How to Lead Millennial Workers in the Workplace

7/5/2021 | By Marella Gimenez

Today, the millennials occupy most jobs in different parts of the world. This generation currently holds the largest age group in the labor force. As you see, millennials are composed of people born between 1981 and 1996, with age ranges from 25 to 40 years old.

This generation is mostly negatively seen as entitled, fickle, and obsessed with technology. As a result, supervisors and HR managers are frustrated due to the stereotypes about the younger workforce. While all this is up for debate, this generation is more than just a myth.

Let us take a closer look at how millennials create a difference in the workplace and how they change the future. As a business leader, you also need to learn how to manage and engage with them.

What Makes Millennials Different? 

Undeniably, millennials are multitaskers and team players. For some, they feel that this generation is entitled because they raise their voice and contribute ideas. They strive for open communication within the management. Also, millennials like to work smarter than work harder. They find ways to make their job easier, resulting in faster and better results. This generation also craves recognition and acknowledgment.

Millennials have a sense of independence and control.

While people perceive millennials as needy, they are actually seeking praise and feedback. This is because they want to learn where they can improve, and they also want to feel appreciated.

In fact, one of the strongest millennial characteristics is their eagerness to expand their skill sets. They grasp every knowledge needed to be independent and work on their success. You can also expect them to work and deliver results without supervision. Keep in mind that they also want recognition for their hard work.

Millennials have a strong work ethic.

In contrast to common myths about millennials, they are not lazy. Millennials constantly seek for career growth and development. In reality, they can work for long hours, as long as the work is not repetitive and boring. They are also motivated to contribute beyond their job description.

Millennials are highly creative, independent, driven, resilient, and most definitely value hard work.

Apart from listening to others' ideas, they also want to contribute insights. Millennials continuously seek better and quick methods to solve problems within the organization. They are willing to learn and adapt to the current changes.

They are also flexible, innovative, resourceful, and resilient with the challenges given to them. This generation is also willing to take risks to find new paths and boost their career growth.

Millennials have a sense of empowerment - as leaders.

Millennials promote the importance of acknowledging one's strengths and weaknesses. Also, they are open to collaboration and policy adjustment. Instead of servant leadership, they encourage the organization to empower the team members in achieving company goals.

Millennials have positive attributes of free-thinking, confidence, and interdependence, and more.

With their collaborative and teamwork mindset, they can curate better ideas to enhance the organization. Before they speak, they always conduct research and ask questions to other team members. As long as millennials have support from top management, they will constantly provide value.

How to Effectively Lead and Manage Millennials in the Workplace

Millennials will soon take over and drive the workforce. Most managers will need to learn new strategies to stimulate engagement for millennials and show strong leadership. Leaders shall use a whole different approach and method to accommodate the needs of this generation. Although it can be a bit challenging, here are some practical tips on how to lead millennials in the workplace.

Leading by Example

Millennials can adopt the values, principles, and work ethics of their supervisors and managers. Because of this, leaders must serve as excellent examples of stewardship and dedication. Leadership is the key in handling millennials.

Create Real Connections - Communicate Openly, Clearly, and Directly

This generation strives for transparent and straight-forward communication. They are open for constructive criticism, and improve their work. Additionally, millennials want each team member to be involved and participate in healthy discussions.

Being Genuine, Authentic, Collaborative, Inclusive, Aware, and Decisive

How to lead millennials at the workplace? As a leader, you need to be true to yourself. Show them how the work is done. Also, you must allow millennials to participate in multiple projects to grasp the business as a whole.

Being an Exceptional Listener

Millenials have fresh ideas, and they can offer new methods to do the work. One of our tips is to listen and value their suggestions. Through this, you can combine your ideas and formulate better strategies.

Being an Advocate For Your Team

Apart from raising their concern and voicing out their suggestions, they want their leaders to be passionate about their team. They look for a leader that can stand up for them even when the members have diverse cultures.

Sharing Your Vision and Show Optimism for the Future

In leading millennials, you should also encourage your members, show values, and share your vision for the team. Apart from the company objectives, they should also promote the group and individual goals to boost career growth and development.

Acknowledging and Recognizing Their Achievements and Contributions

One of the effective ways on how to lead millennials at the workplace is recognition. Most of the time, leaders take all the credits of the group. However, this generation knows that they should be recognized for a job well done. As a leader, you should also share the success of the team with them.

Coaching Work Performances by Giving Feedback to Provide a Path for Growth

Leading millennials can be done through constructive criticism and feedback. They are willing to listen to advice and undergo training and coaching to improve their work.

Creating a Social and Sustainable Environment - (promoting work-life balance)

Besides working, millennials want to promote a work-life balance where they can have fun from time to time. They are not into toxic and unhealthy work environments. Through a sustainable environment, they can improve their work performance.

Embracing and Respecting the Diversity Among Generations in Your Team and Showing It

Although this generation is willing to listen and adjust, they are not fond of discrimination. People within an organization come from different walks of life with different cultures. And leaders must accept them as long as they can do their jobs properly.

Ways to Engage and Retain Millennials 

Identify local opportunities that are ‘good causes’ and involve them where possible with work projects.

Millennials are known for their desire to focus on opportunities that make their time well worth it. They always find connections where they can relate and support society while doing their job. Millennials prefer to participate and engage in community services as they are directly affected by it. They are very familiar with the situation with this, it is easy for them to give solutions and to work with the projects.

Reach both aspects of challenges and opportunities.

The millennials always have this ambition to excel on their own. Identify their own strengths and weaknesses and match it with their environment. It will also develop their individuality as well as the values and practices of your business. Knowing your employee will help you easily handle them in the future.

Offer an open collaboration, sharing of information, and contribution to decision-making.

They prefer to create their own opportunities and challenges. It is better to give them projects where they can lead and explore their own ideas and thoughts. By this, you can also support their interest, which can be the reason for them to stay longer and be happy in their work environment.

Engaging and exploring what they really want which gives them contentment and happiness with their job. As part of continuous growth and development, businesses should regularly conduct coaching and training.

Encourage teamwork and allow everyone to be involved across projects.

As they crave for connection, it is important for millennials to have collaboration with other people. This will help them enhance their communication skills as well as creativity and problem-solving skills. This will also give them a sense of individuality within the group by focusing on their distinctive characteristics and skill while working with other people with similar goals.

Consider better compensation, benefits, and incentives to motivate them more.

Better compensation, benefits, and incentives is proven to boost employee productivity in the workplace. Proper compensation also reflects on how businesses value their workers as people is one of the most important aspects of a business. Considering the recent status, where pandemic happened. Millennials prefer to have strong benefits packages such as health insurance and retirement plans.

Fuel their high expectations by challenging them through special assignments outside their job descriptions.

Challenges drive millennials to do their best and exceed their limit. It is also important for millennials to learn and grow. Personal development is necessary for them. Those tasks are a great way to retain and make millennials enjoy their job even more.

Beliefs Should Be Adjusted for Millennials and Other Generations to Meet and Align

Millennials will soon take over various industries over the next 10 to 20 years. Relatively, business management will need to adjust their engagement strategies to cultivate valuable employees today and how to manage millennials.

KMC Solutions ensures that their employees are in good hands because they have professionals on their team. These experts handle the diversity among generations. They know that soon the younger workforce will drive the manpower. In line with that, they take steps on how to lead the millennials in the workplace.

Leaders should also provide coaching and training for millennials. This is why KMC Solutions is dedicated to promoting mentorship and innovation. KMC constantly designs a desirable workplace environment for its employees.