“There is NO LOYALTY in the workplace anymore. How are we supposed to deliver our work, on time and on budget, when these ‘young people’ won’t commit?”
Sound familiar?
When we engage with business owners and leaders, the topic of the “Millennial Generation” frequently comes up. Unfortunately, the underlying reason for the discussion is not usually positive. With much frustration and discouragement, the owner struggles to grow a team that is committed to doing a great job, serving clients well, and going the “extra mile”, let alone just showing up on time.
Again, sound familiar?
Just in case you are asking, “why bother!?!”, here are a few things for you to consider:
By 2025 Millennials will make up 75% of the workforce.
Millennials could be your best team members:
They are working harder than other generations: Putting in more than 45 hrs/week with 21% taking on another job to make ends meet.
“Millennials are one of the greatest work generations ever if you give them a mission.” Donald Miller
If you are truly committed to creating a great place to work, you will need to do more than just consider millennials. You will have to create a recruiting plan that puts millennials at the centre of your strategy. Come join us at our Remarkable Workplace course on June 6th + 7th or June 13th + 14th to learn how.
In case you are tempted to judge this generation of young people negatively, I invite you to reflect on 4 questions that have been quite helpful for me as I engage with millennials.
But, before we go further, you may be thinking: What do you know about millennials?
My business partner, Chip, and I each have 4 adult millennial “kids”. In addition, we have thoroughly enjoyed employing awesome team members who are – yes that’s correct – millennials! As business owners and parents we have context and experience to speak into this topic. There are a number of lessons we continue to learn and want to pass on, as you engage with millennials in your business.
Most of us Boomers or Gen X’ers were raised to see the certain institutions as more foundational, more stable and more present. If you are perceiving a lack of loyalty from the millennials on your team, consider these 4 statements and the following 4 questions to help you better understand the millennial perspective.
In growing up, within reason, you and I trusted:
The institution of government. On balance would you say that young people today trust the institution of government?
The institution of family. On balance, and with deep respect to the relational challenges many families face, do young people today trust the institution of family?
The institution of religion. On balance, given how religious organizations struggle to show up well, do young people today trust the institution of religion?
The institution of the workplace – the corporation. On balance, given how their parents may have been treated in all the corporate upheaval in the last couple of decades, do young people today trust the “company”?
What do you think? If you were a young person starting out in the work-a-day-world, how would you respond to the institutions that we, as Boomers and Gen X’ers, often assumed to be trustworthy? I suspect if you and I grew up in their world, we may respond in a similar way.
I am not condoning inappropriate responses. I am, however, advocating for a greater sense of understanding of why they may respond the way they do.
There is much more to be said on this growing challenge for us and for the millennials we may employ and lead. Stay tuned for future thoughts on steps you can take to engage meaningfully with the millennials in your world.
Are you willing to do your part to understand and lead well, the millennials in your world? Your future and theirs depends on it.
A Deliberate Application:
Meditate on Matthew 7:1-2.
Where may God be nudging you to own a spirit of judgment as you consider the millennials in your world?
How well do you understand their world?
Knowing that you are not required to agree with their perspective, are you willing to engage and discover what is most important to them? Why or why not?
