5 Ways to Leverage Millenials in the Workplace Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
Millennial Office Speak
How to communicate with younger coworkers
Learn how to have a win-win relationship with millennials in the workplace. Getty Images , they can be impatient for results, they seem to crave recognition. But experts agree that if you put aside your own frame of reference and play to their strengths, you'll have a win-win working relationship and a more successful workplace. Srsly. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Let's look at what's really behind these common stereotypes and how to leverage the awesome potential of millennials. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > Stereotype #1 They are lazy
Alternate interpretation: They like being as efficient as possible. Lazy might be the biggest stereotype about millennials and it's one that they strongly reject. Boomers are proud of their work ethic and 80-hour workweeks. Gen Xers followed in their footsteps, struggling to do it all without looking like they were breaking a sweat. And now millennials have entered the workplace with the mentality of , not harder. "Millennials think, 'If it takes me five minutes rather than five hours to complete a task, why should I be penalized?' " says Anna Liotta, author of Unlocking Generational CODES. She shares a story about a boomer who created a spreadsheet that could create a report in 30 minutes, significantly reducing the manager's time investment each week. A millennial asked if he could take a crack at retooling the spreadsheet. He went off on his own and five days later had created a new version that pulled the numbers in less than a minute. Look for ways to reward these kinds of efficiencies instead of penalizing them. Stereotype #2 They are entitled
Alternate interpretation: They thrive with more flexibility. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. .' Gen Xers say, 'We desire work-life balance.' And millennials say, "We demand work-life balance,' " Liotta says. That's where you come in. Cultivate their confidence by giving them some space to customize their job and career path. Five years ago, Jon Mertz, 54, was a vice president of marketing for Corepoint Health in the Dallas-Fort Worth area looking to hire a recent college graduate. He hired a young person, taking time to talk to her about her goals and the company's marketing goals. He worked with her to craft a job that addressed both, rather than focusing solely on the company's needs. "It worked really well," Mertz says. AARP Work & Jobs expert Kerry Hannon spoke with Dr. Phil about the challenges of working for someone younger and how to overcome them. Stereotype #3 They expect immediate gratification
Alternate interpretation: They do best with frequent feedback. One thing many experts agree on is that millennials crave recognition, not in the "everyone gets a trophy" vein, but through continual feedback. Millennials have grown up in an on-demand culture, so why wouldn't they look for on-demand results in the workplace as well? "Millennials' main reason to take a job is the opportunity for personal development," says Lindsey Pollak, millennial workplace consultant and author of several books on millennials. Pollak suggests ditching the annual review, as it's negative and backward looking. "Replace it with feedback in real time," she suggests. A regular rhythm of input can make for a much happier employee. Stereotype #4 They are disrespectful
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