In 2015, there were 9,000,000 Millennials in Canadian workplace according to HRPA. With this number growing exponentially year over year, organisations will benefit by investing in Millennials and rethinking their (often) outdated company culture to ensure that this new generation of employees can thrive. The Millennial generation has been shaped by a very different world than that of Baby Boomers or Generation X - leading this new workforce to feel ever-present criticisms of their elders.
Often criticised as being lazy, Millennials simply want a less-rigid work environment that's more concerned on results and output rather than optics and clock-watching. This article states that the need for this work-life balance is so great, that Millennials are more likely to give up a job with a good salary for one with lesser pay if the job in question negatively impacts this balance.Among the desire for more flexibility on the job, their attitude towards communication and interaction have changed, too.
Although they'd rather not sit behind a desk for the traditional 9-5, my experience is that Millennials prefer to be more connected - days, nights and weekends - than that of previous generations. Whether it's by instant message, text, email, or face-time, constant contact and collaboration with coworkers fosters more creativity, which - according to this article - is of the utmost importance in job satisfaction among this new generation. This need goes hand-in-hand with a new attitude towards communication, preferring a policy geared more towards open and honest communication with their superiors as opposed to traditional closed-door attitudes.
The following article discusses many ways for employers to ensure that Millennials (and future generations) thrive in today's workplace. Changing your entire company culture may not be possible, but making the effort to understand this often misunderstood generation definitely is. Not only will your investment in younger generations pay off, but a fresh approach to traditional company policies and culture will almost certainly benefit every employee in your organisation - young or old.
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