Managing Millennial: Converse Theorem of Mentoring

With every passing year, the participation of millennial in various aspects of life is increasing. These millennials come with different mental wiring which could be very different from the existing fabric of many organisations.  The millennial workforce in numerous organisations can be of great value to the growth and success of your brand. If you can learn how to manage this young generation successfully, you will find yourself surrounded by ambitious, eager, self-driven workers who are loyal to you and your organization. Eventually leading to growth and profitability.

No one can deny globalization driven by technology continues to dramatically change the work experience. Millennials are only harder to engage in the workplace if you are attempting to use the same tactics and strategies that have been used in the past. Ironically, the hyper connected, global infrastructure that created all this change also presents new solutions to communicate, interact, and engage millennials. It is foolish to assume that employee engagement, communication, recognition, and motivation would remain constant in the face of everything else in the world changing.

As per many surveys, Millennial are not willing to either join Government service or even Multinational companies due to inflexible organisational structures and hierarchies. They prefer to work in start-ups and newer initiatives of the economy, where flexibility and sense of purpose is abundant. Hence, it has become statutory for organisations to transform themselves to cater to the inflow of the new talent. I call it ‘Converse Theorem of Mentoring’, where the old mentors learn and re-wire themselves to the newer realities of the world and workforce. The following tips which can be imbibed by many governments and multi-national organizations.

Tip # 1: Don’t let Millennials get bored.

Tip # 2: Ditch the 9-to-5 cubicle Mentality

Tip #3: Personal interest is key to engagement

Tip #4: Give them Voice

Tip #5: Digital Natives & Digital Recognition

To summarize, Millennials are going to be the future of the businesses, organisations and corporations. Hence, talent retention will be a key driver in differentiation with other peers in terms of effectiveness, profitability and growth of businesses. At the end of the day, remember that millennials are not really that different from their workplace predecessors. Just like everyone else, they want to feel invested in the future success of the businesses where they work. Bring them to the table and share the vision and a snapshot of the road ahead for the company. This type of transparency motivates millennials and appeals to their desire for workplace authenticity.