Millennials in the Workplace
How Do Managers Inspire Them?
The Millennial Generation (born 1981–1995) is 76 million strong, and many managers seem to have great difficulty understanding and inspiring them. And that creates a problem, because they comprise 36 percent of today’s workforce, a percentage that will grow to 46 percent by 2020. Millennials are tech savvy, ambitious, and fond of working in teams; have a desire to make the world a better place; and like to do things their own way. Unfortunately, some managers see them as lazy, entitled, self-focused, and impatient—hence difficult to manage (White, 2015). The truth is that Millennials offer a set of skills and a mind-set that fit well with the challenges facing organisations today. It is essential for managers to understand how this generation thinks, what they are looking for in the workplace, and how to inspire them to contribute their unique talents.
Millennials have a lot to offer their organisations—in short, they are a trusting and optimistic generation that is tech savvy far beyond earlier generations. They can absorb large amounts of data, and they place high value on social causes in which they can band together with others to achieve change. They are highly educated and want to make a contribution, though they do get impatient at times. Hence, it is imperative that managers understand this generation of associates and how to inspire them—not manage them and just deal with them. Managers who learn how to truly inspire Millennials to contribute their talents to address the many challenges facing organisations today could far outperform their competitors.