?” Let them discover how to solve the problem.

3. Give them the big picture.

Connect the younger generation to the future of your organization. People join companies and leave managers. Millennials are quick to perceive and judge when a manager is not on their side–uncaring, demanding, and micromanaging. They will leave that situation in a heartbeat. Providing big-picture context makes them (and anyone), feel a meaningful part of the organization.

4.  Invest in their development.

This twenty-something group is quicker than any other previous generation, to invest their own money in personal development. Why not tap into this tendency to help them learn quickly and move up? All but 10 percent of this learning process occurs on the job instead of in the classroom. Managers have a great opportunity to mold these young talented lives—but not without the type of understanding that leads to engagement. As Stephen Covey would say, “Seek first to understand, and then to be understood.” They are willing to bet on themselves.  Why shouldn’t we?

5. Ask them “why” and “what” questions.

The traditional way job candidates are questioned in employment interviews is not the best approach with Millennials. Asking them where they see themselves in five years is irrelevant to them, because they are unsure where they’ll be in six months. It’s more effective to ask questions about how they like to perform tasks, what they find motivating, and for what greater purpose they want to work.

6. Don’t confuse leadership with titles, position, or flow charts.

Above all else, be authentic. Celebrity is the enemy of authenticity. Positional authority and titles tend to detract from a Millennial’s perception of authenticity. To this generation de-elevating positional authority is not a sign of disrespect. Instead, informality is a sign of respect. Trust that and make them feel important. Maya Angelou said it beautifully—“I’ve learned that people forget what you’ve said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Give Millennials what they need to feel good—so you can tap into their incredible potential to reap results now and in the years ahead.