Seminar on the millennial generation appeals to Nashville business community

Janel Shoun | 07/17/2007

What do employers say about millennials?

If it looks like your co-workers are always looking younger, perhaps dressing more casually, or maybe even walking by your cubicle with a dog, you probably aren’t dreaming.

Millennials, or Generation Y, those born after 1980, already make up 20 percent of the workforce and their demographic arc is just beginning, Amy Lynch, a local writer and speaker told a packed crowd at the Lipscomb University Career Development Center’s first workshop for local employers, “Recruiting and Retaining the Millennial Generation.”

Having grown up in the technological age, millennials’ personalities and values are strikingly different from the generation before, largely because long-term exposure “to technology has changed the very brains of millennials,” Lynch said. “They have developed unique abilities. They are much more visual, their brains work faster, information is fluid for millennials.”

And all that can mean a human resources headache for companies used to dealing with linear-thinking veterans, baby boomers and even Generation Xers. It was obvious the topic is one of great interest to the business community as the seminar, originally limited to 100 attendees, was expanded to 150 people due to popular demand.

“Many young professionals searching for a job have a new mindset that employers may not be familiar with,” said Lisa Shacklett, director of Lipscomb’s Career Development Center. She wanted to find a way for the center to give back to the Nashville community, and the millennials seminar hit the mark.

“With a large gap between job openings and employees to fill them expected in the next decade, it is important for companies to understand millennials in order for their companies to survive,” she said. “Retiring baby boomers likely have completely different skill sets than the incoming millennials, which adds another challenge to employers for the future.”

In fact, millennials are already 80 million strong and by 2020 will make up half of the American workforce, Lynch said. They are already having a major impact on company hiring and training, said members of a panel during the workshop. Here’s how:

Because many millennials are more likely to move from company to company, with little loyalty to their employer, Capital Financial Group has focused on making new employees more effective, faster, said June Walker of Capital. That benefits both the company and the millennial employees, who tend to value professional development.

Millennials are very interested in climbing the career ladder fast, so Dell has worked to communicate its career path for employees very clearly on the front end, in hopes they will stick with the company, said Elisabeth Zimowski of Dell.

“They want to feel like they are contributing, but in return, they want to feel like they are being developed,” Zimowski said.

Millennials are interested in the ethics and values of the company

Allen Long, human resources director for Carter’s Inc., said he finds that millennials want two things: a fun working environment and “to work for trustworthy, ethical leaders.” Long said he finds new recruits asking Carter’s officials in their first interviews about the company’s mission statement and how it plays out on a daily basis.

Generation Xers used to talk about a “balance of work and home life,” said Zimowski. But for millennials, their work is their life, so they don’t mind sticking around the office longer if the company takes steps to make it a positive environment (some companies have erected volleyball courts, basketball goals, or allowed employees to bring pets to work.).

“In generations before, the paycheck was enough, but it’s not enough anymore,” said Wayne Hampton of the Walt Disney Company. “So we are always searching for small ways we can provide recognition on a daily basis.”

Millennials say they want flexible managers who believe in them

The seminar concluded with the voices of the millennials themselves: five recent graduates spoke about their work experiences in Nashville so far. What did they reveal?

• They hate micro-managers.
• They love mentors and strong training programs.
• They appreciate company newsletters and other vehicles that make them feel a part of the company.
• They like flexibility in their managers.
• They want supervisors who believe in them and will trust them to make the work their own.
• They love monetary rewards, but simply including them in the decision-making process or an occasional word of compliment are also great motivators.
• They crave challenges on the job.