Enter the Millennials: The Business World Will Never Be the Same Again
Just as we can sense the change of generation in family relationships, education and other life aspects, this shift is very visible in the business world as well. Here, we can still see three completely different generations functioning together, and integrating the newest employee cohort with boomers and Gen Xers is one of the biggest challenges of today’s managers and employers. Many people would argue that there is nothing that makes the millennials so different from their predecessors, but we beg to differ. Being born and raised in entirely different age, they are truly changing the business world. Here are some how’s and why’s.
The First Digital Natives
Millennials are the first generation that is born into the world of digital technologies. As they have grown, the technology has grown with them, so there is no learning curve when it comes to adopting the newest versions of tech. They are not only capable tech users, but they also crave for new technology. This will make the business world adopt and adapt to revolutionary tech changes faster than ever, and it will require constant updating of devices, systems and business procedures.
They Choose, They Are Not Chosen
This is how it used to go: A person sends a CV, gets to the interview, the interview goes well and the employer says “You got the job”, and the person starts working as soon as possible. With millennials, things are a bit different, their job offers have multiplied, so they can compare them and find the best one for themselves. There are plenty of factors impacting their final decisions including opportunities for progress, trainings and development programs, financial incentives, pensions, healthcare, good reputation, flexible working arrangement, etc.
Building a Collaborative Organization
In a 2013 survey 74 percent of millennials reported they prefer working in small groups instead of relying on the outdated collaboration model that should be obsolete. The new way of cooperating in teams should lead to a sharing of ideas and innovations. The conversations made around large boardroom tables will become more balanced and democratic, which will lead to more accomplished goals.
The Increased Need for Work/Life Balance
Millennials appreciate flexible working arrangements because they have their priorities straight – work is not more important than their friends and family, and it should not take away from the deserved me-time. They’re demanding and opportunity to adapt their working hours from their employers. The new generation of employees believes that in their power to control their working hours lies their ability to be productive.
The Rise of Telecommuting
Their need to be in control leads to growth of remote workplaces. In fact, according to Gallup, 37 percent of U.S. workers telecommute sometimes, while an average worker telecommutes two days per month. In fact the convenience of working for home is more important to some workers than higher salaries, since the work – private life integration is valuable to them, unlike to the older generations who preferred to keep these two life aspects separated. The fact that they are so used to communicating through technology means that they can be highly connected with coworkers and employers without being present in the office.
The Rebirth of the Office
Millennials are not satisfied with traditional office design. They consider cubicles to be outdated, which is actually true. Working in such a cramped space can be a true killer of productivity and focus, and lead to workplace unhappiness, and, according to Harvard Business Review, happy people are better workers. The office should promote these positive feelings by creating open spaces that will promote collaboration and several nooks for different purposes (relaxing, brainstorming, napping, socializing, etc.).
Building a Team
For millennials, a team is not just a group of people working in the same company. Their relationships extend further from the simply business ones, and it is important to promote establishing more quality employers relationships with various team building exercises, workers and families picnics, etc. Better relationships between colleagues will lead to improved workplace atmosphere and increased happiness, which will, in return make the workers more engaged in their workplace and enhance their performance. With the arrival of more millennials, it is expected that these practices will be nourished even more.
The future of business world is finally here, and it will be led by none other than millennials. They will mold it according to their unique standards and ideals, so we should be prepared for it.
Chloe Taylor – a young blogger based in Adelaide. My fields of expertise include design, business related topics and productivity management. Having an admirable reputation is the most important tool any writer could have and there is no better way for me to get there than to work with other bloggers. So, I’m here to offer you my knowledge in the field as well as my writing skills by doing a guest post for your blog.