Stereotypes. What are they good for? Absolutely nothing. Sadly, the millennial generation has fallen victim to such unflattering labels as “entitled,” “lazy” and “disloyal.” They’re known as the generation that wants everything handed to them. The generation that would rather talk to an artificial intelligence sales rep than to a human being. While that may be true for a portion of these digital natives, it’s unfair, and certainty untrue, to categorize an entire generation of people as “lazy,” especially when these types of people can be found in every generation.
Actually, millennials are not as different as older generations than you think. Heck, I should know, I raised two – shout out to Dawn and Darla! And, though the tools for communication and interaction have changed, basic human instincts and needs have not. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs hasn’t fundamentally changed. So let’s look at a few misconceptions surrounding Millennials in the workplace and understand how they’re not that exotic.
New Technology Isn’t Exclusive to Millennials
Millennials have a certain grasp for technology. After all, they’re the first generation to grow up with iPods, smartphones and Facebook. They were born people of the screen “pointing and clicking”, now “touching and swiping”. This has lead to the assumption that the majority of millennials have zero boundaries when it comes to mixing personal and work-related social media accounts. They have been referred to as the technology tribe.
Simply another stereotype, according to IBM.
The IBM Institute for Business Value surveyed 1,784 Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennial employees from organizations across 12 countries and 6 industries to get a better understanding of employees, particularly millennials.
They found that 62 percent of Gen X said they use their personal social media accounts to sell or market products for their work. Millennials? 54 percent.
Being a digital native, it seems, gives way to having a natural and better understanding of digital workplace discretion than Gen X appears to have. But does it really make them different? They know the tools, but have their wants and needs changed?
Another assumption about workplace Millennials is how they prefer to learn new work skills virtually, since they’re digital natives. However, the reality is that they would still choose face-to-face interactions over virtual ones.
IBM, for example, also found that 39 percent of millennials would rather attend a third-party sponsored conference/event in person to learn new skills. Yet, some employers still think many millennials would rather learn from a YouTube video.
Just because you’re born with an iPhone in your mouth, doesn’t mean you need it to learn a new work skill by someone in person. So maybe it’s not technology for technology’s sake, but rather a better way to connect – with people.
Greener Pastures
Job-hopping has become another issue employers assume millennials have. They think millennials have a 1-year mindset at their current employer, waiting on the next big thing. When that’s the common belief by employers, it’s no wonder millennials have such a hard time finding a job after college.
But to debunk that myth, according to a study by Bentley University, eighty percent of millennials still believe they’ll stay with less than four companies for their entire career. That’s quite the contrary from the 1-year mindset stereotype.
Not That Special
Everyone loves a pat on the back for a job well done, especially millennials, according to some. For instance, there’s a misconception that the majority of millennials want a gold star and constant gratification from their superiors.
But when you consider how we as parents and society have trained our children to expect recognition, it’s no wonder these stereotypes and misbeliefs are created. Heck, my girls were the worst basketball players on their teams in school, yet we amassed a huge collection of trophies, medals and ribbons.
However, despite what we may think we know about millennials wanting constant gratification, the numbers appear to tell a different story.
For example, IBM found that 35 percent of millennials would rather have an ethical and fair boss, compared to 29 percent that want a boss who recognizes their accomplishments.
In all honesty, though, we all want to be awarded for a job well done. Who doesn’t? I don’t care who you are or what year you were born – if you do a good job, then you want recognition. For some reason, we think millennials are the only ones that think this. The fact is, everyone does, no matter the generation.
Open Arms
Companies need to quit believing in these myths and stop stereotyping millennials. They need to embrace this generation that will make up 75 percent of the workplace by 2025. Remember, millennials aren’t some special generation with a list of demands for their services. They want a good-paying job, just like every generation before them. Instead of labeling, let’s start listening. Let’s lean in and better understand millennials through our own interactions. And then maybe we can quit assuming and start knowing how millennials work.