When Lee Caraher started her public relations and digital marketing agency, she had two mandates: 1) the company would be independent and small and 2) there would be no 20-somethings on staff.
Caraher, it seems, had had enough of babysitting with a younger generation she saw as demanding, difficult and unrealistic in their assumptions about working.
Her new book, “Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide to Making It Work at Work,” is the story of how she changed her attitude and approach to working with Generation Y, or Millennials. Through interviews and surveys with hundreds of workers and managers across the United States, she found many struggling with the same issues with this new generation. Her conclusion was the same that many others found: In order to build a generationally diverse workforce and ensure the organization’s future success, new ways of communicating, working and marketing to Millennials had to be found.
Caraher’s book is a carefully balanced guide for current workers, parents of Millennials, and the new generation looking to take its place in the workforce. Only by “bridging the gap between the generations in the office,” can everyone prosper together, the author says.
The reality is that the Millennials, those born 1980-2000, have a bad reputation not entirely of their own making. Baby boomers, the generation born 1946-1964 and Generation X, born 1965-1979, are often discontent with their own careers and resentful of the new generation.
However, most baby boomers can’t afford to retire. If you’re between 40 and 60, the author notes, you have 10 to 35 years left to work. Developing a positive relationship with the next generation is not a matter of choice. Gen X has been waiting for the boomers to retire so they could compete for promotions and salary increases. Recession and financial changes in retirement funds have delayed that opportunity.
Millennials can’t be ignored. According to Pew Research, there are more than 77 million Millennials, as compared to 46 million Gen Xs and equal to the Baby Boomer generation.
A “set of bitter myths” has grown up around the Millennials. These include Millennials expect rewards just for showing up; they don’t work hard, don’t take initiative; they are casual and disrespectful; and they aren’t willing to pay their dues.
The author provides her own experiences to prove and disprove these myths. In one instance, a Millennial demanded $90,000 for a starting position and left in a huff when the interviewer didn’t meet her demands. In another, a young woman so impressed the author with her focus and desire to learn that she created an internship for her, later hiring her full time.
One of the interesting differences of Millennials is their relationship to parents. These are the “helicopter” parents who hovered over their children’s every step, validating their existence with awards for participation and resolving any conflict that arose. Often, the author notes, they are ill prepared for real life.
On the plus side, Millennials want to matter in the workplace, the author says. They want their participation to be meaningful, and they want to be part of an “awesome team.” Many of them have seen their parents struggle for years in jobs they don’t enjoy and are intent on not repeating that experience. For their part, Millennials must learn to appreciate the perspectives of other generations and why they often seem frustrated with this new generation.
This is a group that wants freedom. “You don’t need to know where I am as long as I’m doing the work,” says one Millennial. “ I should be able to work from Starbucks if I want to as long as I’m getting my work done well.” This can be challenging for office traditionalists who expect defined hours in defined space.
Many companies are developing cultures to meet the Millennial challenge. Zappos.com, the online shoe and apparel store now owned by Amazon, will pay people $3,000 to leave after four weeks if they don’t think they’re a good fit. This weeds out the people who are driven by values different from Zappos’. It has proven to develop a group of people who stay with the company and contribute significantly.
Clif Bar & Company has a “9-80 work schedule,” that allows employees to work 80 hours in nine days. This has meant half the office is off on Fridays. The company is showing record growth.
“In the end,” Caraher concludes, “it’s all about people. By bridging the gap between the generations, honoring the strengths we all bring to the table, Millennials and management can co-create a future-proof business.”