By the end of my SXSWi experience I didn’t want to hear the word millennial again. Session after session, millennials came up. Here’s a staggering reason why: 80% of our work force will be millennials by 2025.
Why? Social media has given millennials a voice. They are not only connected but it’s reported that they spend on average 18 hours a day on various platforms thus curating most of the content exchanged.
As for a work/life balance, Peter Cashmore used SXSW as an example: Is SXSW about work or life? The answer is that it’s both and millennials like to blend the two.
It appears that junior level employees see themselves as senior level employees. If millennials think they’re more knowledgable than their title then they want to advance immediately. What’s the rush? It’s what they’re used to. Most expect to be in a management role two years after graduating from a university without the traditional time or experience required.
In addition to the promotion structure expectations, millennials work best when they see their managers as mentors. They are eager for advice over instruction.
What percent of your coworkers fall into this generation and how do you harness their enthusiasm?
