Millennials in the Workplace

Being a millennial I hear the negative stereotypes and comparisons to my generation in the workplace ALL the time. Whether it be comments by coworkers, social media, news articles- it's everywhere and I finally decided to break it down and share my real thoughts and interpretations on my generation and why these negative stereotypes exist!

According to DynamicSignal.com millennials are quickly taking over as the majority of the workforce as we make up nearly 50%! But there have been some negative stereotypes that really plague our generation:

1. Millennials are entitled so they change jobs constantly.
This statement could not be farther from the truth. Personally, I know my worth and I will fight for it no matter what. I also have no problem owning up to my mistakes or opportunities/ weaknesses, so when I change jobs it's definitely not due to entitlement. The reason millennials change jobs "so frequently" is that we refuse to tolerate shortcomings that previous generations may have. We refuse to tolerate bullying in the workplace- no matter your status you should always be treated with respect and professionalism. We refuse to tolerate clear deficiencies in a company, a culture, leadership, etc. and will only communicate and try to work toward resolution for so long before we have to stand up and move on to somewhere that hopefully does value positive change/ growth and does not shy away or put blinders on to issues. Again, we know our worth {not to be mistaken for entitlement} and strive to find a company who values us and aids in furthering our career in our desired direction. We in turn, hope to make that company a better, more valuable place as well- furthering its growth! If a company is not meeting our basic needs {after many chances for improvement} then we must move on because loyalty to a company that makes us unhappy or is a poor representation of our values is not worth staying with. Period. If that then means we change jobs 12 times in our 20s then that's what it means- or some of us get lucky and do find a perfect fit and we do not have to change our job at all!

** Top Qualities Millennials Look For:
-great work/ life balance
-paid time off for travel/ mental health
-collaborative, open work environment
-strong, positive company culture
-competitive pay and benefits
-appropriate, up-to-date use of technology
-strong, positive management **

2. Millennials are lazy and do not work as hard as previous generations.
I recently read that millennials really value the quote "work smarter, not harder" and I think sometimes this comes off as "lazy" because our "smarter" way may actually involve less physical work than our older coworkers. However, this definitely does not make us "lazier" than previous generations and I think it is a complete disservice to society that this stereotype is even floating around. I truly believe this must stem from jealousy or envy as millennials may have more knowledge of technology from growing up with it/ being taught more technology skills in school than our older generations did. This is one reason why millennials prefer a more open, collaborative workspace- so we can not only teach/ aid others in areas we may be more skilled in, but to also learn from others that may have strengths in areas that we do not! Embracing a new "smarter" era of business instead of labeling and creating divide based on envy would not only help businesses, but society as a whole {so friendly reminder to be open and accepting of positive change!}

3. Millennials need to be praised often.
We often get this label because we were the generation that grew up getting participation awards and praise for what seemed like everything we did. However, we never did/ nor do we now NEED praise for every little thing. Although, we DO value consistent feedback from our management that does not only include opportunities, but ALSO praise or recognition. Something I have personally grown to value in a job is feeling valued. It is really hard to feel valued at your workplace where you give your all every week, but then routinely just get told how you could improve or do EVEN better. That is greatly appreciated since we are a generation that is so passionate about our impact and career development, but we also need to hear what we are doing right. So while there is some truth to this stereotype, I think it is often blown up and negatively reflected that we need to be babied and can never be told of wrongs or hear hard conversations. To be honest, I think praise or encouragement should be shared and practiced by everyone weekly {if not daily}. A simple "hey, great job on that project" or "I really loved your idea in that meeting today" is so impactful and takes so little effort, so why make it something that has a negative association?!

On a related note really quick: Leadership is something I am SO passionate about. I have held various titles and degrees of leadership and as I grow in my career I see so much opportunity in this field. When you are a leader your number one goal should be being a leader that others WANT to work under {as everything else should then fall into place}. Sadly, I see far too many fail at this {I think this is part of the reason I strive so hard to be a positive one}. It is so SO important to listen, communicate clearly, spend time with team members and get to know them, do not be stingy on praise or encouragement, be open for change, and know how to respectfully and appropriately deliver hard conversations. I am sure I missed a few other good truths about leadership in that short list, but honestly I think so many leaders lack one or more of these key qualities and this is why millennials {and others} leave jobs. When you work under someone who lacks one or more of these leadership skills, it can literally make your life and job miserable and I think if we all took time for honest reflection and made a conscious effort to develop any skills that we lack then millennials {and others} would leave less and we would see company loyalty rise again. People don't typically leave companies, they leave leadership. **So to all the leaders- let's do better and watch how our success rises** {we rise by building others up!}

Lastly, my little leadership motto is that I strive to live a life where at the height of my career I can look back and say that if most {if not all} previous employees I was directly over were interviewed about me they would have positive things to say and stories of how I lifted them up or helped them grow. I strive to leave a trail of positivity/ encouragement instead of battling my way "to the top" having little to no regard for those around me.

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 If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out!

​xoxo, Jess