Based on findings from Katherine Jeffery’s dissertation, Millennials have become the largest generation in the workforce. However, only 18% of Millennials plan to stay with their current employer long-term. Today, with Gen Z entering the workforce, building bridges across generations and leveraging the unique strengths of both groups has become even more essential.

The graphic below visually represents these core strategies—rooted in Jeffery’s research—designed to support Millennials in the workplace and foster collaboration with Gen Z. These strategies include implementing shared leadership, adapting leadership styles, empowering employees, fostering belonging, and embracing diversity, among others.

Organizations that can adapt while staying true to their core values will be best positioned to retain top talent, build a sustainable future, and drive innovation. With Millennial turnover alone costing the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually, addressing these challenges is critical for long-term success.

A SENSE OF BELONGING
Millennials have a deep longing to belong, a longing for community and the desire to feel safe. 71% of Millennials desire for their coworkers to be like a second family. When they feel like they belong to a team, they feel like they belong at the organization, which leads to a more productive, healthy team and a longer commitment to the organization.

COLLABORATIVE CULTURE
As the Collaboration Generation, they have been on teams since they could walk and believe they are better when they work together. Collaborating means they are part of something bigger and have people beside them as they pursue the end goal. This creates trust and a sense of purpose both of which contribute to a healthy culture. When a company has a high-trust culture, employees will have 50% higher productivity.

NEED TO HAVE VOICE
Millennials need to be heard. Decision-making cannot be done in a vacuum. Hearing all perspectives is necessary and helpful. Lack of voice can lead to disengagement and high turnover.

CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Millennials desire to have space to be creative. With the increasing need for innovation, companies need to work hard to implement psychological safety in the workplace so that this generation can fully express themselves. Without this space, Millennials will move on.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
This is expected. It is not just about the color of a person’s skin but involves individuality. It is necessary, important, and normal. Millennials are inclusive and think anything less is “arrogant.”

INDIVIDUALLY KNOWN
Millennials are willing to invest time in being known. If a company tries a “one size fits all” approach, this generation will move on to a place where they can flourish as individuals.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE/EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL INTERACTIONS
Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management are areas where Millennials expect their leaders to excel. This generation also expects these skills in their teammates. When they work with people who are competent in these areas it communicates that they are seen, understood, and valued.

STRENGTHS-BASED CULTURE
They desire to live into their individual strengths. Having a strength and never using it is “like a gift showing up and never being opened.” Utilizing strengths is capitalizing on productivity and flourishing. Companies that shift to a strengths-based culture can have 26%-72% lower turnover rate.

TEAM-BASED CULTURE
This generation wants team members who communicate well, take initiative, are proactive, and accountable to their commitments. When led and supported well, Millennials will work hard. If the culture does not support collaboration, they will find one that does.

WORKING ALONGSIDE
Hierarchy is not cool. Leaders need to be accessible and willing to get their hands dirty alongside of their team. The desire is for a leader who does not tower over them but walks beside them as they grow. This approach enriches the culture by communicating to the team that the leader acknowledges that they hold the same value as (s)he does. 

EMPOWERED
The lack of empowerment = oppression. This was found to be the most important leader practice. Trust is a key component to working well with this generation. A recent Citigroup and LinkedIn survey found that almost half of employees would forfeit a 20% increase in salary in exchange for increased control over how they work.

ADAPTABLE LEADERSHIP
It is no longer about a team of employees becoming who the boss wants them to be, it is about the leadership understanding each of their individual needs and adapting to them. This organizational approach communicates value to this generation. They feel seen and heard and as a result, are more committed to the organization.

SHARED LEADERSHIP
Millennials see leadership as a fluid concept. It can easily be passed around to the one who has the skills needed to do the job. The “assigned” leader is the one who facilitates. This person holds more responsibility but not more value. In a top-down culture, this generation feels “dominated” and unvalued which leads to disengagement and a decrease in retention.

A FEW OF OUR CLIENTS

SOURCES
1. Meister, Jeanne & Willyerd, Karie. 2010. Mentoring Millennials. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2010/05/mentoring-millennials.
2. PricewaterhouseCoopers. 2011. Millennials at Work: Reshaping the Workplace. https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/services/consulting/documents/millennials-at-work.pdf.
3.Adkins, Amy. 2016. Millennials: The Job-Hopping Generation. http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/191459/millennials-job-hopping-generation.aspx.
4. Thomas-Aguilar, Blakely. “Millennials at Work: When it Comes to Business Does Father Still Know Best?” https://www.pgi.com/blog/2013/06/millennials-at-work-when-it-comes-to-business-does-father-still-know-best-infographic/. December 9, 2016.
5.Zak, Paul. 2017. The Neuroscience of Trust. Harvard Business Review. January-February 2017, 84-90.
6.Cooper, Simon. 2016. Why Aren’t All Organizations Strengths-Based? http://www.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/196595/why-aren-organizations-strengths-based.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndication.