Hello World! I'm really excited to announce that I successfully completed my first webinar. This month I discussed hiring young talent with a focus on working with Millenials. In case you don't know... Millenials are the youngest generation in the workforce. They are also called Gen Y and are populated by people primarily born after 1980. Have a watch below!
Anyway, I hoped you liked it. I'll be giving more webinars in the future. Here's a couple of more thoughts about Millenials and their place in the workforce.
1. They aren't that bad
I'm thoroughly convinced that every preceding generation looks at the youngest generation with disdain. For some reason there is a proclivity to proudly claim that you had it worse than those young kids. People then use this as a license to complain about how stupid, lazy, irresponsible those young kids are. Here's the deal... each generation is uniquely shaped by the challenges that they faced growing up. Just because they are different doesn't mean that they are somehow harder.
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| "Hey Kid! Quit using the interweb at work!" Don't look like these guys! |
Good employers look for common denominators and seek to adapt to working with the new generation. Great employers look for what they can offer in terms of fresh ideas and ways of thinking. If you take anything out of this blog please remember this. You didn't walk uphill to school and back in the snow with no shoes every day. The generation before you didn't either. In twenty years the Millenials won't have either. They just grew up with a different set of circumstances. Harnessing these differences will make you more powerful.
2. If you aren't open to investing in technology you will lose
This generation is the first one to truly not know what life is like without a computer. I'm right on the edge of being a Millenial and I vaguely remember my father bringing home a typewriter to do work. My brother who is four years younger, may not have ever seen a typewriter in real life. This generation is also the first one that really saw mass produced technological gadgets that everyone could own. Because of this they believe in technology, almost religiously.
Generally speaking they have a deep seeded belief that technology can solve most problems. So if...
- your website looks like it was made ten years ago
- you have refused to work with social media because it is a fad
- you don't think that having smart phone compatibility is very important
- you look at investing in new computers or programs as a drag on the bottom line instead of a necessary investment
You will not attract top young talent and you will struggle in the long run.
In one of my first jobs, I had a boss threaten to shut off all computer with the exception of two hours a day. Why? Because that email stuff is really unproductive. That was the point where I started looking for a new job. Looking back I can see where he was coming from. We needed to be one the phone selling as well. However, his response was what got me. Here was this powerful tool that could be used to make money and his response was to shut it down because it didn't fit with his world view. A better way to handle it would have been to train us how to blend the practices. Don't be that guy.
3. They won't be loyal to your company
This is really easy to understand. This generation is the first one to watch their parents get laid off with good tenure instead of the golden watch. We saw a real shift over the past couple of decades to a world where people get laid off despite good performance. This generation is pretty realistic. They understand that if the company is faced with a tough situation they will in most cases make the decision that benefits the greater good of the company instead of the individual. They have been conditioned to believe - Its not personal, its just business.
Does this make them disloyal and untrustworthy people? Not at all! Instead they are just loyal to different things. This generation is loyal to people, ideas and industries. When I am out recruiting people from this generation I rarely hear. I just love my company and could never leave it. I do hear, I've got a terrific boss who treats me well and I love working with my co-workers. We have a great team. I don't think I could leave them. However, I"ll call you if this ever changes.
What does this mean for employers? Manage your culture and change well!
This is just the first of what I'm sure will be many, many more thoughts on hiring and managing this generation. What do you think? Email me at sthompson@insurance-csg.com or feel free to leave a comment below!
UPDATE
Shortly after I wrote this Beloit College posted their annual Mindset list. I followed up on this here:
A follow up to the post on Millenials - Beloit's Mindset List
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