Retooling For Millennials (CONT’D FROM PAGE 16)
Successful employers communicate a personal interest in Millennials’ future. “Take the guesswork out of advance- ment,” suggests Lauren Star, a business consultant based in Bedford, New Hampshire ( lauranstar.com ). “Create a career path for Millennials where training is offered, coach- ing is provided by skilled individuals, and transparency is intact.” Depending on the proclivities of each employee, the pathway can include expansion of job duties, the intro- duction of management levels, and even progression into leadership positions. Feedback is the flip side of professional develop- ment. And Millennials concerned about job stability and advancement need to know how they’re doing more fre- quently than older workers. “Millennials need interactions at least once a week from their direct boss, or supervisor, in order to feel that they’re doing a good job and their po- sition is secure,” says Dorsey. “It could be a text message, a Zoom session, or an in-person discussion.” Saying the wrong thing can set back an employee, in ways that are not favorable to performance. “Make sure that whoever’s providing feedback has been trained on how to do it well,” says Goruk. “There are ways to inspire, empower, and engage people with your feedback. And there are ways to be destructive.” As the above comments suggest, Millennials tend to look beyond the walls of the shop when they plan their lives. “Unlike previous generations, Millennials don’t iden-
so many young white faces at Black Lives Matter rallies is because they see people who are different from them as really pretty much like them. That’s a tectonic shift.” Professional Development Professional development is more important for Mil- lennials than for previous generations. “Millennials need opportunities for learning on the job,” says Dorsey. “They feel that they have to keep developing their skills in order to have more security in their careers.” There’s a special reason for the long-range view of this age group: Their experience with the nation’s economy. “Millennials feel like they’ve been book-ended with signifi- cant negative events,” says Dorsey. “On the front end was the great recession, which led to unemployment and wage stagnation. On the back end is the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to job losses and a slowdown in career pro- gression. That’s not only because of restricted job oppor- tunities, but also because the generations preceding them are staying longer in the workforce.” Given this background, Millennials realize they need to lay the groundwork for their future security—and they expect their employer to provide guidance. “Just training Millennials for the work they are doing currently is no lon- ger sufficient,” says Avdoian. “They expect employers to help them enhance their skills for positions they may take in the future.”
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www.boardconvertingnews.com
February 1, 2021
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