When millennials entered the workforce a decade or so ago, the criticism of them was swift. They were lazy know-it-alls who didn’t understand their place and were unwilling to put in the work that we Gen Xers had eagerly done to please our baby boomer bosses. We joked that their helicopter parents had made them incapable of functioning in the real world, and participation trophies had given them a false sense of self-worth. Like so many generations before us, we shook our head, cried, “Kids today,” and swore that we’d whip them into shape before long.
Only that’s not what happened. They stood firm in their beliefs of what work should be. They rejected our unyielding dedication to our jobs, insisted on work-life balance, demanded attention from their bosses and asked for promotions every year. As aggravating as it was in the moment, when I look at the millennials I have managed over the years and the ones we currently employ, I realize that they have been a force for good in our agencies. They made us reconsider the workplace we’d inherited and, ultimately, whipped us into shape.
What We Got Wrong About Millennials
The millennial generation, sometimes called Gen Y, began with those babies born in the early 1980s and ends sometime just before 2000, when Gen Z takes over. So, today’s millennials could be as old as 38 or as young as 19, but I mostly think of those who are in their late 20s and early 30s right now.
These kids (who admittedly aren’t kids anymore) entered the workforce as the economy was falling apart. They had worked hard in college, many racking up significant debt in the process, only to be thrust into a world that seemed to have little opportunity. They saw people with 20+ years of experience being laid off and companies consolidating jobs rather than hiring anyone new. Whereas other generations expected to do better than their parents, millennials seemed to know that was out of reach.
They also saw a world of economic injustice in which the very rich were getting richer and everyone else was suffering. And they were angry about inheriting ongoing wars, ballooning national debt, a crumbling education system, and a dying planet from a generation who didn’t seem to care enough to take action.
It’s not surprising, therefore, that they came into our agencies unwilling to yield to unreasonable demands. They would not work 100-hour weeks. They would not accept a boss who was too busy to mentor them. They did not want to stay in the same job for years on end. And, they wanted to play kickball. (In our office, kickball is practically a religion and we wouldn’t dare suggest someone skip a game to work late.)
What Millennials Got Right About Work And Life
All of this was hard for us Gen Xers to handle. We had bought into the baby boomer work ethic that said being at your desk at 8 p.m. every night was proof of your dedication. We worked weekends, skipped vacations and came to the office on holidays.
We expected that our employees would do the same, but millennials refused because they care about living more than they care about working. Just take a look at the Urban Outfitters library. They want to raise house plants, eat avocado toast, go on adventures, have good sex, and make bad jokes. They’re on a constant quest for betterment through meditation, mindfulness, CBD everything, and lessons learned from their cat.
I doubt cats have anything to teach me, but I think millennials do. When I run into colleagues from early in my career, my first thought is often about how old and tired they look. I don’t mean this nastily; it’s just a fact for Gen Xers as we near 50. We worked too much and tried too hard, and we’re fried. But we can (and should) let millennials help us recalibrate. Their refusal to burn themselves out will make them more valuable for more years.
What Millennials Really Want Out Of A Job
There are still things that will drive most of us crazy about our younger colleagues, like their utter refusal to admit that there is anything they don’t already know. But the truth is that the things millennials want out of their workplaces are no different than what we wanted.
Millennials want to make money and have job security. They want holidays away from the office and flexible working arrangements. They want ever-evolving jobs: One survey found that two-thirds of millennials thought two years was the right amount of time to stay in a role without getting promoted or finding a new job, and a quarter said just one year.
They want managers who care about them and pay attention: A Gallup Poll found that nearly half (44%) of millennials say they’re more likely to be engaged when their manager holds regular meetings with them. However, only 21% said they meet with their manager each week.
And they want to work for and with companies that care about the world and are trying to improve it. A LinkedIn report found that “71% of professionals say they would be willing to take a pay cut to work for a company that has a mission they believe in and shared values.”
These are not unreasonable demands and will ultimately make our workplaces better for employees of all ages. I say it’s time that we celebrate millennials, thank them for all the positive changes they have brought to our agencies and promise to help them with their goal of having interesting jobs that also allow them to lead interesting lives. And while we’re at it, we might as well give them all a trophy for participating in the modernization of today’s workplace.