How to Motivate, Integrate and Retain the Millennial Generation into your Workforce: 4 Challenges and their Solutions

Millennials grew up with technology and can be considered overly confident. They’re usually highly educated (formal or otherwise) and extremely ambitious. Pair this with the conservative attitudes of the three generations already in the workplace (Gen X, Boomers, and Traditionalists) and you’re already setup for a complicated corporate culture.

Why Focus on Millennials?

Every media channel recognizes the importance of catering to the millennial generation. Google “Millennials in the workplace” and everyone from HBR to Huffington Post has a feature on the topic monthly if not weekly. So what’s all the hype about? According to Forbes, by 2025 this generation of the workforce will be in majority. Top this with the fact that under 30 CEOs are on the rise and you’ve got some serious thinking to do about what your workplace has to offer them.

4 Challenges and Solutions to Motivate, Retain and Inspire Millennials in your Workforce

1.    Acknowledge and Accept the Can-Do Attitude

• The Challenge: Millennial can be an extremely enthusiastic bunch and while this can be good for the company they can sometimes become a drag to those who are veterans to the workplace. While a more experienced team member may be willing to turn in the towel, the millennial usually looks at a challenge like a mountain to conquer.
• The Solution: Create a workplace where there’s a healthy mix of young and old team leads. Of course, the role of team lead is not synonymous with designations so this can create challenges of its own. However, having these team leads interact with one another and centering team building activities on them is a great way to merge the differences between the generations.

2.    Find a Balance between Flexibility and Structure

• The Challenge: Also according to Forbes, 1 in 3 employees will be a millennial this year. So with approximately 66% of your workforce still appreciating structure, you need to weave in flexibility for the 33% who require more flexibility. If you don’t, you’re very likely going to be used as a stepping stone by the younger ones and will miss out on keeping their potential in your organization.
• The Solution: Of course most companies are not in a position to become completely fluid and disregard the need of formal titles and hierarchy. However, a few steps to provide the required flexibility without completely restructuring the organization include flexible hours, implementing team/project lead structures, telecommuting and project based milestones rather than deadlines.

3.    Cultivate the Need for Staying Connected

• The Challenge: Connecting via social networks could possibly be more important to millennials than meeting face to face. Which means that blocking websites and looking down on using Facebook during office hours is no longer acceptable.
• The Solution: Implement a flexible workspace allowing for flexi-timings and telecommuting. Also BYOD (bring your own device) policies this year are a must. Don’t force people to use technologies which work for your company. Also consider starting a company wiki and reward people for online trainings that they complete independently.

4.    Create a 360 Benefits and Motivation Package

• The Challenge: Motivational factors for millennials and the rest of the workforce are quite bifurcated. While the Traditionalist has still been motivating and influencing the Boomers and Gen X workforces, the millennials thrive on feedback, a sense of being part of something bigger and in support of personal growth.
• The Solution: The beauty of Benefits and Motivation Packages is that they can be flexible. Give people the power to choose, i.e. do they want to be part of the annual bonus or would they like this bonus to go towards an education program which the company can provide assistance for admission to. Also don’t underestimate the power of family events and breakaways. Anything away from the daily norm can be perceived as a motivational event.

So how do you, as an organization, make sure you make the most of the millennials skills while ensuring retention and not disturbing the comfort zone of the other generations? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Photo Credit: somgestio