With every passing year, the participation of millennials in various aspects of life is increasing. These millennials come with different mental wiring which could be very different from the existing fabric of many organisations.  The millennial workforce in numerous organisations can be of great value to the growth and success of your brand. If you can learn how to manage this young generation successfully, you will find yourself surrounded by ambitious, eager, self-driven workers who are loyal to you and your organization. Eventually leading to growth and profitability.

No one can deny globalization driven by technology continues to dramatically change the work experience. Millennials are only harder to engage in the workplace if you are attempting to use the same tactics and strategies that have been used in the past. Ironically, the hyper connected, global infrastructure that created all this change also presents new solutions to communicate, interact, and engage millennials. It is foolish to assume that employee engagement, communication, recognition, and motivation would remain constant in the face of everything else in the world changing.

As per many surveys, Millennials are not willing to either join Government service or even Multinational companies due to inflexible organisational structures and hierarchies. They prefer to work in start-ups and newer initiatives of the economy, where flexibility and sense of purpose is abundant. Hence, it has become statutory for organisations to transform themselves to cater to the inflow of the new talent. I call it ‘Converse Theorem of Mentoring’, where the old mentors learn and re-wire themselves to the newer realities of the world and workforce. The following tips which can be imbibed by many governments and multi-national organizations.

Tip # 1: Don’t let Millennials get bored.

With global shifts happening in a very fast paced environment, Millennials have always kept their learning and career growth over salary and other benefits. Not surprising, Millennials in workplace are looking for leaders to guide them and support them in enhancing their career trajectory.

Empower them to take initiatives and embark upon projects which not only addresses their hunger to learn but also serves organisational objectives.

Tip # 2: Ditch the 9-to-5 cubicle Mentality

Flexibility to Work! Flexibility to Deliver! & Flexibility of Time!. These are something which millennials strive for and something which many organisations fail to understand. This generation is result oriented and committed to the purpose.

Hence, expecting them to follow the older paradigm of discipline, regularity and followership might not be something this generation can offer.

Tip #3: Personal interest is key to engagement

Millennials want to feel as though they are part of an organization who supports them both inside and outside of the workplace. Being treated as a person, and not just as another resource is one of the top five drivers of millennial employee engagement.

Tip #4: Give them Voice

No one likes having a decision made for them, much less not being asked for their opinion, and millennials grew up in a world where they have a say. Instead of stifling this potential pipeline of ideas and innovation, look for ways to include millennials in the process. This is not the same as giving up authority or responsibility, but technology does make it incredibly easy to ask questions, collect, and analyse feedback. This is also a great practice to include every generation of worker.

Tip #5: Digital Natives & Digital Recognition

Junior millennials (esp born after 1993) are very adept at technology. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are a daily part of their life — and work, as well. They simply cannot conceive of an unconnected life. One needs to understand, this generation has grown up on Facebook likes & Comments, Instagram shares, Twitter followers.

Organizations should embrace the use of technology and social media. In fact, they should take advantage of it to help build competencies across the entire organization.

To summarize, Millennials are going to be the future of the businesses, organisations and corporations. Hence, talent retention will be a key driver in differentiation with other peers in terms of effectiveness, profitability and growth of businesses. At the end of the day, remember that millennials are not really that different from their workplace predecessors. Just like everyone else, they want to feel invested in the future success of the businesses where they work. Bring them to the table and share the vision and a snapshot of the road ahead for the company. This type of transparency motivates millennials and appeals to their desire for workplace authenticity.

Nihit M