According to Business Insider, millennials in the workplace do things quite differently. A generation of young adults born between 1981 and 1996, they choose to do their shopping on the internet, they use ride-sharing apps, they sign up for short courses online and communicate using real-time chat platforms. This digitally native generation poses a variety of challenges and opportunities to the modern workplace.
While some employers may mistake the millennial workforce’s aversion to traditional methods of working as laziness, more progressive business owners are listening and devising new strategies to attract millennials and keep them happy. Managing millennials in the workplace means understanding how and why they do things and adapting accordingly.
Flexibility and the millennial worker
Over the last decade, workplace flexibility has become a top priority for many working professionals. This is especially important when attracting millennials. In fact, a 2016 survey found that 35% of millennials value flexibility over pay.
Creating a business that attracts workers from this highly educated and talented group of young employees means giving your staff more freedom and a better work-life balance. Here are a few ways you can enhance the working flexibility of millennials in the workplace:
Variable schedules: The standard 9am – 5pm working schedule is not an attractive prospect to the young professional. Millennials want to be able to work at times that better suit their lifestyle. If your millennial employees like to exercise in the morning or they need to visit the doctor in the afternoon, they want to be able to do so without having to ask for permission. This is driving a rise in popularity of “flexi-hours” working schedules.
Remote working: Remote workers are becoming more prevalent in today’s business world – a trend largely driven my millennials. When staff are allowed to work remotely, their time can be used more efficiently and people can work from anywhere. This is especially true when your employees have the digital tools and connectivity needed to always be in touch with their customers and colleagues.
How millennials are using tech to change your business
As millennials were growing up, the realm of digital and information technology was developing with them. As such, it is unsurprising that millennials are likely to lead the way when it comes to digital transformation. Some have even suggested that an “innovation slowdown” will occur in businesses that fail to hire, and successfully leverage, the skills, competencies and ideas of more youthful, digital native employees.
Below we have included a few insights regarding the way millennials are using digital innovation to revolutionise the business world:
Millennials use tech to streamline processes: In the mind of most millennials, there is no point in doing something in four steps when you could automate part of the process and do it in two. They are all about efficiency. With workflow automation, things that, in the past would have taken days can now be achieved with the click of a button.
Millennials use tech to work on their own terms: With tools like Slack, Hangouts and instant messaging, your employees don’t need to be limited to their desk. Remember what we said about efficiency earlier? By giving millennial employees the tools they need to work in ways that suit them, not only will you lure more young workers to your company, you’ll also keep them around for longer.
Millennials are good at personalising their tech: Tech savvy millennials know how to customise apps, play around with different settings and tailor these tools so that they have a positive impact on their productivity. In this way, they have the knowhow to tailor their hardware and software to meet their unique requirements.
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