Don’t Be A Lumbergh: Learn How to Effectively Manage Millennial Employees

At launchbox we aim to bridge the gap between millennials and the workplace.

Lets face it; millennials behave much differently than older generations. Whether it was growing up with technology at our fingertips or coming out of college during a harsh recession, the bottom line is still the same: Millennials have different expectations from the workplace. While Gen X might want a clear direct order of what needs to be done, a millennial might want to work step-by-step with the manager while the task is being completed. Neither method is better than the other; they are just different.

The difficult part is convincing both millennials and older generations that they don’t think the same way as the other generation. Instead of wondering why your employees aren’t fulfilling tasks the way you would, or why your managers are not managing the way you would like, it is important to learn how the other generation thinks and acts in the workplace. Simply tweaking the way that managers interact with millennials can improve morale and efficiency.

The Huffington Post published an insightful article called “What Every Employer Needs to Know About Gen Y”. In the article, millennials listed things they wished managers could know about their ideal workplace.

So listen up!

Millennials are saying things like “I have to like you or respect you as a person”, because ‘hating your boss but loving your job’ won’t cut it for millennials. If employees don’t like the office environment, don’t expect them to stay loyal to the company. Think Office Space, but a little less dramatic. Others include “It’s not about the paycheck, I want to feel like I’m a part of something” and “let me represent my work” because a sense of ownership is very important to millennials. If they can take pride in their work, the work will improve.

These suggestions are simple, and come at little to no costs to companies, but if taken seriously and implemented, will have a profound positive impact on your employees and company.

Other simple suggestions are in the article, here.

As always, let us know your thoughts!