Transcript The Millennial Generation

Multiple Generations in the
Workforce – Can’t We All Just Get
Along?
Terri M. Manning, Ed.D.
Center for Applied Research
Central Piedmont Community College
Generations Living in America in 2009
• Veterans 1925-1942
– 37 million living
• Baby Boomer 1943 – 1965
– 79 million living
• Generation X – 1966-1981
– 61 million living
• Millennials – 1982 – 2002
– 105 million living
• Generation Z 2003-2022
– About 21 million so far
Employment by Age Group
2010 Household Survey, US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Numbers in the Workforce
24.2%
No one has seen more
change than the
veterans…..
Computers
Telephones
Adding and Subtracting
Recording Devices
Workplace Characteristics
Veterans Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials
Work ethic
and values
Hard work
Workaholics
Eliminate the task What’s next
Respect
Work efficiently
Self-reliant
Multi-tasking
authority
Crusading causes
Want structure
Tenacity
Sacrifice
Personal fulfillment
and direction
Entrepreneurial
Duty before fun
Desire quality
Skeptical
Tolerant
Adhere to rules Question authority
Goal oriented
Work is…
An obligation
An exciting
adventure
Leadership
Style
Directive
Command-andcontrol
Consensual
Collegial
Interactive
Style
Individual
Team player
Loves to have
meetings
A difficult
challenge
A contract
Everyone is the
same
Challenge others
Ask why
Entrepreneur
Source: Greg Hammill, FDU Magazine, Winter/Spring 2005
A means to an
end
Fulfillment
TBD
Participative
Workplace Characteristics
Veterans
Baby
Generation X
Boomers
In person
Millennials
Communications
Feedback
and
Rewards
Formal
Memo
No news is
good news
Satisfaction in
a job well done
Messages
that
Motivate
Work and
Family
Your
You are valued Do it your way
You will work
experience is
You are
Forget the rules with other bright
respected
needed
creative people
Ne’er the twain No balance
Balance
Balance
shall meet
Work to live
Don’t
appreciate it
Money
Title
recognition
Direct
Email
Immediate
Voice mail
Sorry to
Whenever I
interrupt, but
want it, at the
how am I doing? push of a button
Freedom is the Meaningful work
best reward
Source: Greg Hammill, FDU Magazine, Winter/Spring 2005
Did you ever use one of these???
Veterans - How They Learn
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New is not necessarily better
Not innovative with new ideas
Like structure, schedules and procedures
Brain processes new ideas into old mental
framework
• Some refuse to work with technology (too
overwhelming a learning curve, others jump
in)
• Want clear expectations and guidelines
• Must memorize the basics
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Childhood and School Experiences
Hard work
for Veterans
Respected their elders
Children were to be seen and not heard
Some diversity in schools due to funding but segregation
Performance based on individual ability
Little feedback unless negative
More intrinsic reward for good performance
Learned from history (other’s experiences)
Small class size, one curriculum for all
No special ed (students no where in sight)
Virtually never tested with standardized tests – less
comparison to others
Values of Employees in this Age Group
• Loyal to employer (company man) and
expect the same in return
• Believe they should be rewarded for
tenure
• Work ethic = efficiency and hard work
• Stable, thorough and detail oriented
• Don’t buck the system but work within it
• Uncomfortable with conflict and
disagreements
• Not change oriented
How Boomers Learn
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Want things to fit into the “big picture”
Want recognition for how well they have done
Team oriented, work well in groups
Like to explore and analyze, look at different
views
• Follow instructions well
• Good with content
Boomer’s Childhood and School
Experiences
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Overwhelmed the school system, large class sizes
Ability grouped (red birds and blue birds)
Question authority but respect position
See life as an adventure (and school)
Emphasis on team work (cohort education)
Need silence to concentrate
Were told “you are lucky to be here, others are standing in
line to get in.”
• Segregated by race, the battles began for desegregation
• No special ed students in school (in most states) but honors
courses in a few subjects
• Rarely tested and not for school performance (PSAT, SAT)
Values of Boomer Employee
• Majority of employees (age 46-67ish)
• Always share personal experience – “what has happened to
me is relevant to you”
• Value stability and respect
• Like to see their successes
• Tend to “workaholism” and have difficulty balancing their
lives, working 40 hours is “slack.”
• Are competitive
• See themselves as the standard of comparison
• Appreciate technology because of how easy it makes their
work – still fear they might “break it” and may have a
“back-up plan”
Boomers at Work
• Ethic = long hours show
commitment
• Team oriented and relationship
builders (don’t like conflict –
can’t we all just get along)
• Not budget minded
• Sensitive to feedback
Remember these……
How Gen Xers Learn
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Task oriented – like to learn new skills
Speed is important
Self-paced learning, independent learning
Want to have fun while they learn
Informal learning environments are best
Hate group work
Want feedback from teacher
Gen X Childhood and School Experiences
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Learned to rely on self (less patience with teams)
Distrust authority
Seek challenging environment (career education emphasis)
Want feedback on progress
Want to do things their way – like no rules and freedom on
assignments
Had special ed classrooms in school but separated
Had honors programs
Funding cut to education
Testing “mania” began with them
First daycare centers and latch-key kids (high divorce)
Some diversity, began earnest desegregation in schools
Gen Xers as Employees
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Significant number of employees (age 29-45ish)
Cynical and pessimistic
Want work-life balance
Think globally and seek independence
Like technology and want an informal work environment
Don’t want the boomers’ work ethic
Communication is important and talk to adults as
friends/peers (not impressed with authority)
Believe reward should be based on productivity not hours
worked
Want control of self, time and future
Loyalty to people not a company
Impatient with poorer people skills
Remember these…..
Was this your first video game?
Was this your first calculator and cell
phone?
The Echo Boom/Millennials…
 The Millennials are almost as large as the baby boom-some say
larger - depending on how you measure them (approx. 81M).
Keep growing due to immigration.
 The Millennials are the children born between 1982 and 2002
(peaked in 1990), a cohort called by various names:
Echo Boom
Generation Y
Millennials
Net Generation
Things Began to Change for This Generation
• Abortion rates peaked in 1980 and began a slow
decline.
• Poverty rate for children peaked in 1983 and began
a slow decline (Medicaid began).
• US divorce rate peaked in 1981 and began a decline.
• Homicide rate against children peaked in 1982 and
began a decline.
• They were born into a better world, a more
optimistic world than the generation before them.
This is what they grew up with?
What We Know
• 35% are non-White
• 1 in 5 has at least one
parent who is an immigrant
• Have the best educated mothers in history
• Have better educated parents
• Came out of the infertility era – were very
wanted as children
• Grew up during a monumental financial boom
• Safest generation we have seen
What We Know
• Born to older parents and raised in smaller families
(lots of only children) – many have never shared a
room
• Been plugged in since they
were babies
• Expect technology to be free
• Think it is cool to be smart
• Have had cell phones since they were children
• Expect to have 4 or more jobs in their lifetime
• Are as interested in where they live as what they
do – so cities are working to attract them
Technology Changes
• Cell Phones
– 92% of people have cell phones (2007). Expect to
be in contact 24/7.
– Not a phone – a lifestyle management tool
– Staying “connected” is essential.
– Communication is a safety issue for
parents.
• Communication has become
casual for millennials (IM,
email, texting and cell
phones.
Most Used Cell Phone Features
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/mobile-phone-us.html
Children and Teens and Technology
Children and Teens on
the Computer
Source: Los Angeles Times
Cell Phone Usage
Texting
• The typical American teen sends 50
messages a day or 1,500 a month.
• 31% of teens send
and receive more
than 100 messages
a day (3,000 a month.)
• 65% of high school
students use cell phones in
school, 25% text in class.
• 86% of adults have cell phones.
Mobile Devices
• 25% of Americans 12 and older have listened
to audio from an iPod.
• 18% of 8-18 year-olds have iPods/MP3 Players
in 2004 – 76% by 2009.
• 26% of people read news on a mobile device.
The average American digests 34 gigabytes of
information outside of work daily,
• More than 500 million
members on Facebook
and 100 million access
Facebook from a mobile
device
Daily Technology/Media Use
Kaiser Generation M2-Kids/Youth/Media Survey (Jan. 2010)
Social Networking
• The world spends 110 billion
minutes on social-media and
blog sites. This equates to
22% of all the time online or
1 in every 4 ½ minutes.
• These sites were visited by 75%
of the global consumers who go online. The
average visitor spends almost 6 hours a
month.
• Facebook passed the 500 million user mark in
July 2010.
• 50% of Americans have profiles on social
networking sites.
Source: www.web-strategist.com
Common Sense Media
Poll (Aug. 2009)
Teen social networking by the
numbers •51 Percentage of teens check
their sites more than once a day.
•22 Percentage check their sites more than 10 times a day.
•39 Percentage have posted something they later regretted.
•37 Percentage have used the sites to make fun of other
students.
•25 Percentage have created a profile with a false identity.
•24 Percentage have hacked into someone else's social
networking account.
•13 Percentage have posted nude or seminude pictures or
videos of themselves or others online.
Influenced by Customer Service Movement
• Expect what they paid for
• Everyone should be concerned that they are
satisfied and happy
• If they are not happy with your answer, they
will go over your head
• Expect colleges to bend over backwards to
please them
• Not the way it works in higher education
• Savvy consumers and will stay under your
radar as long as possible
Millennial Childhood and School
Experiences
• Many private schools, charter schools, magnet schools –
all to meet the needs of the individual child –many, many
choices
• School uniforms, child safety, high performance
standards, character education, cooperative learning and
community service
• Goal oriented – outcome based education (what’s in it for
me)
• School is a means to an end – one must endure until the
next level
• Interactive, participatory and engaging – are consulted by
adults
• Everything 24/7 and available electronically
Millennial School Experiences
• No “grunt work” - must do “meaningful work”, participate in
decisions
• International flavor, celebrate diversity, different is okay
• Motivated by working with bright, motivated and moral
people
• Student makes judgments about truth and believability of
what is taught
• Classroom mainstreamed – multiple levels based on ability
and interest
• Constantly tested and compared to peers (learned to take
tests so now of little use for college admissions)
• Feel pressure for high achievement
How Millennials Learn
• Try it their way – always looking for better, faster
way of doing things
• Prefer graphics before text, reading of excerpts
• Like small and fast processing technology – best
when networked
• Want instant gratification and frequent rewards
(spot)
How Millennials Learn
• Focus on skill development – not memorization of
what they perceive they don’t need to know
• Productivity is key – not attendance – so make
class worthwhile or they won’t come
• Have different critical thinking skills based on their
high tech world not thought processing (need help
here)
• Rely on teacher to facilitate learning
• Group think and interaction
Millennials - Not Very Hardy
• Our parents told us “when the going gets
tough, the tough get going” and “if at first
you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
• Their philosophy “when the going gets
tough, it means you should try another
route” and “if at first you don’t succeed,
maybe you shouldn’t be here.”
• They have trouble staying
in rigid and non-flexible
environments.
Focus on Retention
• “Ambitious yet aimless” characterizes this
generation
– They work for a while until they save enough
money to live for a while, then quite – play for
several months and then look for work again.
– They know at the age of 21 that they may have
to work until they are 70 – 75. So why hurry into
a career job now.
– They have the same attitude with school.
– They stop out regularly and see if things work
out. They appear to be in “no hurry.”
– They swirl….
How to Attract Millennials to Jobs
• When looking for a job, they think they
are not having the right conversations.
• Instead of talking about roles and job
titles, talk about values and skills.
– “I don’t care is you call me a business
analyst or consultant, I just want my job
to: 1) allow me to do problem solving, 2)
work in a democratic organization, and 3)
empower the workers to affect change,
etc.”
Source: 20 Somethings Success: A Guide to Corporate Success for 20
Somethings. http://www.20somethingsuccess.com/2009/01/what-attracts-me-injob-posting.html
In An Add
• Describe what the potential hire should value
and what skills they should have.
– “You’re relentlessly positive.”
– “You are comfortable with ambiguity, and
imagine alternative possible outcomes.”
– “Someone who is largely self-motivated, who
finds satisfaction in reaching self-imposed goals,
and is willing to regularly raise the bar on those
goals.”
Source: 20 Somethings Success: A Guide to Corporate Success for 20
Somethings. http://www.20somethingsuccess.com/2009/01/what-attracts-me-injob-posting.html
Cities are Trying to Attract Them
• Some things suggested are:
– Improving schools
– Vitalize downtown areas
– Advertise the cultural fabric of the area
– Encourage diversity
– Bars specializing in local beers
– Mass transit, bike lanes
– Local food sources
One Major Benefit – Technology in the
Workplace
• The company should:
– Develop a policy that outlines corporate
guidelines for communicating in the online world
– Build a centralized hub for employees to
communicate both internally and externally
– Encourage management to actively spread the
message through social media
Source: Steve McAbee, iMedia Connection, February 3, 2010.
http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/25812.asp
These Employees can become agents of
your brand via technology
• Five tips on how to create a brand
ambassador program:
1. Develop a social media policy
Outline corporate guidelines for communicating online
structure instead of direction – they will be more
comfortable
2. Offer Training
Learn how to start the conversation, various social media
tools based on target audiences
Tips on a Brand Ambassador Program
3.
Provide a centralized site
Provide a place where they can communicate
internally and externally, gives the company
insight into what employees are thinking, key
words used in conversation
4. Lead by example
Management should actively participate. Provide employees
with information about cutting edge tools and new trends.
A good internal conversation can take place providing
additional guidance and direction to employees to want to
participate online.
Tips on a Brand Ambassador Program
5. Reward influencers
Reward those who build influence, give them
what they value – info about what is going on
in the company – how they help the bottom
line.
Source: Steve McAbee, iMedia Connection, February 3, 2010.
http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/25812.asp
Eleven Tips for Millennial Management
1. Provide structure – reports, deadlines,
clear goals, expectations. Frequent
communication about the rules and
structured career path
2. Provide leadership and guidance – they
want to look up to and admire you. They
want in on the “whole” picture. Teach,
coach and give them your best investment
of time. They expect a relationship with
their boss and are more trusting of
authority figures.
Tips, continued
3. Encourage the millennials’ selfassuredness, “can-do” attitude, and
positive personal self-image –
encourage them, don’t squash or contain
them. Want to express their opinion.
4. Take advantage of their comfort with
teams. Encourage them to join – they
believe teams can accomplish more and
better things. Mentor, coach and train them
as a team use multi-generational teams.
Tips, continued
5. Listen to the millennial employee –
they had loving parents who listened to
them and don’t like being ignored. Expect
mentoring – want to feel like they matter.
6. Millennial employees are up for a
challenge and change – boring is bad.
They seek change and challenge, the next
thing…. Want to know how their work is
going to help the company.
Tips, continued
7. Millennials are multi-taskers – want different
tasks and goals to pursue weekly – if not they get
bored.
8. Take advantage of their computer, cell phone
and electronic literacy – the world is wide but
not too deep for millennials.
9. Capitalize on their affinity for networking –
like to network around the world electronically. Are
loyal but will keep their options open.
Tips, continued
10.Provide a life-work balance in the
workplace – they work hard but are not into 60
hour work weeks. Home, family, children and
friends are their life. Get them involved in
community service.
11.Provide a fun, employee-centered
workplace – they want to enjoy their work,
make friends at work. Help long-term employees
make room for them. Worry if they are not
laughing, planning office events, going out to
lunch with workmates, etc.
Source: Susan Heathfield, About.com, Managing Millennials: Eleven Tips for Managing
Millennials, http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementtips/a/millennials.htm
Copy of Presentation:
• http://www.cpcc.edu/millennial
• Click on presentations and workshops
• It is under “keynotes for
business/industry groups”
• Contact
• Terri Manning, Ed.D
• [email protected]
• (704)330-6592