By: Maurice Gilbert
Members of Generation Y (or Millennials) have for the past decade or so been entering the working world in force, and the next several years will usher still more into their careers. This group, defined loosely as young adults born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, has been reputed for its greater focus on community and its confidence – plusses for certain! – but also for a pervasive sense of entitlement and narcissism.
Not terrific traits to be known for. And, from a managerial standpoint, these traits also make for staff that can be quite demanding and difficult to manage. On the up side, much of Gen Y hold high expectations for themselves, so they often prove to be high performers. Conversely, setting the bar high for themselves frequently means they’ll also expect a great deal from their leaders.
“Command-and-control” methods, as HR Magazine calls them, won’t work well with Millennials. Instead, managers should try more democratic and collaborative management approaches. Consider the following strategies, for instance:
Figure out how to integrate social platforms into the workplace, rather than simply block them from employee use for fear of enabling productivity-killing activities. Commandeer these channels of communication (which Gen Y is so familiar with and already uses so prolifically) for the good of your business and to build brand awareness.
Include employees in the decision-making process and simultaneously increase employee engagement, buy-in and investment. The newest additions to the workforce want to feel that they’re integral to operations, not merely cogs in the corporate wheel.
Stay attuned to employees’ priorities and talents. This group is also more inclined to find purpose and meaning in their work, so managers would do well to keep abreast of what employees are most rewarded by and offer benefits, incentives or perks to that end.
Make openness and transparency a priority. These are values by which much of this generation live their lives and present themselves. They expect nothing less from their employers.
Maurice Gilbert is Managing Partner of Conselium Executive Search, which specializes in placing Compliance Officers and Legal Counsel for clients in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Maurice is also CEO of Corporate Compliance Insights, a worldwide publication devoted to governance, risk and compliance issues. Maurice can be reached at maurice@conselium.com or maurice@corporatecomplianceinsights.com.
