This article may come across as biased as I am also a ‘Millennial’, but after recently returning from furlough most candidates that I have caught up with fall into this banding. I wanted to start with a millennial stereotype & after one search, this caught my attention “They’re lazy. They don’t want to work like we did, and they want so much accommodation”.
Why does the millennial generation get so much criticism? Is it justified? It is true that every generation has a tendency to look at the generation that follows them with a critical eye, I myself probably have unintentionally complained about generation Z! Given the current predictions on the worst affected age group post COVID being between 21 – 30, I wanted to highlight the key qualities these individuals can offer.
I have listed what I believe are key qualities that this generation can bring to any organisation (worth mentioning, these qualities are not limited to just millennials, but they are generally compared to millennials):
1 Intuitive knowledge of technology
2 Open and adaptive to change
3 Passion for learning
4 Free-thinking and creative
5 Values social interactions in the workplace
“Having a diverse workforce ensures engagement and adaptability around working patterns & strategies“ a snippet from a conversation with a Talent Acquisition Specialist within a Global Trading Firm
1 – Intuitive knowledge of technology
I feel this one is almost self-explanatory due to the drastic changes our working life has taken in the past 6 months. However, this quality was obvious much before COVID, with the majority of candidates first questions about a potential job opportunity being ‘what are their view on flexible working & remote working?’.
2 – Open and adaptive to change
This of course will come with experience & confidence in any professional, however many case studies have stated that millennials seem to recognize that industries are constantly changing and that the methods of working within the modern-day career field must change with them.
3 – Passion for learning
Passion for learning is an amazing characteristic to have, I naively stopped looking to learn after University because I felt I was ‘finished’ with education… however over the past 6 months I have studied further into physical fitness & self-progression. Although, I would say that this intense passion for learning can also be a hindrance. This is because you can perceive learning as progression & can push for this too quickly, rather than have a true learning experience.
4 – Free-thinking and creative
The amount of times I hear ‘it is the norm’ in both professional & social aspects of my life, is almost… the norm! The creative mindsets will allow forward thinking adaptations to happen & potentially develop new & progressive ways of working. A favourite quote of mine is “You are always a student, never master. You have to keep moving forward”.
5 – Values social interactions in the workplace
Given the current ‘new normal’ it is easy to accept that working from home permanently is here to stay. However, millennials place a great degree of importance on working within a team environment – collaboration on projects and problem-solving with different points of views. I believe that the future must have a deal of compromise around working from home and being in the office. I for one cannot wait to enjoy the camaraderie of my team face to face, rather than camera to camera.
In conclusion, I believe that every age & generation has a part in the working world going forward. However, as I mentioned earlier on in the article that the millennial generation are the most likely to be affected with job losses in the coming year, hopefully these 5 points identify key skills that millennials can bring to any organisation.
Thank you for reading & I hope you found some of this information interesting, whilst potentially giving you another view of the millennial generation!