LinkedIn is overrun with articles and blog posts focusing on the 'finicky, unmotivated and entitled' millennial generation. Leadership articles describe how to approach managing millennials as if they are some sort of wild animal. Per these articles, millennials need to be coddled- constantly pat on the back and rewarded. This narrative has led to managers misattributing many of their organization development problems to the millennial generation. It is common to hear 'millennial' as an explanation when managers are faced with difficulties:
A) Filling a position
B) Keeping a position full
C) Motivating someone
D) Attendance/Morale Issues
However, the research looking at how age diversity correlates with job performance and attitudes towards work indicates that there is little scientific evidence to indicate that the generation you happened to be born into will impact your motivation, performance or skill. Individual personality, life experience and education are much more reliable predictors of performance.
This means that a baby boomer can be just as unmotivated as a 20-something. Motivation, performance and skill depends on the individual, not their generation.
Millennials did not create these common management problems, and yet their moniker has become synonymous with ‘poor performer’. This is counterproductive and harmful to allow to continue.
Are Millennials Really the Problem? Four Reasons to Reconsider:
1) Pragmatism- It’s not them, it’s you. Naming the problem ‘millennial’ gets in the way of identifying the real problem- whatever it is.
Do you have high turnover? Chances are it’s not because every person working there is lazy. You’re likely to get better results by conducting exit interviews and figuring out what is actually happening (Poor job design? Below market compensation? Poor Management/Team Factors?) than by blaming it on the millennials.
Imagine going to the Doctor and regardless of your symptoms the diagnosis is always “seasonal allergies”. What are the odds your symptoms will resolve? What are the odds you’d keep seeing that doctor?
2) Stereotyping- Management books outlining how to enhance job performance have been a thing since Frederick Taylor (the Godfather of Industrial-Organizational Psychology) introduced the concept of Scientific Management in the 1880s. That’s around 140 years ago… long before the millennials.
This is not a new problem. Labelling it as such is false and unfairly stereotypes an entire generation. Stereotypes negatively impact both individuals and organizations and do not deserve a place at work.
(Sidenote: ‘Millennial’ can refer to anyone between the ages of 23 and 38. Chances are the arrogant intern that you can’t wait to send back to school isn’t a millennial. He/she is likely Gen Z. Not that this is their fault either.)
3) Change Avoidance- By considering issues typically linked to millennials to be uniquely occurring within this generation, we are avoiding confronting the reality that work is changing. These challenges will not go away when those ‘dang kids grow up’.
Brushing off the challenges companies are facing with the millennials as a collective ‘personality flaw’ ignores the reality that as our society is changing, work must change too.
This is not just true for millennials, but for Gen Xers, boomers and the iGen/Gen Zers (Everyone under 23 is not a millennial, remember).
By labelling a problem as being caused 'by the millennials' we are avoiding taking any ownership in our ability to impact the issue. When we say the problem is related to the 'millennials' we are saying we can't do anything about it, and essentially ignoring it. Nothing good can come from this.
4) Failure to Consider the Climate- As an HR professional, I see a lot of resumes. These days, I’m not just seeing fresh graduates and job hoppers, I am also seeing tenured mid-level managers, directors and VPs. The job market is hot right now. People are realizing that they have options.
After the most recent market crash, employees got a front row ticket to see how quickly the promise of a lifelong career can become a severance package. When so many organizations rapidly and publically downsized with the most recent crash, the sense of loyalty that many felt towards their companies became fatally damaged, even for those that survived the cuts.
Many organizations still suffer from a collective ‘cultural PTSD’ from this time. Any hint of reorganization or poor earnings sends people panicking. Gone are the days of “trust us, we’ll take care of you.” Employees are viewing their relationships with their companies the way companies have been viewing their relationships with employees for years… “It’s just business.”
In the current market, people (regardless of age) understand that they don’t have to settle for subpar- whether that’s compensation, benefits, flexibility, culture etc. They can go somewhere else that is offering whatever you’re not. And they will.
Moving Forward
Continuing to label common management problems as the ‘fault’ or ‘characteristic’ of one generation is maladaptive and unproductive. It will slow progress and create a longer road to addressing the heart of the issues you are facing.
Before chalking a problem up to being ‘millennial’, consider doing a deeper dive into what’s really going on. Not only will this help you solve the problem faster, it will also help you better understand your workforce, avoid ostracizing an entire generation of current and potential employees and help you take a proactive approach to retaining your people, regardless of their generation.
If this doesn’t work, I’d like to be the first to formally blame Gen Z.
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