What Do Millennials Want at Workplace?

A report by the University of North Carolina estimates that by 2020, 46% of employees will be millennials. Are our workplaces ready for the advent of the new generation who walk in with a new mindset and set of skills. What all would managers have to do to keep them motivated and productive while providing enough avenues for career advancement?.

Hallie Crawford, certified career coach, speaker and author, writing in the U.S. News blog, says the first step should be to provide flexibility. With technological advancements,employees no longer need to remain confined to a 9-to-5 workday or to their office desk.

Several employees continue to check in on work projects from their devices in the evenings and weekends. Others find it convenient to work from a remote location. Giving employees more flexibility, so that they could work from home a few days a week, could boost workplace productivity and satisfaction. This particular factor differs from organisation to organisation and should be implemented only after getting the feedback from the employees and the human resources

A feeling of drudgery lowers productivity. The office atmosphere could be improved with a break room furnished with a few plants, better lighting, a coffee machine or something else the employees would enjoy.

The second step is feedback from the management side. The UNC study found that having meaningful work and a sense of accomplishment are important factors for millennials. While, in the usual course, employee feedback is considered to be a performance review every six months, it would be better to provide them with constant feed back to keep them motivated.

The performance review system need not be dismantled. It could be done in an informal manner by scheduling some time to pass by the employees’ workspaces to say hello and offer a little encouragement. Alternatively, some quick emails could let them know that you value them, that they did a great job on a project, or offer a quick tip to help them with their next task.

However, do not overdo it as it would make employees feel that they are under constant scrutiny and lead to building up of stress. The key is to stay balanced. If you find you don’t give any weekly feedback or encouragement, pick one department this week that you could send a quick email to, thanking them for their hard work on their latest project.

The third step is to provide something by way of inspiration. A feeling of drudgery lowers productivity. The office atmosphere could be improved with a break room furnished with a few plants, better lighting, a coffee machine or something else the employees would enjoy.

Before implementing the suggestions, the current office culture needs to be reviewed and assessed if the employees would benefit from any of these changes. It is also important to periodically make changes to keep them motivated.