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Millennials in the Workforce
Understanding Generational Influences and Working with the Next Generation of
Workers
Our Objectives Today
• Gain an understanding of different generations in the workforce and what makes each different
• Identify effective strategies for multigenerational workplaces and teams
• Identify key strategies to recruit, manage and retain Millennial employees
• Consider ideas for marketing to Millennials
Characteristics of Different Generations
Veterans: Over 65 years old
• Important events included: – The Great Depression– WWII – The Cold War– The Korean War– Sputnik went into Orbit
You might be a veteran if…• You have the ability to entertain yourself
without a TV, in fact you remember the days before TV
Baby Boomers: 45-64 years old
• Important events included: – Man walks on the Moon– Civil Rights– Woodstock– Deaths of JFK and Martin Luther King
You might be a Boomer ifYou can complete these sentences…• When the Beatles first came to the U.S. in early 1964,
we all watched them on the ______show • "Get your kicks, ________________”
Generation X: 29-42 years old
• Important events: – Challenger Shuttle Explodes on Takeoff– Berlin Wall Dismantled– Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe– U.S. Troops go to Persian Gulf for the 1st time– AIDS Identified
You might be a Gen Xer if…• Schoolhouse Rock played a HUGE part in how you
actually learned the English language. – I know what a Bill (sittin’ up on Capital Hill) is thanks to
that show!!
Millennials: 18-27 years old
• Important Events: – Death of Princess Diana– Death of Mother Teresa– Columbine– 9/11
You might be a Millennial if…• Blog, Myspace/Facebook, IM, text messaging, and
other social media are a regular part of your daily life
Generational Activities
• Form generational groups
• Brainstorm characteristics of other generations
• What do you not understand about other generations?
• Within your group, do the characteristics written accurately describe you?
Is the workplace really that different compared
to 20 years ago?
According to a survey by Lee Hecht Harrison, 60% of
employers are experiencing intergenerational tensions at
work.
*Source: Generation Y: They’ve Arrived at Work with a New Attitude, 2005
Workplace Values
Veterans Boomers Gen Xers Millennials
Career Goals
Build a legacy Build a stellar career
Build a portable career
Build parallel careers
Rewards Satisfaction of a job well done
Money, title, recognition, corner office
Freedom is the ultimate reward
Work that has meaning for me
Work-Life Balance
Support me in shifting the balance
Help me balance everyone else and
find meaning myself
Give me balance now! Not when
I’m 65
Work isn’t everything. Need
flexibility to balance my other
activities
Job Changing
Carries a stigma Puts you behind Is necessary Is part of the daily routine
Training I learned the hard way, you can too!
Train ‘em too much and they’ll
leave
The more they learn, the more
they’ll stay
Continuous learning is a way
of life
Source: When Generations Collide
Sound Familiar?
• Looking for meaningful work• Seeking challenge• Chance to prove themselves and show they can
perform well• Enjoys contact with people• Desire to be in a position of responsibility• Resents being looked at as though they have no
experience• Tends to be more job mobile• Less respectful of authority
Who does this describe?
Training and Development Journal
November 1970Sorry Boomers, the other generations in the workforce
didn’t like you when you started working!
Every generation that enters the workforce makes waves!
What makes Millennials different than other
generations?
Millennial Characteristics
• Helicopter parents• They’ve been told they were special their
whole lives• More confident than generations before them• Team-oriented• High achieving
Millennial Characteristics
• Under more pressure to perform than other generations
• Compared to 20 years ago• More ethnically diverse• More affluent• Healthier• Technologically proficient• Connected with peers
Millennial Employees: Why You Want Them
• Increased hiring needs with Boomer retirements
• Millennials offer exceptional strengths to the workplace
• Flexible• Efficient multi-taskers• Technologically savvy• Value diversity• Fast learners• Enthusiastic
Millennial Employees: How to Get Them
• Recruiting: Online, In Person, Through Networks
• Managing: Orientation, Open Communication, Feedback, Teamwork
• Retaining: Values, Opportunity, Career Planning
Engaging Millennials Early
• Internships• Introduce your industry or company to the next
generation of workers• Millennials can learn positive work behavior from
mentors• Millennials have a lot to offer companies
Marketing to Millennials:How to Stay Bright and
Shiny
What are they like as consumers?
• Technologically Savvy• They share A LOT of information
about themselves • They don’t like to be exploited or
taken advantage of• They are socially conscious
If you remember nothing else, Remember this…
ReferencesArmour, S. (2005). Generation Y: They’ve Arrived at Work with a New Attitude. USA Today.
Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm
Generation Y: The Millennials, Ready or Not, Here They Come. (2006). NAS Insights. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/2607132/GENERATION-Y-THE-MILLENNIALS
Hammill, G. (Winter/Spring 2005). Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees. FDU Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm.
Howe, N. & Strauss, W. (2007). Millennials Go to College. LifeCourse Associates.
Lancaster, L. & Stillman, D. (2005). When Generations Collide. New York, NY: Collins Business.
Nadler, D. (1970). Responding to the NOW Employee. Training and Development Journal.
Jennifer Fisher & Liz Bushnell
www.manchester.edu/osd/career
Thank You!
