A couple months ago I had an interesting conversation with a couple of millennials, which led me to do a little bit more research and investigating around what their expectations were around the workplace.
00:01 What I realize is that this is a generation that is disrupting the system. They're very different than my generation and the generation before mine. Millennials are very creative and they do not go by the standards that we've grown to expect, such as, most of us have gone to an office and worked 8 am to 5 pm and punched a clock, per se. But, millennials really like to have flexibility. They don't believe that they necessarily have to be confined to an office space to be creative or deliver their best work. It's also important to recognize that they're a generation that really looks to work for a company that has a purpose and they understand what that purpose is. They also have an understanding of why they are doing the job that they are doing and where that's going to lead them.
01:21 So, I think as a manager, when you look at managing a millennial, one of the things that really stands out is to make sure that you are helping them understand why they are there, what's the purpose of the job that they are performing, why are they important to the organization, and how they add value. Give them the flexibility and let them help you understand how they want to work. It's important that there is a two-way connection there, between the manager and that the manager allows them to give some input. Finally, I think it's important to provide them with career development. In my research, what I found very interesting was that most millennials crave career development. So, from a manager's perspective, if you are able to provide them a good, clear career path, were providing development that they can hone in their skills, do their best job, and feel fulfilled in the job, I think you will really see great things coming from this new generation.
Best of luck and let me know how I can help you achieve more effective training!