How Millennials Are Changing Approaches To Workplace Safety Occupational Health & Safety

One group of people often the target of stereotypes is millennials. Millennials are often misunderstood – especially in the workplace.

Millennials value flexibility in their work, a high level of transparency, and a strong work-life balance. These priorities have helped change workplace expectations for employee responsibilities. While a typical 8 to 5 schedule was the norm even a decade ago, technology and employee preferences have created an increase in flexible work schedules, remote work, the gig economy, and the sharing economy. Millennials are drawn to workplaces with measurable benefits in addition to a salary, and flexibility is top among their concerns. They also desire a high level of transparency in their careers, with access to supervisors and administrators. It’s a good idea to establish a crystal-clear feedback process to support the annual review process. Many Millennials leave positions if they feel feedback is only offered once yearly.

• By looking in detail at the results, companies can understand those drivers on which boomers and millennials are aligned – and those on which they are not aligned.
• These organizations have engagement policies that typically address engagement for the organization under one policy, without any differentiation for the generations of employees.
• Should there be a difference in how millennials and boomers react to a driver, the larger the gap between generations, the larger the opportunity for making adjustments will be.
• For years, employers have been aware of employee engagement and retention issues in their workplaces.
• In this article, I will highlight some of the characteristics that differentiate millennials from other generations and explain why employee engagement should be top of mind for managers.
• Whether a driver is more or less important for millennials is only the first indicator.

As global organizations struggle to attract and retain millennial talent, it is wise to investigate the statistics. Doing so proves that their values are, on the whole, different from those of the generations that came before them. Communicating with individuals from multiple generations is bound to bring about certain stereotypes about the way each generation works, speaks, thinks, etc. Many of these stereotypes involve the influx of millennials in the workforce. However, stereotypes are dangerous to the whole of society, so it’s important to focus on statistics when making generalizations about groups of people. Whether it is nationality, race, gender, a physical characteristic or economic status, stereotypes about people are common. They also paint distorted perceptions, and they are damaging to our social – especially our global – relationships.

Ways Millennials Are Shaking Up The Workforce From The Bottom Up

Sixty percent of millennials want to hear from their managers at least once a day, according to JB Training Solutions. Millennial managers are 28 percent more likely to hire remote workers than older leaders, according to that same Upwork survey. Almost 70 percent of younger managers allow their staff to work remotely, and of those that did so, three-fourths managed employees who spent most of their time working outside the office. Millennials managers aren’t just taking on low-level management positions or only overseeing the work of other millennials.

Reskilling – With job automation a growing subject of debate, almost all managers say they believe reskilling is important for employees. While the vast majority of baby boomers feel the onus is on employers to reskill their staff, millennials and Gen Z-ers are more likely to proactively seek out self-development and training schemes. Research shows that millennials are a driving force behind workplace change, so it’s no coincidence that the generation clocks in with the lowest percentage of engaged employees. This may be simply because as millennials get older they are able to navigate their career, finding work that better suits them, which in turn increases their levels of engagement. Millennials, more than any other generation, look for “opportunity to learn and grow” first and foremost when applying for a job, according to Harvard Business Review.

Even those that are offering more flexibility might be doing it because unemployment is so low and they’re competing for workers, which could change if there is an economic downturn. Planning ahead – Younger generation managers are more likely than their elders to consider future workforce planning a top priority. Indeed, they are nearly two times more likely than baby boomers to have made progress in developing a flexible talent strategy as well as in investing in technology to support a remote workforce.

Managing Engagement

Millennials seek genuine engagement in their positions, including how they relate to managers and how much autonomy they get in their roles. Advancement is huge, so be sure to structure your workforce to emphasize the growth of all employees over time—something that can become a pillar of your company culture. They’re not scared to change jobsThere was once a time where we held on to our jobs with a vice grip — some of us may even have parents who stayed at a company for 20 years or more. Today, resumes with two-year stints at various companies are becoming the norm. Half of the employees surveyed say they are actively looking for a new job or watching for openings, and 35 percent of workers reported changing jobs within the past three years.

Many people imagine a multinational company that values cross-cultural communication and searches for the most effective global networking and production practices. There are many factors that affect the global workforce and its approximate 3 billion workers, but one of the most important is effectively communicating across generations in the workplace. Millennials in the workforce have been maligned as entitled, self-absorbed, restless, and lazy. The reality is that they’re engaged, creative, analytical, and thoughtful. As they’ve begun to integrate into the larger workforce, they’ve become a true catalyst for workplace change. Is your workspace prepared to provide the amenities, benefits, and feedback that younger workers are looking for? LBMC Employment Partners has years of experience providing tools for the workplace that will allow you to create a compelling work environment for every employee, regardless of their generational traits.

Should there be a difference in how millennials and boomers react to a driver, the larger the gap between generations, the larger the opportunity for making adjustments will be. For example, data from one company in the study, where intrinsic motivation was a key engagement driver, suggested that 11 percent more boomers get a sense of accomplishment from their work than millennials. Increasing the statistic for millennials would offer increases in overall engagement for millennials. In the same company, there was only a difference of 3 percent across generations relating to People / HR Practices (“Our people / HR practices create a positive work environment for me”).

The Millennials: A New Generation Of Employees, A New Set Of Engagement Policies

The evolution of technology and the Internet of Things, in particular, is transforming how and where we work, the ways in which we collaborate, and our daily experiences with colleagues. The entrance of younger generations into the workforce is further impacting the way corporations organize themselves, communicate, and conduct business. In terms of workplace design, there is a responsibility to respond to these evolving needs with spaces that empower people and businesses. Millennials seek a unified work life and home life, rather than a failed attempt at balancing the two like they might have witnessed with their parents. Generational diversity in the workplace is clearly shown in this perception of work ethic. To find a common ground, millennials should readjust their ideas of entry-level work at an established company. Part of this may be accepting that they must earn their place and climb the ranks.

Knowing what these employees expect from their employers can ensure that your efforts to support safer workplaces are effective. The impact on design is that open workspaces, varied collaboration and meeting spaces, innovation labs, and the accommodation of remote work are only going to become more prevalent. Creating a seamless experience for employees who flex between remote and office-based work will be critical – meaning available workspace or offices and smooth wireless connectivity must be givens. Where workplace design and technology meet lies a key opportunity to facilitate how people want to work, taking design from business-driven to people-driven for the best results. Equally important is the creation of a sense of belonging and community. People want more human experiences, and we need to create places and opportunities for that. Motivating millennials in the workplace must include a degree of flexibility.

Millennials also want to connect their specific skills and interests to a company’s larger vision. Employers can encourage greater engagement from Millennial workers by helping them craft roles that truly reflect their talents. Since they can be somewhat skeptical of capitalism, they want to work for companies that contribute to their communities. Whether it’s through profit sharing, volunteerism, or sponsorship, employers must brainstorm ways they can support organizations around them to attract and retain a committed younger workforce.

A study by Future Workplace shows that a growing number of Millennials are managing Gen X and Baby Boomer professionals, with 83 percent of workers saying they’ve seen this within their office. A survey by Upwork, a company that pairs businesses with freelancers, found that 48 percent of millennial managers are director-level or higher already.

Employers should work to offer flexibility whenever possible and learn that there are other, more innovative, ways of completing work than traditional methods. When you think about the global workforce, what thoughts come to mind?

For years, employers have been aware of employee engagement and retention issues in their workplaces. These organizations have engagement policies that typically address engagement for the organization under one policy, without any differentiation for the generations of employees. In this article, I will highlight some of the characteristics that differentiate millennials from other generations and explain why employee engagement should be top of mind for managers. By looking in detail at the results, companies can understand those drivers on which boomers and millennials are aligned – and those on which they are not aligned. Whether a driver is more or less important for millennials is only the first indicator.

Common Misperceptions Associated With Millennials

Sixty percent of employees say the ability to do what they do best in a role is “very important” to them. All employees, regardless of age or gender, placed the greatest importance on this aspect of a job. But millennials are more likely than both Gen Xers and baby boomers to say a job that accelerates their professional or career development is “very important” to them. It seems they are not only looking for a job they are passionate about, but one that fits into the bigger picture of their career path. Given that they make up about one-third of the American workforce, it should be no surprise that millennials are having a profound effect on all aspects of work. In fact, millennials are becoming a driving force in making workplaces safer for everyone. If you are looking to further your career in occupational safety and health, understanding the millennial perspective is vital.

There are many ways to offer flexibility, such as options to work from home, start at later times or dress casually. There’s an idea that the older generations tend to micromanage younger employees, but millennials want to be trusted to do their jobs without micromanagement. It’s important that employers realize that properly answering questions can lead to a greater understanding and better work from the millennial workforce. Plus, questioning the way things are done is not necessarily displaying a lack of respect. It is possible that there is indeed a better, more efficient way to complete tasks.

Motivating millennials in the workplace can be as easy as listening to their ideas – and implementing them when they’re worthy. More than 41 percent prefer to communicate electronically rather than face to face or on the phone. On the whole, technology dominates and is integrated into their lives in a variety of ways. Furthermore, millennials said that technology is often a catalyst for workplace conflict among the generations as they often feel they are held back due to outdated working atmospheres.

When it comes to employee engagement, I concluded that generational differences do exist between millennials and baby boomers. In pushing these findings further and into practice, employers should adopt the belief that to sustain prolonged engagement, they must understand carefully manage the engagement drivers and threats.

Contact us today to learn more about how our tools and approach can help you support your employees and the strength of your business. Still, there are signs that things could change for more workers. Some large and influential companies, including Walmart and Apple, have recently begun talking about the need to shift from prioritizing shareholders above all else to taking care of their employees too. And as more millennials become bosses and more job seekers demand a saner way to work, companies will have no choice. It’s still rare for companies to operate this way, and the obstacles are bigger than any one company’s H.R. Some older employees may think new hires should suffer the way they did, and employers benefit from having always-on workers.

A key challenge will exist around creating approaches to engagement that are perceived as equitable across generations. Remote working – Younger generation managers are more likely to embrace remote working, both for their employees and their staff. Three-quarters of millennial and Gen Z managers have team members who work a significant portion of their time remotely, versus 58 percent of baby boomers. By 2028, 73 percent of all teams are expected to have remote workers. Another trait that many Millennial workers share is a desire for a higher purpose in their working lives. This generation is drawn to workplaces that can clearly state the value they bring to their clients and to the world. As part of a globally-aware group, Millennials want to know how the work they do benefits those around them, and employers who can communicate their values are often preferred.