Not only are millennials open to change and adaptive, but they also seem to possess an extraordinary passion for learning new things. This generation exhibits deep curiosity about the world and displays the desire to further develop skills and knowledge that can help them within their professional lives.
Strauss and Howe ascribe seven basic traits to the millennial cohort: special, sheltered, confident, team-oriented, conventional, pressured, and achieving.
Millennials are likely the most studied and talked about this generation to date. They are the first generation in history that have grown up totally immersed in a world of digital technology, which has shaped their identities and created lasting political, social, and cultural attitudes.
Millennials as a whole also demonstrate more optimism about the future than the other generations. They are more passionate than the older generations, with 27.2% falling into the Passionate group compared to 14.2% of Baby Boomers and 18% of Generation X.
Due to their independent nature, Millenials are not as interested in teamwork as other generations. Millennials do not have as strong a work ethic, with an average of 38.8 hours spent at work a week compared to previous generations who both average above 40 hours8.
Common stereotypes associated with millennials, roughly defined as the generation born since 1980, are well documented and mostly negative. Millennials are presumed to be lazy, entitled, delusional, narcissistic and unreliable.
What do Millennials value most? Millennials value experiences, personalization, authenticity, and transparency. They appreciate companies that are socially and environmentally conscious, and also value flexibility, communication, and collaboration.
Millennials aren't lazy; in fact, most of them are incredibly driven. They want to learn, advance, and progress. And it's important to provide them a path to do so at your company. As Fontana explains, "Giving employees room to grow and progress at your business is a huge motivator.
What makes millennials different from other generations?
Flexibility and Multitasking
As already mentioned, the Millennial Generation is able to accept different cultures. Hence, flexibility means that Millennials are able to work with new people, places, and situations. Although they do not expect to change, they are ready to accommodate to new things and people.
They value family, personal connection, and loyalty. They seek out the genuine and are repulsed by phony. They are famously optimistic and believe in the possibility of change. They advocate for the environment and social justice.
Millennials will emphasize family experiences over material things. An emphasis on travel, learning and experiences is characteristic of their generation and a pattern they are likely to carry over into their parenting.
Ambitious millennials want their hard work to be recognised and appreciated. Having regular appraisals and offering feedback is a great way to keep them engaged and help them progress and achieve their set goals.
Millennials have demonstrated their strong work ethic through volunteerism, social activism, and entrepreneurship, proving their capacity to contribute meaningfully to society. They're also known for their ability to multitask and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
According to a recent survey of 1,300 managers, three out of four agree that Gen Z is harder to work with than other generations — so much so that 65% of employers said they have to fire them more often.
