Millennials in The Workplace: Engaging with The Unengaged Employees

Who do we call Millennials?

Millennials are people born between 1980 and 1996—at least, that’s the generally agreed time frame. 

They are the first generation that we can call tech-savvy. They didn’t grow up surrounded by technology like Gen Z and younger generations did, but they certainly came to embrace it at a very young age, which makes them very comfortable around technology and quick to jump on new trends—especially when it comes to mobile apps.

How do Millennials behave in the workplace?

Work-life balance

One thing you will read practically everywhere about Millennials is that they care about more than just their paycheck. This is true, in the sense that they profoundly value the work-life balance, and will do anything not to jeopardize it.

They do not believe that excessive work demands are worth sacrifices in their personal lives, and they will even go as far as taking a slight pay cut rather than having to kill themselves for a job that does more than just pay the bills. They want to have a life outside of work and expect enough flexibility to allow them to fulfill both their personal and professional commitments.

In other words, they work to live, not the other way around. That’s why their job is just a means to an end—namely, a better and fuller life than the one they saw their parents live.

Making positive impact

By extension, Millennials believe in making a positive impact, and that includes in their jobs. They want their jobs and encounters to have meaning and contribute to society: whether that be because of their purpose or because of the company’s sustainable involvement, a job that 'gives something back’ is often a priority (which is true for future generations, too).

Millennials believe that businesses and business leaders should contribute to improving society—hence their appreciation for engaged sustainable development—and they are more likely to be loyal to a company with strong ethics than anything else.

Job-hopping

The third main characteristic often associated with Millennials in the workplace is their tendency to easily and promptly switch jobs. 

That is not to say that they are bad employees, which is actually quite untrue. However, their desire for a flexible work schedule and environment, combined with their wish to make a positive impact, makes Millennials a less loyal subgroup of the workforce than, for example, Gen-Xers or Baby Boomers.

In fact, it may well be that Millenials aren’t necessarily always on the lookout for the next opportunity, but should that come along, they won’t feel torn apart by guilt at leaving their current occupation in favor of one they perceive to be a better fit for them (at the cost of giving up on an endless string of promotion and internal growth in their current company).

Millennials in the workplace: a case of unengagement

Why are Millennials so likely to move around? The reason is probably the fact that they are, generally speaking, unengaged. 

Gallup has found that only 29% of Millennials feel they are engaged at work, meaning only about 3 in 10 are emotionally and behaviorally connected to their job and company. 

Not only that but the majority of Millennials—around 55%—are not engaged, leading all other generations in this category of worker engagement. Finally, another 16% of Millennials are actively disengaged, meaning they are more or less out to do damage to their company. 

How to engage unengaged Millennials

Not engaging Millennials in the workplace could be a big miss for organizations. It's possible that many Millennials actually don't want to switch jobs, but their companies aren't giving them compelling reasons to stay, and that fault can severely impact retention rates all around.

When the reasons for one’s lack of engagement in the workplace are connected with the core of an entire generation rather than the specific employee, then understating the hidden mechanisms and historical circumstances that characterize them can be the key to turning the situation around.

Leveraging employee advocacy to strengthen engagement

Given strengths and weaknesses of Millennials in the workplace, companies need to leverage a strategy that hinges on personal connection, recognition, and personal development. 

Employee advocacy combines key aspects that can nurture loyalty in Millennials and reverse chronic and generational disengagement:

• Encourage collaboration and ideation. Millennials want to be part of the organization, share their ideas, and be proactive in their contribution to the company’s goals. They want to know that their ideas are listened to and that they can have a platform to share them and collaborate with colleagues.
  
  Employee advocacy solutions like Ambassify offer a platform to foster collaboration between colleagues and between you, as the employer, and your employees.
  
  
• Focus on employee satisfaction. Millennials believe that success should be measured by productivity and not by the number of hours they are seen in an office, so make sure you’re listening to them and their needs. Whether that looks like granting hybrid or remote work, reducing face-to-face meetings, or leaving them the freedom to check in and out of work according to their needs, make sure they’re needs are listened to.
  
  Job satisfaction is about more than getting good pay, and we have seen that that’s not even number one on Millennials’ list. They would rather want to feel supported, listened to, trusted to do their job, and appreciated for their efforts. Making small changes to your culture and being more considerate in this regard will have a huge impact on Millennial retention.
  
  
• Provide growth and development opportunities. Millennials want more opportunities to develop their skills. These include technological skills, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Millennials want to have a say and contribute their ideas. Millennials work long hours, don’t expect work to stop when they leave the office and are quite motivated. They want to contribute beyond their job descriptions and move up in the organization. They are looking for employers that can provide ongoing education and a career path for them.

Millennials are consumers of the workplace, and they are willing to investigate and pursue positions with other companies. For leaders, the current challenge is twofold: They must understand how to attract the Millennial workers who are looking to leave their current organizations and how to retain their existing Millennial employees.