Millennial Workplace Myths Debunked

Millennials are likely the most studied generation to date and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are plenty of them to study—actually 80 million (the largest cohort size in history). Unknown to most, not just ‘90s babies make up this generation, its actually those people born in the 80's too. Millennials are defined as people born between 1980-1999.

Below are the top Millennial Myths that need to be erased from our minds when it comes to the workplace. These points were taken from Carolyn Baird’s article ‘5 myths about millennials in the workplace’ featured in Fortune Magazine.

Don’t we all share the vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Millennials’ career goals mirror those of Gen X (born 1965-1979). The major difference in workplace expectations between the generations is really company culture. Millennials desire financial security, leadership, professional development, but at the end of the day if the office is still the culture that was established by generations before, a company will have a hard time attracting the best young professionals demanding a new-age environment.

In the workplace, Millennials are less looking for the fast track to their dream job and more looking for an opportunity to develop the skills to get there. Our generation wants their manager to help them grow, not hand them a participation trophy. With that said, don't be stingy on positive reinforcement, which is a great motivator for Millennials. 

Personally, I AGREE with this statement. However, many professionals use social media to better understand their industry or job opportunities available, which I don't think is a bad thing. Social media can help candidates get a leg up on a position. Here's an example, if a candidate can learn that the hiring manager is a Yogi and they love yoga themselves, social media now becomes a tool to help connect with your next potential boss.

NOTE: Beware Millennials on social sites!  Be yourself, but don't overshare. Its great to learn if you are in sync with the company you are seeking employment from, but remember they can see everything you post. So check your privacy settings.  A great oppotunity to use social media for good and not evil, is connecting with the company you are interviwing at via LinkedIn. 

‘Both Millennial and Gen X workers have a desire to tap a variety of sources to inform their decisions – much more so than independent-minded Baby Boomers.’ (Baird). Today's workforce is more diverse and educated- so why not seek the opinions of your colleagues before making a decision? If you know more than I do about a topic, why shouldn't I use you as an educational sink and I’ll be the sponge! By definition, a decision is a conclusion or resolution reached AFTER consideration. The more minds the merrier.

Millennials are more likely to jump ship if a job doesn't fulfill their passions. 
“The survey data reveals that all three generations change jobs for similar reasons. Millennials, Gen X’ers and Baby Boomers all cited the same top four motivating factors for changing jobs: to enter the fast lane (by far the most popular for all generations), shoot for the top, follow one’s heart, or save the world” (Baird).  Millennials are constantly looking for growth opportunities, if they are able to voice their needs/passions they will have more job satisfaction. They are no different from any other generation in the job market.