As someone who has managed millennials (people aged 19 to 35 according to Pew Research), I’ve been puzzled by some stories about how different they are from older generations. No doubt, there are differences, and I believe those differences are the result of millennials being digital natives–that is, they grew up using the Internet.
For example, they are quite comfortable doing research, whether it’s for personal tasks like shopping for a car or prep for a job review. One of my millennial marketers brought a half-inch thick stack of printouts with him to his review once to show why he should be making more money.
They are also much more connected, again due to their second-nature relationship with the digital world. If something bad happens at work, for instance, they quickly share it with their networks for advice about how to react or fix a problem.
The differences that millennials’ adeptness at navigating the digital world give them are really superficial. Deep down, they want the same things as professionals that anyone else wants: respect and praise for the work, proper compensation, support to succeed, and a clear path upward.
Being digital native is a huge advantage for millennials in the workplace, but there is one big drawback: They may be very good at getting information and making connections, but they are often blind to context. In other words, they don’t always apply information appropriately or anticipate the effects of their actions online. That can lead them to wrong conclusions or get them into trouble.
That marketer I mentioned earlier wanted to convince me that he should be getting a 40 percent raise based on salary data he found. That data was based on salaries for people with his title working in large metropolitan areas for Fortune 500 companies. I had to explain how geography and company size affect salaries, and that his salary was in line for his situation. I also pointed him to other resources to back up my position. He did get a good raise, but I made it clear that he had earned it with his work, not his research.
Being well connected is a great, but it comes with risks. Another of my direct reports complained on his personal Twitter account about the difficulty of a project he was working on. That was a problem because many of his professional connections were following his account, and some of them were working on that project. When I pointed this out to him, he quickly understood my concern.
Both cases provided me with great teaching opportunities. I didn’t get upset or confrontational. I simply provided the proper context, which allowed them to see the situation from my perspective. I also made a point of reminding them that they were valued, and that my purpose as their manager was to help them be successful. Both subsequently earned promotions and they now manage other millennials.
