Engaging The New Frontier: How Millennials Are Changing the Workforce

Engaging the New Frontier

How Millennials Are Changing the Workforce

Presented at CAI’s HR Management Conference, March 5, 2015

Dr. Kevin Snyderwww.KevinCSnyder.com @KevinCSnyder

• Motivational Speaker, Consultant, Author

• Former Dean of Students; career in Student Affairs

• Experience speaking to Millennials in all 50 states

Engaging the New Frontier

How Millennials Are Changing the Workforce

Presented at CAI’s HR Management Conference, March 5, 2015

Anyone born between ~1980 - 2000

Never before has their been four generations in the workforce.

Imagine 4 generations

living under the same roof …

Did you know?

… 2015 is the year Millennials have become the majority workforce demographic. There are more

Millennials now than Baby Boomers! ~ 10,000 Boomers reaching retirement daily.

@KevinCSnyder

It is projected that by 2025, 70-75% of the workforce will be

Millennials.

How are you preparing your organization to attract, engage and retain this young professional talent? Or are you? How?

What comes to mind when you hear the term Millennial?

What are some descriptors about this generation?

Check out some of these ‘not so nice’ article headlines I found when doing a simple Google

search on Millennials.

“The Worst

Generation”

“The No Hope Generation”“Entitled Trophy Kids”

“Generation

Screwed”

“The Tethered Generation”

“The Now Generation has become the ME

Generation.”

“The Now Generation has become the ME

Generation.”Actually, this was said about

Boomers in 1976!

“They have trouble making decisions and have short attention spans. They’d rather hike the Himalayas than climb the corporate ladder.”

“They have trouble making decisions and have short attention spans. They’d rather hike the Himalayas than climb the corporate ladder.”

Actually, this was said about Gen X in 1990!

“The Me, Me, Me Generation. The Millennials are lazy, self-entitled trophy kids who still live with their parents.”

“The Me, Me, Me Generation. The Millennials are lazy, self-entitled trophy kids who still live with their parents.”

Okay, okay. This is what Time Magazine actually wrote about Millennials in 2013.

“I’ve discovered that what’s written and said

about Millennials has also been said about every

generation in their ‘youth’ years. Moreover, what is

written about Millennials seems more about hype to

sell magazines than it is about literary accuracy.”

@KevinCSnyder

“No generation wants to be labeled. Much like race, religion, gender, etc., you

cannot and should not stereotype any group. When you do, it only

shows the lens of YOUR experience. Let’s consider

a new Millennial lense.”

@KevinCSnyder

It’s more important to make meaning than $$.

It’s important they work for a company that makes a difference.

83%

78%

81% Fit & culture most important.

Millennials have grown up in environments where …

73%

... of employees self-reported being unhappy – miserable in

their daily job. These were likely their parents.

<30%

... found that <30% of the workforce is

engaged

Millennials expect more …

Is your organization prepared for the

Millennial mindset? Most aren’t.

Millennials expect mor …

Is your organization prepared for the

Millennial mindset? Most aren’t.

Millennials expect mor …

Is your organization prepared for the

Millennial mindset? Most aren’t.

Be proactive.

In order to prepare your organization and

attract/engage/retain Millennial talent, let’s first understand the era of which Millennials have grown up.

Previous GenerationsYearbooks

Millennials

FacebookLibraries InternetBreakfast Club GleeWalmart AmazonWork-life Life-work

• Technology• World events • Recession & Unemployment• Student Debt - $28,000• Parental Involvement• Culture of Immediacy; “Flat”• “Anything Is Possible”; Dream

@KevinCSnyder #NCSHRM2014@KevinCSnyder

#1 use:

Talking

@KevinCSnyder #NCSHRM2014

#1 use:

Texting

My recent flight … #MillennialAirlines

Is being so ‘connected’ Millennial? Or is it just society?

• Technology• World events • Recession & Unemployment• Student Debt - $28,000• Parental Involvement• Culture of Immediacy; “Flat”• “Anything Is Possible”; Dream

7 Jobs

@KevinCSnyder

... in a career on average for Boomers/Gen X

7 Jobs2... are projected to be

the average for a Millennials career.

@KevinCSnyder

7 Jobs2... new research

suggests this isn’t true.

@KevinCSnyder

New research suggests that

Millennials are NOT job-hoppers. In fact, new

research suggests what we thought about Millennials is now wrong.

The Point:

What has been said for years may not actually be true. Be careful what you read, and assume, about Millennials. It might just

be hype.

Talk with your young professionals. Lead a focus group. Find out

what they want. Explore. Never assume.

Communicate.@KevinCSnyder

• Technology• World events • Recession & Unemployment• Student Debt - $28,000• Parental Involvement• Culture of Immediacy; “Flat”• “Anything Is Possible”; Dream

The Millennial generation is a refreshing reminder that living a dream is possible.

It’s what we should all aspire to do.Imagine loving what you do ….

It’ll show.

“So much of how we perceive something in our

lives is due to our own generational lens.”

~ Lancaster and Stillman

#CAI @KevinCSnyder

In my research with Millennial focus groups and in my keynote speeches all over the country, I asked over 1,500 Millennials …

What is it that you are most looking for in a career … boss … environment?

Here’s how they responded …

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing DevelopmentTransparency/Social ResponsibilityFeedback, Mentoring & CoachingFlexibility and Clear Expectations

What Millennials Want

@KevinCSnyder

for 2020?for 2025?

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing DevelopmentTransparency/Social ResponsibilityFeedback, Mentoring & CoachingFlexibility and Clear Expectations

What Millennials Want

@KevinCSnyder

What can organizations

do?

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/Culture

• aThis next website should give you some hints on how Millennials can sense culture/fit before

they ever even interview with your company.

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/Culture

• aThis next company has a Culture Club. They meet monthly and investigate ways to ensure

their work culture is engaging, fun, and rewarding.

@KevinCSnyder #NCSHRM2014

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/Culture

• aThis next company has a whiteboard in their lobby. People write thoughts each day. It has a

message of the week as well.

@KevinCSnyder #NCSHRM2014

@KevinCSnyder #NCSHRM2014

If a fish market can find a way to ensure employees find purpose, meaning, fit and

culture, can’t yours?

Their product is dead fish!

• a

That’s me!

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative Opportunities

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative Opportunities

This next environment just looks fun. They removed cubicles so that employees had

more space to collaborate informally.

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative Opportunities

Retention doubled within two years.

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing Development

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing Development

Provide professional development and training opportunities. Training isn’t a

one-time-only event.

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing Development

Training isn’t a one-time-only event. Just ask my puppy, Barker.

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing DevelopmentTransparency/Social Responsibility

Recommendations

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing DevelopmentTransparency/Social Responsibility

Recommendations

Demonstrate you care about giving back. Contribute. Make a difference beyond your organization and

make sure you promote what you do.

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing DevelopmentTransparency/Social ResponsibilityFeedback, Mentoring & Coaching

@KevinCSnyder

Recommendations

78%

... Of Millennials want their boss to serve more as a mentor vs supervisor.

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing DevelopmentTransparency/Social ResponsibilityFeedback, Mentoring & CoachingFlexibility and mobility

Recommendations

RecommendationsBy far, flexibility was top desired quality in what Millennials are

seeking in an environment. Is your

company flexible?

Sense of Purpose; Fit/CultureCollaborative OpportunitiesChallenged; Ongoing DevelopmentTransparency/Social ResponsibilityFeedback, Mentoring & CoachingFlexibility and mobilityLeverage Technology

Recommendations

Leveraging Technology:

How does your organization leverage technology to communicate

effectively? To build engagement?

Recommendations

Leveraging Technology:

This next slide is an incredible internal social platform for organizations that

dynamically improves engagement and communication.

www.Novarete.com

Recommendations

For Millennials• Understand perceptions.• Seek advice and ask questions.• Be coachable.• It’s OK to be ambitious, but set

realistic expectations.• Know when to have face-2-face.

@KevinCSnyder

Twitter/LinkedIn:@KevinCSnyder

FREE E-book

TEXT KevinCSnyder to #22828

To receive, send email to Kevin@KevinCSnyder.com OR

Engaging the New Frontier

For questions and to inquire about speaking

and/or consulting availability:

Kevin@KevinCSnyder.com www.KevinCSnyder.com

If this person were Millennial, they would not have fallen into the fountain. Maybe, just maybe,

being Millennial isn’t so bad.

Twitter/LinkedIn:@KevinCSnyder

FREE E-book

TEXT KevinCSnyder to #22828

To receive, send email to Kevin@KevinCSnyder.com OR

Engaging the New Frontier

For questions and to inquire about speaking

and/or consulting availability:

Kevin@KevinCSnyder.com www.KevinCSnyder.com