MILLENNIALS IN THE WORK PLACE
Millennials In The Work Place
MILLENNIALS IN THE WORK PLACE
By Abbey Morrow Counsel On Call abbey. morrow @ counseloncall. com
The Millennial generation, sometimes referred to as“ Gen Y,” are poised to comprise half of the workforce by 2020. In addition to working as law firm associates and junior partners, they are also now starting to take on roles as counsel for corporate legal departments. Attorneys are also encountering Millennials as clients and as internal business unit leaders in departments such as marketing, sales, finance, and information technology. As such, employers are seeking ways to prepare for the oncoming shift in the workforce and to embrace the differences between the working generations.
“ Millennials are looking for lifestyle. They want flexibility, self-regulation and autonomy. They are not lazy.”
Jane S. Goldner, Ph. D., President & CEO, The Goldner Group addressed considerations driving Millennials in the workplace,“ Millennials are looking for lifestyle. They want flexibility, selfregulation and autonomy. They are not lazy.” She has advised employers of Millennials to be clear about expectations and to allow them to work without micromanagement. Millennials are less concerned with facetime and more focused on the end goal, she noted; whereas Baby Boomers and Gen X have adopted a“ work hard, play hard mentality.” Millennials want to work hard and play hard at the same time. Managers who are more insistent on facetime than flexibility should challenge themselves to be less resistant to change, Goldner noted.“ We need to acknowledge there are different ways to do things” and adapt to different work styles, she said. is really amazing,” said Hundley.“ They can analyze data and risk.” To that end, corporations are asking Millennials for their feedback to help improve training modules and support in influencing their departments.
As generational shifts occur in the workplace, employers are adjusting to the reality that their workforce may not stay in one place over the course of their career. Companies like General Electric and Cox are spearheading various initiatives to make more immediate incentives to motivate their employees. Cox completed a survey around Millennials’ hierarchy of needs and found they most wanted key development opportunities, more flexibility to work remotely, mentoring circles instead of one-on-one mentor relationships, and annual summits to engage and look at innovative ways to improve the workplace. General Electric has adopted a flexible work policy, permissive vacation policies instead of set time off, and a performance management culture with real-time evaluations replacing the staid annual review.
“ I don’ t see Millennials as problematic,” Hundley said, dismissing an oft-cited concern that Millennials are a detriment.“ I see how we train and develop new talent as problematic. We must also look at existing policies and procedures, and consider changes where needed.”
Anne Whitaker, Vice President, Counsel On Call, offered best practices and core competencies for struggling managers.“ Millennials want to be heard and to know the‘ why’ behind something that is asked of them,” she said.“ There are different delivery mechanisms to get your message across and managers can take a proactive approach by listening actively and being self-aware.”
Lissiah Hundley, Executive Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Corporate HR-People Services, Cox Communications, Inc., spends a lot of time ensuring all generations feel included and valued. Millennials are being recruited for and adjusting to a work culture with other generations who differ in workstyle. Technology is one such area where most millennials excel and she encourages employers to embrace their junior workforce.“ The Millennial [ generation’ s ] use of technology
“ I have had clients tell me they would like to just fire all [ of their Millennial employees ],” Whitaker said.“ Obviously, law firms and corporate legal departments can’ t take that approach. We must figure out how to work together and learn from each other.”
The four predominant generations found in the workplace, and particularly within law firms and corporate legal departments
18 THE ATLANTA LAWYER January 2016 The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association