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Millennials are people born in the 1980s and 1990s, so they are now roughly 24-43 years old. They form a large part of the workforce and, compared to older (and also younger) generations, they have certain specific characteristics which, among other things, require they be treated differently from a managerial perspective. So how should a team leader manage millennials to ensure they are productive and happy, and to retain them at the company and in their team?
These tips were provided by the Business Know-How blog on the ZenBusiness platform.
Millennials are also only human and each one is a specific individual. In general, however, millennials realise there is strength in a team and they usually like to work in a group. At the same time, they like it when teamwork is well structured, everyone knows what to do and what their responsibilities are, and the manager does not force them to go beyond their job description when working as part of a team.
Do you think you can satisfy millennials with a performance review meeting once or twice a year, where you talk about how well everything is going? Then you are wrong. Millennials demand constant and continuous feedback from their superiors. The upside, however, is that they can usually stomach even negative feedback if you know how to communicate it and they appreciate any constructive comments.
Do not expect millennials to sit in the office until late at night and work hours of overtime. They are well familiar with terms like burnout, work-life balance and chronic stress. Offer them the opportunity to balance work and personal life. And quite possibly, as a reward, you will gain loyal workers.
Millennials are happy if their work has some deeper significance and does not go against their priorities and beliefs. They like being able to brag to their friends that what they do at work has a positive impact on society or the environment. This need not mean everyone volunteering at an animal shelter. But it does mean, for example, they will probably be very pleased if the company donates 1% of its profits to good causes.
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