business practices | Down to Business

IBM Survey Busts Millennial Workplace Myths

As a small business owner, you’ve probably spent hours reading about the changing face of America’s workforce as Baby Boomers retire and Generation Y—or the Millennials, born between 1980 and 1993—take their place. Most reports would lead you to believe that managing a multigenerational workplace is difficult, and that Millennials—with their penchant for technology and drive to advance their careers—are likely to start a perhaps unwanted revolution. But a recent survey conducted by IBM has something else to say.

The multigenerational study surveyed 1,784 employees in 12 countries and six industries, comparing the preferences and behavior patterns of Millennials with those of previous generations, namely, Gen X (born 1965-1979) and Baby Boomers (born 1954-1964). The findings revealed that Millennial workers actually want many of the same things their older colleagues do. Their attitudes are not, in fact, that different from other employees. For example, consider the following common myths most employers believe about Millennials and the study’s contradictory revelations.

Myth 1 – Millennials have different career goals and expectations than older workers do.

When given a range of career goals to rate, including “do work I’m passionate about” and “start my own business,” all three generations were quite close in their responses. Millennials and Baby Boomers were actually closer in response rankings to each other than either was to Gen X. And they all want financial security, seniority and the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people.

Myth 2 – Millennials expect recognition and constant acclaim.

Millennials grew up during a time when children’s sports organizations began awarding trophies to everyone on the team, doing away with “losers” and making everyone a “winner.” Their parents told them they could become whatever they wanted, and some have said this generation has unrealistic expectations as a result. However, the IBM study found that they don’t really expect more recognition at work than Gen X or Baby Boomers do. They focused their definition of a “perfect boss” more on a manager who is ethical and fair than one who always recognizes their accomplishments.

Myth 3 – Millennials are addicted to social media and want to do everything digitally.

Millennials are adept at surfing the Internet, communicating via social media and text message, and interacting digitally with the world at large. However, they actually prefer face-to-face contact for a number of things including learning new skills at work. They also easily distinguish between their personal and professional lives, using social media accordingly. While 27 percent of Millennials reported never using their personal social media accounts for business purposes, only 7 percent of Baby Boomers kept their online personal and professional interactions separate.

Myth 4 – Millennials are job hoppers who are likely to leave your company for lack of passion.

In actuality, according to the IBM study, Millennials change jobs for the same reasons Gen X and Baby Boomers do. These included “enter the fast lane” (make more money or work in a more innovative environment), “shoot for the top” (take on more responsibility), “follow my heart” (do work they are passionate about), and “save the world” (have a positive impact on society)—in that order. Additionally, 75 percent of the Millennial survey respondents indicated they had held their current position for three years or more, indicating they are no more likely than other generations to jump from one job to the next.

Add More Fun to Your Company Culture

You know that nurturing a positive company culture is good for business. Not only does it help to attract high quality job applicants when you need to fill an open position, it also keeps your current staff engaged in their work. This means fewer absences, greater productivity and less employee turnover. But here’s something you may not have known: it can do all of that while still being fun.

Successful companies such as Google—with its nap pods, video games, foosball, and ping-pong tables—have proven it. They’re the best in their business, consistently ranking among top places to work and attracting more than 2.5 million job applicants every year. If you’d like to join them, consider these ways to add more fun to your own company’s culture.

Office Challenges: Whether you divide employees into random teams or pit departments against each other, competitions and fun challenges are a great way to build team member relationships and give your workers a break from job stress. You can do organize everything from chili cook-offs and track-and-field days to board game tournaments and kickball matches. The best part? Most of these ideas won’t cost you a dime.

Daily Fitness Opportunities: According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, 55 percent of employees consider themselves overweight. Adding daily fitness activities to your company culture is a fun way to help them tackle the problem while showing that you care about their health and wellbeing. Suggestions include encouraging walking meetings, starting the day with group calisthenics, even working in teams to build enough strength for 50 push-ups. And again, all free!

Unique Celebrations: Sure, it’s nice that you recognize your employees’ birthdays with a card. However, wouldn’t your workers feel more special if you acknowledged their big occasions with a day off, paid lunch with the boss or personal token of appreciation? The same goes for holidays. Have a pumpkin carving party in October, host a company turkey trot run in November, and toast the first week of the New Year with champagne.

Make Time for Fun: While you don’t have to allow them to goof off at their desks, encourage your team to get away from their office, cube or workspace during their breaks and have a little fun. Equip the break room with toys and video games. Set up a basketball hoop or volleyball net outside. Your employees will return to work refreshed and with greater focus.

Get Out: Treat your workers to an occasional field trip. Interacting outside the office will help them to bond in new ways, strengthening departmental and company-wide relationships. You might organize an opportunity, go on a mid-week picnic or gather at the local watering hole for an early happy hour. Whatever you choose to do, getting out of the office is always exciting.

Lose Fewer New Hires with an Improved Onboarding Process

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 50 percent of our nation’s hourly workers will leave a new job within the first four months. Half of outside hires placed in senior positions fail at their jobs within 18 months. Both statistics describe costly situations; a review of related studies conducted by the Center for American Progress found it costs a business an average of 20 percent of the worker’s salary to replace an employee who earns $75,000 or less a year.

Fortunately, the right onboarding process—starting before that first day on the job—can decrease expensive turnover as well as improve the satisfaction, commitment and performance of any new employee. Consider the following ways to improve onboarding at your organization.

Post an accurate job description. If the description you’ve advertised for the job is inaccurate—e.g. missing details on skills required or performance expected—you may be setting any new hire up for failure. Before you even begin interviewing candidates for an advertised position, make sure you’ve covered all the bases and have a very clear picture of the professional most likely to succeed in the role.

Brief your current employees. Prepare your team before the new hire’s first day. Describe his background, determine areas in which he may need training, and assign workers to facilitate the orientation and training process. Remember, few experiences feel as awkward as showing up for your first day on the job to discover no one knows who you are or what to do with you.

Set up a workspace. Even if your new hire will be in training for a while, she needs a place of her own. Prepare her computer and phone. Set up her email account. Stock her desk with necessary supplies, and provide her with any essential safety gear. If she’s replacing an exiting employee and you don’t yet have a desk available, make sure she still has a place to store her personal belongings in the interim.

Provide a warm welcome. Whenever possible, you should be on hand to welcome new workers on their first day. If you’re not available, choose another supervisor or senior team member to do so. Walk the new employee around the office or jobsite and introduce him to the rest of your workers while also showing him where he can find the break room, rest room and important offices.

Follow an onboarding plan. Provide your new worker—and anyone else involved—with an itinerary for the first week. Include human resources-related tasks such as completing required documentation and enrolling in benefits as well as orientation and training activities. Set up daily meetings with the new employee throughout the week so you can check in and answer any questions or address concerns as they arise.

Don’t forget history, culture and their place in the organization. There is a reason these professionals chose to work for your company—and it may have had little to do with pay. Teach them more about the history and mission of your business as well as your office culture and vision for the future. Remind them that you hired them to help you achieve that vision, and describe the ways in which they can use their skills to do so.

Set expectations early. Make sure your new worker knows what you expect of her, both during the first week and the months that follow. Review and discuss the job description. Talk about individual goals and objectives. Consider monthly performance evaluations rather than a 90-day or six-month evaluation; they’ll enable you to resolve issues earlier.