Millennials in the WorkplaceMillennials in the WorkplaceThey are ambitious, goal‐oriented, educated, talented, 

technologically savvy  eager  collaborative  highly involved  technologically‐savvy, eager, collaborative, highly‐involved, open‐minded and sociable. They have felt planned for, sought after, needed and indispensable their entire lives. 

They are used to having things done “their way, right away”. They are used to having things done  their way, right away . And now they work for you. They have higher expectations than any generation before them and if you don’t meet those expectations, they are apt to tell all of their 500 

“f d ” h h l l k f h“friends” with the simple click of a mouse. What information, tools, and plans do you need to navigate a 

successful working relationship with this group of Millennials in the Workplace? Join us on the journey to Millennials in the Workplace? Join us on the journey to 

find out!

Sharnette UnderdueSharnette UnderdueAssociate DirectorAssociate Director

Frankie VelazquezFrankie VelazquezComplex CoordinatorComplex Coordinator

CSUF Housing & Residence LifeCSUF Housing & Residence Lifelele

CSUF Housing & Residence LifeCSUF Housing & Residence Life

Learning Objectives:Learning Objectives:

Recognize what defines a generation Identify how Millennials are valuable to your 

i iorganization Describe working environments that engage MillennialsMillennials

How to identify different generations in the workplaceHow to identify different generations in the workplace

Generational MattersGenerational Matters

E h  ti  h     Each generation has a common experience 

These experiences shape  These experiences shape their beliefs and behaviors

This is a testWhat event is a defining moment in your formative years? 

a) V E Daya) V‐E Day

b) JFK’s Assassination

c) The Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion

d) 9/11

Generations By CategoriesGenerations By Categories

GI/Veteran 1901‐1924 Silent/Traditionalist 1925‐1945 Baby Boomers 1946‐1963 Generation X 1964‐1978 Millennials 1979‐1995

4 Generations At Work

Generation Goal Career Path Feedback Rewards

T diti li t B ild L J b h i N i d S ti f ti f j bTraditionalist Build a Legacy Job changing has stigma

No news is good news

Satisfaction of a job well done

Baby Boomer Build a Stellar  Job changing  Once a year  Money, title, yCareer

g gputs you behind

ywhether needed or not

y, ,recognition

Generation X Build a  Job changing is  So, how am I  FreedomPortable Career

necessary doing?

Millennial Build Parallel C

Doesn’t need to b t i ht

From virtual h t t h f

Work that has iCareers be a straight 

linecoach at touch of a button

meaning

Defining & Identifying Millennials What defines a Millennial?

Born 1979 and after 80+ Million Strong Other names:  Internet generation, the Keyboard Generation  Google Generation  Digital Natives  Generation, Google Generation, Digital Natives, iGeneration, Echo Boomers, the Boomlet, Nexters, the Connected Generation, Generation Y, the Nintendo 

i   h  Di i l  i  N Mill i l  generation, the Digital generation, Neo‐Millenials, Generation Text, “Don’t Label Us” Generation, Generation Wired

THE YOUTH OF TODAYHer buddy list spans the globe. Best friend may be Chinese

Satellite radio has been around since hshe was 5

Has had 24/7 access

There has always been one Germany

Has never known a world without digital

Has never seen a film camera

phones or DVDsHas always been online

Has always been ableOne electronic device does it all: TVHas always been able

to watch wars live on tv and the internet

does it all: TV, Internet, Phone, Music, Data, Computing

Formative messages shape Millennials work styleMillennials work styleFormative Message Workplace Expectation and /or result

“You are special” ‐ To be treated respectfully‐ Lots of recognition and promotions‐ Friendly environments with positive people

“Be Smart” To be challenged“Be Smart” ‐ To be challenged‐ To learn new knowledge and skills

No one left behind ‐To work in teaming environment

Connect 24/7 Feel rewarded by new technologyConnect 24/7 ‐ Feel rewarded by new technology‐ Flexible work arrangements

Achieve now ‐Involvement in high‐impact projects, soon after hire‐Promotions early and often

Not used to being told “No”

‐ Challenge authority‐ Assert themselves

Be civic minded, volunteer

‐Do not see money as their only source of happinessWork to live  not live to workvolunteer ‐Work to live, not live to work

Close relationship with parents

‐ Parents may get involved in recruitment, decision where to work‐Get along with Baby Boomer boss

Failure vs. Success Defined for MillennialsDefined for Millennials

Not finding ones’  Not finding ones  passion

N  b i       Not being true to oneself

Claiming  Compromising integrity

Claiming ownership

Being close to family and friendsy

A valuable asset to your organizationA valuable asset to your organization

The Millennial EmployeeThe Millennial Employee Confident Confident

Hopeful

Goal and achievement orientedGoal and achievement oriented

Civic Minded

Healthy SkepticismHealthy Skepticism

Inclusive

Millennials as AssetsMillennials as Assets

Strengths are:St e gt s a e: Multitasking Setting Goalsg Maintaining a positive attitude Working with technologyg gy Collaborating (working in teams)

Being resourceful Having a strong work ethic

Areas of DevelopmentAreas of Development

Di t t f i l k Distaste for menial work

Lack of skills for dealing with difficult peopledifficult people

Impatience

Lack of experienceLack of experience 

Confidence

Difficulty accepting criticismDifficulty accepting criticism

W dMill i lWe need Millennials Generation X isn’t large enough to fill the gap left by Ge e at o s t a ge e oug to t e gap e t byretiring baby boomers.  Gen X: 44 million, not enough to completely replace boomers

Millennials: 80 million early promotion to compensate for gap left by Gen X Millennials: 80 million, early promotion to compensate for gap left by Gen X.

It costs a company 150% of an employees salary to replace them when they leavey

Forty percent of Millennial employees surveyed said that they plan to stay at their current position for 0‐2 years

The inter‐generational workforce: From costly risk to Major opportunity; Vu H Pham, Ph.D.Spectrum Knowledge Inc.

DiscussionDiscussion

Who’s responsibility is it to adjust their communication and work style to accommodate the yother? The Baby Boomer (boss) or Millennial (new hire)?

DiscussionDiscussion

Do you have to pay your dues before moving up or do you move up due to displaying expertise in ado you move up due to displaying expertise in a needed area?

DiscussionDiscussion

Are traditional 8 hour work days more effective than flexible work schedules?flexible work schedules?

Should the workplace adapt?Should the workplace adapt?

Lower Productivity ‐When coworkers’ work‐related values and role expectations do not pmesh, conflict, mistrust, and lower productivity can result (Hill 2002).Mill i l d l it t t Millennials develop commitment to individuals, especially supervisors with whom they develop meaningfulwhom they develop meaningful relationships 

A Healthy WorkplaceA Healthy Workplace

When an employer creates the kind of culture in which Millennials flourish – fast paced and f f penergetic – all employees tend to benefit from that environment. ‐ Joanne G. Sujansky

Working environments that engage MillennialsWorking environments that engage Millennials

Job satisfaction depends on communication

The importance of communicationp f

Casual frequenton

Frequent 

Casual, frequent, positive communication where the sa

tisfactio

Need‐to‐know b i f

communication, but with little strategic input fromMillennial

Millennial ‘has a voice’

vel of job

 

basis for communication

from Millennial

Le

Millennials ‘ view of Communication

Importance of effective communication

A lack of informal communication in organizations is f f gnegatively related to member satisfaction (see Pace and Faules 1994), and low levels of communicative support from supervisors in particular is associated with job turnover (Clampitt 2005).

Generations At Work – Case StudyBackgroundg Two person department, you are the Manager (Baby Boomer) and you have one Analyst (Generation X)

Low interaction between you and Analyst; Analyst is h b l f l d j hi k dhappy to be left alone and just get his work done

Annual feedback structure Structured 8 – 5 working day Both you and the Analyst are very content with this Both you and the Analyst are very content with this arrangement

The department is growing. The Analyst will become a Sr Analyst and you’re hiring three new staff allSr. Analyst and you re hiring three new staff, all Millennials

Case StudyCase Study What potential changes should you consider?

Do’s for Managing MillennialsDoDo Encourage them Learn from them Provide them with advanced toolsProvide them with advanced tools Offer flexible schedules Create opportunities for on‐going trainingg

Give short deadlines and clear outcomes

Implement recognition programs Coach instead of bossing  Provide regular feedback Design mentorship programs

D 't f M i Mill i lDon'ts for Managing Millennials

Don’tDon t  Expect them to “pay their dues” Throw a wet blanket on enthusiasm

Interpret their expressing opinions as a lack of respect

Fall short of meeting high expectationsp

Discount ideas because of lack of experience

Allow negativityB h h Be harsh or say you are disappointed in them

Feel threatened by their technical knowledge

Other Discussion TopicsOther Discussion Topics

How is this information relevant to you as an educator? How is this information relevant to you as an educator?

Share your experiences working with or teaching Millennials What worked? What didn’t?Millennials. What worked? What didn t?

Inspirational Quote “They combine the teamwork ethic of the Boomers with the can‐do attitude of the Veterans and the technological‐savvy of the X‐er’s. At first glance, and even at second glance, (Millennials) may be the ideal work force – and ideal citizens ”work force – and ideal citizens.

‐ Ron Zemke, Claire Raines and Bob Filipczak from “Generations At Work”. 

Sources of research Five Myths About Younger Workers, Aaron Green, HR Center‐ On Staffing, boston.com, 2007

Mill i l ( ) I Wiki di li R t i d J 10 2008 f htt // iki di Millennials. (n) In Wikipedia online. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http:// www.wikipedia.com  Millennials in the Workplace: R U Ready? Knowledge@ WP Carrey. March 26, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008 from 

http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1580 Raines, Claire (2002). Managing Millennials.

This article is an excerpt from Connecting Generations: The Sourcebook by Claire Raines.  Retrieved on January 10, 2008, from http:// www.generationsatwork.com

Rodriguez Robert Millennials have potential to reshape the workplace Fresno Bee May 5 2008 Rodriguez, Robert. Millennials have potential to reshape the workplace. Fresno Bee. May 5, 2008 Safer, Morley. The Millennials are Coming. 60 Minutes CBS News Video, Nov 11, 2007 Simanoff, Dave. Millennials Enter The Workplace. The Tampa Tribune. June 25, 2007. Stuart, Anna & Lyons, Sean. Millennials in the Workplace‐ Understanding and capitalizing on the connected 

generation. Viewpoint. May 2008. www.robertsonsurrette.com Thielfoldt, Diane & Scheef, Devon. Generation X and The Millennials: What You Need to Know About Mentoring the 

N G ti L P ti T d A t 2004g

New Generations. Law Practice Today. August 2004  Top 7 Keys to Managing Millennials in the Workplace; by Gretchen Neels. Retrieved July 7, 2008 from 

http://top7business.com/?Top‐7‐Keys‐to‐Managing‐Millennials‐in‐the‐Workplace&id=3023 What do Millennials teach us about the future of the workplace? by Aaron Green; May 19, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 

2008 from http://www.boston.com/jobs/on_staffing/051908.shtml Reaching and Teaching the Millennials: One cynical Gen‐Xer’s view; Stewart Brower, MLIS, AHIP, University at 

Buffalo Health Sciences Library Retrieved March 25 2009 fromBuffalo Health Sciences Library.  Retrieved March 25, 2009 from                                                http://www.slideshare.net/smbrower/ncc‐millennials‐presenation

The inter‐generational workforce: From costly risk to Major opportunity; Vu H Pham, Ph.D. ,Spectrum Knowledge Inc.

http://www.doitwell.ca/blog/wp‐content/uploads/Viewpoint_Millennials_in_the_workplace.pdf http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2868990/

Questions/CommentsQuestions/Comments

Questions?

Sharnette Underdue‐ sunderdue@fullerton.edu

Frankie Velazquez – fvelazquez@fullerton.edu