Leadership Exchange - Winter 2009

Millenials Enter The Workforce

A new book tells managers what they can expect

The first wave of the Millennial generation is entering the workforce, and employers

are trying to integrate the most demanding and coddled generation in history into

a workplace shaped by the driven baby-boom generation, according to Ron Alsop,

author of The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation Is Shaking Up the Workplace

(Jossey-Bass, 2008). The Millennials are truly trophy kids, the pride and joy of their parents, who remain closely connected even

as their children head off to college and enter the workforce, writes Alsop. Although they’re hard working and achievement ori-

ented, in the workplace most Millennials don’t excel at leadership and independent problem solving, Alsop attests. They want the

freedom and flexibility of a virtual office, but they also want rules and responsibilities to be spelled out explicitly.

Alsop introduces readers to the Millennials and explores how this generation promises to stir up the workplace and perhaps the world.

He characterizes this generation as:

• placing a high premium on career success but incorrigible job-hoppers who rarely exhibit loyalty to any particular place of employment;

• committed to self-determination and garnering as many skills as possible before moving on in pursuit of their dream jobs; and

• having a high sense of entitlement, but also philanthropic and community-minded.

Managing Millenials

What does all of this mean to employers? In a recent Wall Street Journal article, “The Millenial Generation Goes to Work,” Alsop notes “these outspoken young people tend to be highly opinionated and fearlessly challenge recruiters and bosses. Status and hierarchy don’t impress them much. They want to be treated like colleagues rather than subordinates and expect ready access to senior executives, even the CEO, to share brilliant ideas.”

He continues, “Companies that want to compete for top talent must bend a bit and adapt to the Millenial generation. Employers need to show new hires how their work makes a difference and why it’s of value to the company.” Alsop offers the following tips to make managing Millenials easier: