While our prolonged winter weather may have you confused, May has indeed arrived, and with it brings lots of new college graduates to the job market. A millennial could become your next co-worker or employee, and we thought it would be helpful for you to understand how to work with the newcomers in order to make the most of the multigenerational workforce.
Here are a few tips:
1. Set Goals and Let Them Dive In
Millennials and new grads are accustomed to living highly scheduled lives and juggling multiple tasks. By setting goals for the team, each generation can reach the goal in their own way. 53% of millennials prefer to dive into executing a project instead of writing out a detailed plan while 33% of those 55 and over prefer the project check list. Clarifying end goals will help ensure that the millennial has the correct focus in mind and will execute it correctly. They want to be ‘hands on’ and they want to learn new things. Let them contribute to the team and chances are they’ll exceed your expectations.
2. Tell them ‘Well Done’ or ‘Needs Improvement’
Encouraging accountability for projects will motivate millennials to succeed. Millennials have been called the ‘most tested’ generation. The standardized testing that began in elementary school caused them to need and expect feedback based on their performance. Consistent and thorough discussion of expectations and results will help a new graduate navigate their role within the company.
3. Don’t Assume You Know How They’ll Work
There are lots of articles focused on what it’s like to work with millennials and how they like to work. For example, a common misconception about millennials is that they only like to communicate via technology. While this may be true for some, 55% of millennials prefer face-to-face communication over phone, email or text messaging. Get to know the millennial you work with before you make assumptions about their work-style.
With many people working into their later years, it is likely that five generations will soon be working side by side. As college grads toss their graduation caps this May and join the workforce, you can prepare for the entry of more millennials and how it will affect the rest of your team. While millennials will need to learn to adapt to your company’s expectations (after all, it isn’t all about them), it never hurts to focus on what you can do to help multiple generations work together successfully.
