Millennials Change the Workplace
A long time ago, in what now seems “a galaxy far, far away”, I enjoyed a wonderful career at JAL’s Hotel division – Nikko Hotels International. It was a whirlwind of activity. The chain was growing in size and importance in the Americas, the economy was booming and the luxury hotel sector was in a very advantageous state. As with many small companies, my team and I wore multiple hats and played a plethora of roles while overseeing the growth and expansion of the brand and guiding its evolution in distribution. As the economy began changing for Japan, and its approach to overseas investments took a sharp turn, I was offered the opportunity I couldn’t pass up – a transfer to our Paris property.
Far from being an easy or instant decision, I gave it much consideration before coming to a thoughtful and deliberate decision.
One thing I wasn’t too concerned about was the cultural challenge. I was raised in a French household; my mom worked for Air France, I had relatives in Paris and elsewhere in France who visited and whom I had often visited. While I was French, I was also American… any 1st generation immigrant will attest, you don’t feel fully from either world. Nevertheless, that part would not be an issue.
Also, after working for Nikko for more than a decade, I understood the corporate culture. I always had Japanese bosses, went to Japan very frequently. I thought it would be a piece of cake … until I got there.
I found out very quickly that one thing I am not is French. Not in my expectations, my willingness to try new and different ways of doing things, in my empowerment of my team, in my entire way of thinking, I am most certainly NOT French. While I had to adjust my expectations, I also had to be creative in finding ways to also bring some American style dynamic and management to my team. Some were resistant to the end, while some thrived on the new empowering leadership that enabled them to develop their skills, confidence and overall careers. My experience there also changed me in profound ways that have served me just as well.
As an entrepreneur, I try to pay it forward by nurturing the next generation and have worked with 20-something interns in the past 2 years. It’s impossible not to notice how different they think and work from me. It dawned on me that this was similar to my Paris experience. We baby boomers have different views, expectations and motivation than do Millennials.
Meet the Millennials
Millennials (or Gen-Y) are those people born between the years 1980 and 2000. These are the kids that grew up with technology. These are the kids that learned to play ball without scoring and got trophies just for playing (winning is underrated). These are the kids that were raised to believe they can do anything and were given unconditional support and encouragement. These are the kids with helicopter parents who viewed their parents as friends and tell them EVERYTHING. A very different upbringing than baby boomers.
Because of this upbringing, Millennials bring certain traits to the workplace that are very different than many of us are used to. Some can be extremely valuable, others are very strange to us. Since this generation will be 0% of the workplace by 2020 (just 5 years away!!) we must, as I did in Paris, adjust and learn how to not only nurture their skills, but merge our expectations and theirs if we have any hope to succeed as mentors and leaders.
Among the key traits this generation brings are:
- Team Playing – Millennials grew up in a social environment where teams are important than the individual. Working in groups is natural to them; they believe you can accomplish more and be better in a team environment.
- A “can-do” attitude – Raised by doting parents, these kids have been told their entire lives that they can do anything… and they believe it. Give them a challenge and they will rise to the occasion with creativity and results.
- Reinforcement– The flip side of the “can-do” is what some boomers call “needy”. Many Millennials have been raised with “helicopter parents” (parents observing and participating in every aspect of their lives, social, academic and even professional) all the while getting an “attaboy!” for every accomplishment. They need to be told they’ve done a good job. They don’t respond well to criticism or scolding, but rather need to be guided and coached in how to do things better, or your way. Without the guidance, they are lost, without the reinforcement, they don’t feel accomplished or appreciated.
- Structure – When we boomers were kids, our parents told us “go out and play!” Millennials were the first generation to have practically their entire lives scheduled – tutoring, play dates, soccer/football, ballet, karate were scheduled so that the kids had practically no free time. They need structure in the corporate environment too. Monthly due dates, regular hours, recurring meetings with agendas and minutes, clearly stated goals, assignments and progress measurements.
- Virtualization – Not only are they comfortable in teams, they are comfortable in teams where not everyone is in the same place. Using technology (which they are GREAT at), they work easily in an electronic world and have no issues with identifying and completing goals with global teammates.
- Globalization – Many of this generation are well travelled and have a very open view of the world. They are comfortable in a multi-cultural environment and thrive on learning new approaches. Building cross-cultural teams for global projects feels natural to them.
- Loyalty – Many of our parents spent their entire career at 1 company. They were loyal to company and the company returned that loyalty with pay raises, benefits and generous pensions. My dad spent 30 years at Domino Sugar, my mom 20 years at Air France. Those days are gone. It has been said that there is no loyalty in this generation, but that is not necessarily true. As in the “old” days, a company looking for loyalty from their employees must show some loyalty in return – this is even more so for Gen-Y. They want to enjoy their work, to feel appreciated, to make friends at the workplace. Provide an environment where these things happen and they will remain loyal. That doesn’t mean they won’t keep their options open – anyone would be foolish not to – but they will weigh that heavily against the option of leaving to the unknown.
This is not an exhaustive list and obviously any generalization is inherently unfair. But the key point is to keep an open mind about how you can get the best out of your younger employees. They are keen to learn from us. We also have a lot to learn from them that may result in everyone performing to an even higher level.
Remember the words of the Dalai Lama: “The mind is like a parachute. It works best when it is open.”
About the Author
Evelyne Oreskovich is Founder, President and CEO of Hospitality Evolution Resources, LLC. With more than three decades of accomplishments in the global Hospitality industry, Evelyne has diverse experience with reservations and distribution systems; sales and marketing management; training curriculum development and delivery; project management and strategic planning. Her understanding of North American, European and Asian markets and cultures fosters an environment of positivity and collaboration that effectively bridges the gaps between Management, Operations, Technology, and Sales & Marketing.