Retaining Millennials As the twenty first century presses forward, so does a vast cultural change in the work place. The Baby Boomer generation is steadily beginning to reach the age of retirement and as members of this generation leave the workforce, their offset is comprised of an entirely different kind of generation. The term Millennials typically refers to people born during the time span of roughly the early 1980’s through early 2000’s. The values of this generation are quite different than their predecessor generations and in the not so distant future, they will significantly outnumber the workforce. The Millennials in some regards have been characterized as disloyal in the work place. One journal article titled, “Managing Millennials:
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The days of the white shirt and black tie are long gone but Millennials yearn for more and feel that casual dress will not affect the quality of their work. The term casual work place extends far further than just clothes. Millennials value things such as flexible work hours, telecommuting, and a more fun and open work environment (Thompson & Gregory, 2012). Not everyone is a morning person so the typical 9-5 schedule may not best suit some people. Flexible schedules may be enticing to the night owl and could even drive out greater productivity. Another facet for leadership to keep in mind is that it is hard for a Millennial to put their head down and sit still at a desk all day. This generation grew up with a lot of social interaction so an inviting work environment could help them get their social fix. Some companies these days are trying to meet this need by providing special break rooms with items such as TVs or leisure games, like ping pong tables, to allow for employees to congregate and de-stress periodically throughout the day. Companies should not lose control and let the office place turn into casual chaos but simple small steps to make it a place that people are excited to go to could go a long way in the challenge of finding and keeping good …show more content…
One could argue that Millennials have a shorter attention span than prior generations and may become bored with a monotonous job. If they don 't feel like they are making a difference or see how their work fits into the big picture, they could become discouraged. This could ultimately drive them to search for the next best thing. Understanding that some tasks still have to get done regardless of the pleasure associated with them, there are some ways to add a spark to Millennials’ motivation. Managers can assign Millennials special assignments that are short term, project orientated in nature, and allow for immediate evaluation (Jerome, Scales, Whithem, Quain, 2014). A financial or non-financial award for positive performance could also motivate the employee to give it their all and increase the likelihood of
The days of the white shirt and black tie are long gone but Millennials yearn for more and feel that casual dress will not affect the quality of their work. The term casual work place extends far further than just clothes. Millennials value things such as flexible work hours, telecommuting, and a more fun and open work environment (Thompson & Gregory, 2012). Not everyone is a morning person so the typical 9-5 schedule may not best suit some people. Flexible schedules may be enticing to the night owl and could even drive out greater productivity. Another facet for leadership to keep in mind is that it is hard for a Millennial to put their head down and sit still at a desk all day. This generation grew up with a lot of social interaction so an inviting work environment could help them get their social fix. Some companies these days are trying to meet this need by providing special break rooms with items such as TVs or leisure games, like ping pong tables, to allow for employees to congregate and de-stress periodically throughout the day. Companies should not lose control and let the office place turn into casual chaos but simple small steps to make it a place that people are excited to go to could go a long way in the challenge of finding and keeping good …show more content…
One could argue that Millennials have a shorter attention span than prior generations and may become bored with a monotonous job. If they don 't feel like they are making a difference or see how their work fits into the big picture, they could become discouraged. This could ultimately drive them to search for the next best thing. Understanding that some tasks still have to get done regardless of the pleasure associated with them, there are some ways to add a spark to Millennials’ motivation. Managers can assign Millennials special assignments that are short term, project orientated in nature, and allow for immediate evaluation (Jerome, Scales, Whithem, Quain, 2014). A financial or non-financial award for positive performance could also motivate the employee to give it their all and increase the likelihood of