Digital Since They Were in Diapers

Digital Since They Were in Diapers

Millennials: Privileged & Pompous or Innovative & Revolutionary?

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Introduction

1

The Simon Sinek Version: Millennials in the Workplace

4

Encroaching the Modern Business World:

11

Recruiting & Retaining Millennials

Encroaching the Modern Business World:

17

The L&D of Millennials

Parting Note: We Aren't That Bad...

23

Hi There,

2015

53%

2025

75%

Millenials already form a majority of the workforce. This number is expected to go to 75% by 2025.

We live in a world of technology. We breathe its essence on an everyday basis. We have allowed it to become a part of us. Some might call it being cybernetic, even. Yes, food is only one online delivery away, packages are a day's delivery away with the new Amazon Prime, and all of this is but the tip of the iceberg.

It's a powerful world we live in today, to the point that technological breakthroughs and innovation are about as commonplace as cattle in a farm. But there's something even more impressive at hand, right here and now in 2017 ? a changing of the guard.

We're talking about Baby Boomers and a dominant era of influencers on everything from how we worked and played, to what we consumed. They reigned with workaholic tendencies and a work-to-live attitude, which bordered on the infinite fleetingly.

Yes, when proud boomers continued to work past retirement, many pondered the thought of an old king and a struggle to hold onto power. But that's a thing of the almost past now.

PricewaterhouseCoopers moved to a millennial powered workforce 80% strong by the end of 2016. Other companies are expected to catch up with the new generation projected to take over 75% of the workforce by 2025. [1]

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INTRODUCTION

The Generation & Technology: A Noteworthy Love A air

Millennials are the first generation of digital natives ? those born immersed in technology. It's only natural that their adeptness with the same ranks superior to their boomer predecessors. This holds true for even Gen Xers, the inventers of said technology.

Text messages became a matter of top talk in the late 1980s, and social media platforms such as Myspace or YouTube galivanted through our minds within the early 2000s. Guess what generation bracket millennials fall under? It's a rhetorical question, of course.

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INTRODUCTION

We'll give you the answer ? 1982 to 1999.

In a way, this is tech ubiquity of the highest order. Yes, millennials are beyond us when it comes to personal or professional decipherment. But when people raise one of the most asked organizational questions about the generation, millennials are often put under the microscope either positively or ? well, mostly ? negatively.

Is it their unpreparedness for today's workplace that bothers us or our unpreparedness to handle their wave of fresh energy?

Unprepared for the Workplace

Contrary to general opinion, Meredith Mason of Bentley University believes that millennials are prepared, open to new experiences, and driven to succeed.

" Part of this stems from the economy, and Millennials know how hard it is to get a job. They're trying as hard as they can. MEREDITH MASON, News & Communications Coordinator at Bentley University

Needless to say, the digital native generation are more than confident when it comes to their ability to use technology. But what of the views from the flipside of the coin?

Studies show that millennials are still intimidated, or experience self-doubt when hired. This stems from an immersive environment that negated almost all human contact, meaning formal communication or open dialogue with supervisors became awkward.

Baby Boomers to a certain degree also support the incoming generation. Charlie Shaw of Outthink has nothing but kind words.

" They're serious and not lackadaisical. This comes from good overall preparation. Technology allows them to manipulate words, images and websites thoughtfully and creatively.

CHARLIE SHAW, Executive Producer at Outthink

However, the baby boomer had to admit that despite preparedness, millennials still required on-the-job training. All interesting insights, but this is merely the beginning. From start to end, we hope to keep you with us and on this eBook. It's about time we unearth something of significance about the 1982-1999 birth bracket.

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INTRODUCTION

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The Simon Sinek Version: Millennials in the Workplace

Unless you've lived without the internet for the latter half of 2016 and much of early 2017, you must be familiar with Simon Sinek's video on the millennial generation in the workplace. It's a short clip, and has been viewed over 50 million times since its inception. You should certainly give it a watch, if you haven't already.[2]

Simon Sinek, the British-American author, motivational spea ker and marketing consultant does hold millennials in high regard. Who wouldn't? They are a remarkable generation, smarter than any other before them, and as author, typing that out did feel great. But we aren't just blowing smoke or conjuring words of trickery.

In fact, there's a lot to learn from millennials, and the select few who did utilize their untethered access to free information. These are undeniably the brightest prospects to look at on a global scale, business or otherwise. It's beautiful to look at, this free world concept of knowledge that birthed a generation with an insatiable hunger to learn ? an unteachable instinct.

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MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE

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Despite the praise, however, millennials have also often been subject to accusations in the form of being narcissistic, self-interested, unfocused and lazy. Needless to say, they also feel entitled. They confound in leadership, and when asked of their desires by giants in the business world, it's hardly surprising to find answers along the lines of purpose and impact.

1 We want to work in a place with purpose.

2 We want to make an impact.

This, to be more specific. But every now and then, you might also catch them saying they want free food and bean bag chairs. And before you applaud my sense of humour, this was from Simon Sinek as well.

At the end of the day though, despite companies moving mountains to keep their newer workforce happy, the taste of dissatisfaction continues to linger on the millennial palate. There are four pieces to it:

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MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE

1 Parenting, 2 Technology, 3 Impatience, and 4 Environment.

The Curse of a Digital Generation: Bad Parenting

No offense to the tons of people we are going to undoubtedly offend. But the millennials, too many of them, grew up to failed parenting strategies. We are told that we're special all the time, and I use the word "we" because I am one myself. Yes, I did mention this once before.

Special wasn't it, though. We were told that we can have anything we wanted in life. Some of us got into honours classes not because we deserved it, but because our parents complained. Some of us

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got high percentage grades not because we earned them, but because teachers did not want to deal with parents.

This is the good part though. Some of us, if not most of us, got participation medals. They got a medal for coming in last. Think about the science behind it, the real science. It devalues the medal, and the reward for those who actually work hard.

Subconsciously, these people are embarrassed because they know they didn't deserve the medal. It makes them, or rather, made them feel worse. You take this group of people, they graduate, get a job, and are instantly thrust into the real world. But this is not nice. The real world couldn't care less.

This right here is when millennials realize they are not special. Parents can't get them a promotion, they get nothing for coming in last, and they can't have anything they want just because they wished it. Are you surprised when millennials find their self-image shattered in the adult world? Well, now you know why it's commonplace.

You might be beginning to wonder why we're saying this. How has this got anything to do with how effective a millennial employee turns out to be? It does. When we talk about why Psychometric Assessments are important, this is precisely why. Your nature and

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MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE

" We have an entire generation growing up with lower self-esteem than previous generations. SIMON SINEK, British-American Author, Motivational Speaker & Marketing Consultant

nurture is what defines your ethics, both personally and professionally.

Are you driven? Credit to your parents. Are you lazy and ignorant? Credit to your parents. Are you strong and independent? Credit to your parents. Are you sheltered and stupid? Well, you know the answer.

Yes, an entire generation is growing up with lower self-esteem through no fault of their own. They were simply dealt a bad hand. Add technology to this, and you see a different problem. While people and professionals raved about digital proficiency, the result that stemmed from such an environment opened a rather unexpected door.

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