On this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast Barnabas Piper is joined by Chris Martin, a fellow LifeWay employee as well as a blogger at MillennialEvangelical.com to talk about the stereotypes, reputation, and reality of millennials in the workplace as well as how to manage them well. Millennials are the largest generation and are quickly overtaking the workforce, so this is a pertinent topic for anyone in leadership.
* What exactly is a millennial?
* What are the stereotypes, the reputation, of millennials as workers?
* Which parts of that reputation are true and which are false?
* What are the key differences between the millennial workforce and prior generations?
* What one piece of advice would you give people in the position of managing millennials?
BEST QUOTES
“The beginning of the millennial generation is 1980.”
“The end of the millennial generation is up for debate, but I like to place it at that ’94-’95 time because a lot happened between 1995 and 2000. The internet happened.”
“The internet is the one thing that defines the millennial generation.”
“The three most common stereotypes I hear are these: millennials are lazy, millennials are entitled, and millennials are narcissistic.”
“Here’s why I’m a millennial even though I listen to NPR stuff – I’m not accessing it via the radio; I’m accessing it via podcast.”
“Millennials tend to be more fulfillment and cause driven in their work as opposed to results and monetarily motivated. They want to do a job that matters.”
“If you want to recruit the best and sharpest minds you need to present yourself not as successful business-wise, but as doing something for a purpose.”
“Every generation reacts to their parents’ generation.”
“We do things differently. Time will tell if we do them better.”
“The one thing that sets millennials apart is their diversity.”
“No other generation has had the distinct “privilege” of being looked at under the microscope of the internet by the entire world during their most formative years.”
“There are more thoughts being published every day than there probably ever have been on Gen Xers.”
“Millennials are the first digital natives.”
“The research on millennials is affecting the development of millennials.”
“Millennials work from any where at any time.”
“Millennials have a really sensitive B.S. meter and formality often looks like B.S.”
“Changing jobs frequently is common for millennials.”
“Results matter more than titles, more than time, more than anything.”
“As millennials become parents that ability to work any time anywhere is incredibly beneficial.”
“Managers, you have to trust the people who work for you.”
“If you can’t trust your employee to work from home instead of sitting in a cubicle did you hire the right person?”
“Encourage younger workers who work from anywhere to set up time barriers.”
“What tone are you setting for your younger employees?”
“Clearly communicate expectations.”
“Clearly communicated expectations are one of the most beneficial things a young employee, especially in their first job, can have.”
“Clearly communicate feedback.”
“Do your best to not think of millennials as millennials.”
“How do I lead that person well, not how do I lead that generational figure well.”
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Millennialevangelical.com
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