How to Include Millennials in the Workplace


It might seem strange, but businesses can now have four generations in the workplace, sometimes as many as five working alongside one another. The millennial generation has now comfortably settled into the workforce, making up almost 40% of the current workers. If your company is a little behind on integrating these up and comers, it can be hard to figure out how you should be managing a multigenerational workforce like this. Lucky for you, this is a guide on how to deal with millennials in the workplace.

Let’s set a few things straight about the millennial generation first. They were born between 1981 and 1996, making the youngest of their generation currently 22. They’ve been the odd “in between” generation, growing up while computer technology and other inventions that took the world by storm were just starting. Now they’re practically experts compared to their older peers, which gives them an edge in that department. However, they’re still trying to prove themselves and step back from their stereotypes.

So what does that mean? Well, because they want to offset the stereotype of being lazy, it makes your job of coaching millennials in the right direction that much easier. Ultimately, they want to know that they are doing their work properly. An estimated 80% of millennials prefer frequent feedback on their performances so that they know what to improve on or change. They’re used to having to shift from one thing to another, you just have to let them know what you need from them.

And because of their interest in technology, they often see themselves as more connected to the world. This makes them more responsive to diversity and inclusivity initiatives. This might be where you see some conflict between the different generations, but more than 80% of the CEOs that have implemented these kinds of strategies say that it’s helped to enhance their overall performance in the workplace.

And at the end of the day, millennials still want some of the things that their older colleagues do. They cite making a positive impact on their organizations as an important factor in their work like their older colleagues. When it comes to getting benefits, millennials see health care as the most important option, just like their peers before them. So you don’t really need to figure out how to deal with millennials in the workplace. You just have to change a few things around and you’ll be fine.