Millennials are lazy, unfocused and live on social media all day right?
Not really! Contrary to the stereotypes, they’re just used to a different way of communicating.
Now that Millennials (loosely defined as those born after 1982 and before 2004) make up the majority of the workforce, employers need to embrace a new way of working to attract them, increase productivity and stay ahead of competition.
So, what do Millennials look for in the workplace?
1. Technology
This generation has grown up with the Internet and instant communication. So it’s fair to say, if your office is equipped with legacy telephone systems and slow computers you’re probably not providing the best environment for them to work in.
Millennials want the most effective tools to do their job, which means a preference for modern technology. This isn’t because they want to be seen with the latest gadgets, but because they want to be as efficient as possible. We’re already seeing a shift from “old school” solutions such as Intranets and Email, to newer, more mobile friendly/cloud based tools, such as Instant Messaging and Video Conferencing – much more suited to the communication styles Millennials are used to in their personal lives.
2. Flexibility
Millennials prefer work-life integration as opposed to work-life balance. Not because they don’t care about work, but because they see it as something that’s part of their lifestyle rather than something they have to do to pay the bills (although this is obviously a major factor!). As an employer, providing a flexible working environment, whether that’s remote working or different hours to the “norm” is something that needs to be considered so employees are as productive as possible for your business.
3. Collaboration
As they have been “connected” from childhood, Millennials are used to being a few clicks away from communicating with friends and family. It should be no different in the workplace as far as they’re concerned. This is why Millennials much prefer cloud based technology so they can connect and collaborate with their colleagues instantly from wherever they are.
Now that Millennials are making up the majority of the workforce, employers need to think about adapting their workplace technology to suit more modern styles of working. Investing in communication tools can be expensive, but the last thing you want is to waste money by introducing a new tool that nobody wants to use – Millennial or not.
Overall, the main thing is to be flexible and adapt to different ways of working to give you happy and engaged employees, no matter what the generation!
If you would like to make your workplace more flexible, collaborative and productive whilst still measuring performance against KPI’s you can join our round table on Thursday 5th July 2018 to discuss.
