An important thing to understand in hiring men and women right out of college is the generation they come from. Called “Millennials,” they probably have little or no memory of a time when the Internet was accessed via dial-up modems or when phone calls were easier to make than using a car phone.
Instead of feeling old about the apparent swift passage of time, it’s time to understand some important things about having Millennials on your staff.
Who are the Millennials?
“The newest generation of professionals is the first to grow up entirely in the digital age,” wrote Bruce Kasanoff in a piece for Forbes.com, “and thus their expectations are a bit different.”
Expectations are especially important in how information is exchanged and shared. For example, they’re more likely to Google something instead of asking someone for more information. And they’d prefer to text a short message or send an email than make a phone call.
A major misunderstanding is that information has become frivolous and disposable to the Millenials. That’s not necessarily true. Millennials understand that information must be shared in a timely fashion (preferably fast), but they understand that information has to be shared.
Speaking “Millennial”
In communicating to a staff with Millennials, understand they are not humanoids. They’re accustomed to an accelerated way of doing things, usually multi-tasking all the time. But as a supervisor or owner, the important thing to stress is that work gets done. Don’t think periodic checks with social media and texts means your employee is slacking off. With Millennials, it’s go, go, go all the time.
Instead of forcing older ways rendered obsolete by the convenience of modern technology, understand things will only accelerate. It’s important to embrace a growth mindset, where more and more will continue to evolve. This is very important for the future. “Those who aggressively adopt a growth mindset will flourish,” Kasanoff wrote.
The digital age has been well-established after twenty years of significant advancements. From the jump between Windows ’95 to Windows 8, from car phones the size of bricks to the iPhone, Millennials embraced these advancements. With the generations that will come after them, they will continue to depend on technological advancements.
As a business owner, it’s important to understand and empower the Millennials. If you don’t, you might as well get out of the way.
