Mentoring Millennials

How can those who belong to previous generations satisfy the desire for feedback Millennials crave?

In a recent post found here, I discussed a few differences in attitudes between Millennials (people born after 1981) and those of previous generations.  With the acknowledgement of these differences and the rapid growth of Millennials entering professional positions, some workplaces have begun to implement strategies to satiate the need for building relationships and giving feedback more frequently.

Jeanne Meister and Karie Millyard, writers for the Harvard Business Review, discuss three types of mentoring programs specifically targeted at Millennials.

·         Reverse Mentoring – This is a program in which the Millennials mentor older employees on topics they may not be as familiar with.  This could include training about the importance or how to utilize social media.  This method of mentoring exposes Millennials to different people of the company they may not otherwise have the chance to interact with.  Additionally, it serves to build relationships throughout the company.

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Anonymous Mentoring – Some companies have begun to use a method of mentoring in which the mentor and the mentee are matched through the use of different tests concerning psychological style as well as vocational background, and communicate through an online communication system.  This method of mentoring can be extremely beneficial, because of the anonymity and the amount of detail that can be shared between both parties.  Both mentors and mentees have reported positive outcomes, including getting feedback in a timely manner, and feeling that the mentor has a good amount of knowledge and advice.

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Microfeedback – A company in Canada, Camilion Solutions,  recently set up an assessment system in which feedback could be provided by multiple employees, but was limited to only 140 characters.  This Twitter-esque tool allows for quick feedback and careful choice of words to help other employees .

While programs such as these are on the cusp of utilization, it seems that more and more methods will continue to be brought in to provide feedback to employees in a more timely and frequent manner.  The article mentions that these programs have been perceived positively by both millennials and older generations.

Different programs have been developed to appease the appetite of younger workers, who desire more frequent feedback and interaction.  These programs differ greatly, but the implementation of them is greatly beneficial to those employed.

Meister, J. C., & Willyerd, K. (2010). Mentoring millennials. Harvard business review, 88(5), 68-72.

Millennials in the Workforce

Can a generational gap make a significant difference in a work environment?

The short answer is yes.

In a recent literature review, Myers and Sadaghiana suggest that successfully integrating millennial workers (people born after 1981) into a vocational setting depends to some extent on the varying attitudes expressed by people of older generations.    Specifically, how older workers view work-life balance, workplace confidence, and workplace communication can all impact levels of productivity and conflict between employees.

The reviewers identify the following attitudes:

·         Work-life balance – This term encompasses what an individual sees as an appropriate amount of time to be working and to be doing other activities.  Older generations may lose sight of finding a work-life balance, and tend to work more hours, striving to build a career based on their efforts.  In contrast, Millennials are often motivated toward having work-life balance, and being flexible with locating a career.  This difference in opinion may lead to varying negative attitudes toward each other.

·         Confidence Levels – It has been shown that many of those within the Millennial generation are highly confident.  However, the literature review details, “The idea of [Millennials] paying their dues by working hard to demonstrate their worth before they are given significant tasks is likely to be resisted” (Myers & Sadaghiana, 2010).  In other words, Millennials may not see the purpose of working on smaller, less meaningful tasks.  Instead, they may be more motivated to work with larger goals and projects. This resistance may lead to older generations of employees seeing the Millennial worker(s) as overly confident in their abilities as they have not been interested in working on less difficult tasks.

·         Communication Levels – Studies have provided evidence that Millennials prefer frequent feedback and communication about various relative subjects with supervisors.  Despite the desire to build a stronger line of communication, this may feel “burdensome to many senior and seasoned organizational members” for understandable reasons (Myers & Sadaghiana, 2010).

Despite the information provided here, it is important to note that this is not a hot to guide to bridging the generational differences within a workplace.  However, a fairly recently posted blog article about methods regarding the generational gap can be found here if you are interested in further reading. 

While other attitudinal differences exist between generations in a vocational setting, the most important piece of information is to be aware of these differences.  Awareness can lead to a better understanding, and potentially help to sidestep different forms of conflict which may arise.      

Myers, K. K., & Sadaghiani, K. (2010). Millennials in the workplace: A communication perspective on millennials’ organizational relationships and performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(2), 225-238.