They’re the generation whose parents told them, “You’re special.” They’re the millennials. The generation born between 1980 and 2000 are now 35 percent of the workforce. By 2020, they’ll be 46 percent of the workforce. If you want to create a successful organization, you need the millennials.
Senior leaders complain that the younger generation wants everything right now; they aren’t willing to do the hard work to get ahead. But that hasn’t been my experience.
I work with millennials on a daily basis with clients like Google and Hootsuite. The millennials I know are very willing to do hard work. What they’re not willing to do is meaningless work.
People of every age want purpose and meaning in their work. The difference is, the younger group wants to experience it now. Their elders believe it comes with accomplishment.
On this issue, I side with the millennials. I’m not alone. Hootsuite Chief Revenue Officer Steve Johnson says, “The thing I really appreciate about these younger workers is they look at it and say, life’s too short. If it’s not aligned around my purpose I’m going to go somewhere else.”