Today’s guest post by Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended looks at one of the key challenges for small business owners – Staffing. She builds a compelling case for business owners to consider adding Millenials to their team. I know Roundpeg is more fun, more interesting and more creative because of our Millenials’ Jay, Allison and Taylor.
Whether you like it or not, Millennials (born 1977-1997, also known as Generation Y) are the future of your workplace. While some experts talk about this generation as being “entitled” or “job hoppers,” I’m going to tell you that Millennials can – and will – be a vital part of your team and organization.
Here are five reasons you need this generation in your workplace:
- Their ease with technology. Generation Y has been using computers, e-mail and social media since they could get their hands on it. They spend hours each day engaged in these tools. They are also eager to share their knowledge and expertise with you.
- Task-focused. When instructed clearly, Millennials tend to become very focused on the task at hand. With their extensive knowledge of technology, they also have the ability to complete tasks with more efficiency than older generations. (And if they don’t know how to do something, they “crowdsource” and ask their friends!)
- Their ability to multitask. Millennials are also known for being “super productive”—for example, at college they may have been involved in multiple extracurriculars while still maintaining good grades and a social life. They’ve also grown up multitasking, many doing homework while chatting online or watching television. If you engage them in the workplace, they will apply this ability to their job—typically going above and beyond their job description and ignoring the typical “9-to-5” mentality.
- Initiative. Millennials constantly think of innovative ideas at companies they work for. They can easily see a process that needs improvement and suggest a way to fix it. They have also been one of the most environmentally-conscious generations of our time, listening to endless initiatives about going green and utilizing new technology for less waste. Both innovative ideas and green technology can be very beneficial to your company.
- Recruiting talent. Gen Y has fewer boundaries than earlier generations between work and life. If they love your company, they will suggest it to their peers and may help you recruit future talent for your workplace.
When looking to add Gen Y members to your team, keep in mind that they may have different expectations than earlier generations—especially in terms of their job considerations, benefits and technology. For more information on Generation Y in the workplace, download an infographic loaded with statistics here.
Do you currently have any Millennials working for you? If not, will you in the next five years?
Author:
Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals. She is also the author of #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com. Follow her on Twitter at @heatherhuhman.