Edited by Kay Natsumi

When business is good, there will always be the old HR problem: how do we attract new talent? Gen Y is giving way to the next generation of young workers. They’re young, tech savvy and have their own “must-haves” for prospective jobs. They are a generation that deserve their own classification as “the millennials”. At first glance, they seem like a totally different breed.

Are we? Over 80% of my company is in their 20s and we’re in the tech industry. We have cats in our open office and a games room.

But we’re don’t all think we’re special snowflakes. We don’t all harp about work-life balance (many colleagues stay past 10pm or work on the weekends to meet deadlines). We don’t ultimately make our job decisions based on the snacks in the pantry. But we do have things we care about. Some things differ from generations before us, but many more don’t. Below is a perspective from Kaysha, from the company’s content team.

Workplace flexibility: People work differently.

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I used to work as a translator, which usually consists of staring at spreadsheet upon spreadsheet all day. This can get tiring on the eyes quite fast, so my direct boss always encouraged us to take breaks, text a friend, and pace ourselves. As long as we got our work done she didn’t care how we worked. But she also warned young recruits about seniors who tattle if they see any “misconduct” like texting or unwarranted breaks. In that environment I could sit with the spreadsheet open, type nothing and people would think that I’m doing more work than if I got up to take snack breaks and actually typed! I hated the company environment, but I appreciated my boss because she acknowledged that I wasn’t just being lazy because I texted (sometimes to get second opinions for translations).

Millennials care enough about productivity to experiment with habits to deliver better. These signs of “laziness” are usually breaks to boost productivity.

Employers need to understand that everyone works differently. The continuous 8-hour work day in one fixed location isn’t necessary anymore when everyone can track issues on Github from anywhere. People generally work better in brief spurts of activity. And some people like to stay at home. Oursky believes in flexible hours so that people can deliver whenever is most optimal for them, whether it’s 2am or 7am (as long as they make team meetings).

Everyone works differently to deliver the same quality.

Open mind = Open doors

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“If you don’t go through life with an open mind, you will find a find a lot of closed doors”

— Mark W. Perrett

Flexibility doesn’t mean open deadlines, but rather having an open mind about what people have to say. Many young people thrive on collaborative work and support. Diverse teams work smarter, and diversity also includes age! The diversity can also sometimes lead to difficult conversations or requests that “no one has ever heard of”. On the other hand, sometimes having an open company makes handling “awkward” topics a non issue, such as maternity, paternity, and period leaves.



My colleagues chose this company despite having offers from larger companies with bigger pay cheques because they felt that their skills were valued, their opinions heard (anyone can contribute to all the open Slack channels), and their needs considered (anyone can propose an initiative in the company). In previous internships, I would also look at who I would be directly working with and how the boss is because that’s the person who would either cut me down or help my voice get heard.

Say thank you: Don’t forget your Ps and Qs

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When you’ve worked your way to the top, it can be easy to forget what it took to get you there and because of that, many leaders are often seen as rude to their juniors.



Having a boss that treats you as their equal instead of their junior makes the world of a difference. My direct boss from the translation place would often treat us as equals, asking what we thought of a certain translation and always thanked us for the work we did. I think because of that the team wanted to work harder for her (rather than the company), and we always ended up getting our projects done weeks ahead of time.



Everyone likes being appreciated for the work they’ve done and millennials are no different. No, they don’t need to be given gold stars and ribbons for every accomplishment, but just a gesture of credit irrespective of position in the company. These small acts also help build up a positive company culture. Don’t forget your Ps and Qs.

“Out there” ideas can help companies stand out.

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Growing up with the internet, many young people don’t think twice before Googling something they don’t know. Just like their seniors who probably took night classes to upgrade their skills decades ago, millennials are resourceful, especially online. They may not know that concept at the meeting, but give them credit if they come doubly prepared the next week after doing tons of research and have a proposal!



I also worked as a freelance marketer. Being the youngest on the team and having a more traditional boss, they would often dismiss my ideas and suggestions. But one day, my boss decided to give one of my campaign ideas a shot and it generated a lot of sales!

With so many sources of online and offline inspiration, millennials are often willing to make bold and risky suggestions. Some may seem counter-intuitive to business wisdom even a decade ago before social media took off, but millennials are often thinking as end users when they make proposals. Having a digital native giving candid user feedback saves lots of research and user testing. Even if you don’t take up their suggestion, acknowledge the effort so that an individual is encouraged to continue thinking creatively.

Helping employees deliver more.

Photo by Tim Mossholder via Unsplash

Millennials enjoy getting feedback. They will take that feedback and work to improve themselves. Developing a culture of mentorship and interaction helps juniors learn and create even better results than if they were sent off on their own. According to a McKinsey article, few companies have developed a strategy to hone mentorship of new employees. Having an assigned mentor or mentoring circles to develop career skills can be a major attraction for talent to your company.



In one of my companies, I was left alone by busy managers and began to question my decision to join the company. When we had our half-year review, I received feedback on what I did well and also a plan for tailored on-the-job training on areas requiring improvement. Before walking into the meeting, I hated the job because I thought the work quality was low and I wasn’t growing. I walked out feeling much better job satisfaction, a desire to perform, and loyalty to the company.

According to Fortune, young workers value their personal and professional growth and acquiring skill sets over earning a stable salary. As a result, trainings that tap into employees’ interests, passions and career goals can help your company attract talent if you do not have the budget to out-bid an international firm.

Conclusion.

Creating a workplace for millennials isn’t as difficult as you think it is. No, they don’t need their hand held all the time or a celebratory drink after every accomplished task. They’re young, bright individuals that are ready to learn and improve themselves. In fact, their request is about the same as any generation: to be treated with respect, have an open conversation, be supportive and honest, and they will put in everything they’ve got.