Finding the right candidate for the job is probably one of the hardest things to do, especially now that a third of the global workforce are millennials, a generation that gets a lot of negative press and is generally not a group of employees that you would want in the workplace.

Words that are one with the group are titled, unfocused, narcissistic, lazy, selfish, among a host of other words with negative connotations.

But what has such an authoritative generation (insert other negative words here) cultivated? Or what has caused such a reaction against them?

In a popular viral video, motivational speaker and marketing consultant Simon Sinek gives four reasons why this happened and links it to why it’s now causing problems in the workplace. He attributes it to FATHERHOOD.

Sinek claims that millennials have been subject to failed parenting strategies, stemming from being coddled in scenarios where children have received participation medals when they came in last place, or received top marks in school for work due to the persistence of a father. This then causes a problem in the workplace as the parents are not there to secure a promotion for their child.

TECHNOLOGY
Technology is a problem for millennials according to Sinek due to their involvement in social networks. He claims that millennials constantly interact with social networks because it is an addiction: when a person receives a “like” for a status, an image, etc., or receives a message, the brain’s hypothalamus releases dopamine, the same chemical that is released when someone smokes, drinks or plays. Sinek says that technology is being used to deal with stress, much like an alcoholic would depend on alcohol, and has prevented millennials from developing meaningful relationships as they will turn to technology instead of a friend.

IMPATIENCE
Sinek also claims that millennials are impatient: this is due to instant gratification due to the ability to buy something immediately on websites like Amazon or watch a movie instantly through channels like Netflix. Sinek says this instant gratification has followed millennials into the workplace, causing them to expect their work to make an immediate impact, leading to immediate promotion. When this has not happened, the millennial will leave the workplace, which has resulted in a job-hopping culture.

AMBIENT
Sinek concludes by stating that issues related to parenting, technology, and impatience have sustained as a result of the millennial environment. The corporate environment has not helped millennials, as there is a greater focus on numbers than people; therefore, they haven’t developed the necessary skills to give them the fulfillment of working for something, which is why Sinek says the generation needs to be helped in the business environment.

But who are the millennial generation behind the charges? Much confusion has arisen about the definition of this generation, as societal changes and disruptions mean that history cannot be clearly stated in clear labels. In fact, the only officially designated generation according to the US Census Bureau is the baby boomers, since the beginning of this generation was a clear event: the aftermath of World War II. It is only recently that Pew Research has ‘defined’ millennials as those people born between 1981 and 1996 due to being shaped by events like 9/11 (although different sources claim that millennials can be born from 1980 to 2000). ).

Generation confusion also occurs, mistakenly, because people attribute these generational characteristics to those who are simply young adults but, at the time of writing, the oldest of the generation are 36 years old.

Having said all that, there is no doubt that influences like technology play a bigger role in the lives of millennials than baby boomers and this, of course, shapes a person (just maybe not everyone). people born between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1996). Sinek’s article also makes a valid point about the use of technology and how there is less face-to-face communication and how it can lead to impatience.
So does this mean that when millennials are hired, they should be avoided or provided with a special environment as Sinek suggests? Maybe not, but there are common sense practices that can be implemented and are encouraged at Benchmark International that any employee would appreciate.

BE A LEADER, NOT A MANAGER
This is important from Sinek’s perspective, as millennials have grown accustomed to constant feedback and want to be mentored and coached. On the other hand, millennials are, like the youngest members of the office, the least experienced team members, so they will need training, as would any inexperienced staff member. Either way, an employee can be empowered with training, leading them to make decisions in the workplace.

USE THE SKILL SET OF AN EMPLOYEE
Since technology plays such an important role in today’s world, it should not be seen as a problem, but as a solution. If a millennial (or any employee) is familiar with e-literacy, this can be used, especially in an increasingly globalized world, as it helps employees on a business trip stay connected, or even makes it easier to communicate with offices. international.

CAREER SECURITY OFFER
Yes, millennials have been accused of switching jobs too often, but it turns out this could be down to age, as the previous generation, Generation X, was shown to jump jobs as much at a similar age. Although, this could be avoided if it is shown that staying with a company leads to career progression, in the sense of promotion or building a portfolio of skills and experience, instilling a sense of loyalty in the employee.

BE FLEXIBLE
People are increasingly looking for a job that is flexible and may be looking outside of the 9-5 Monday to Friday office regimen. Use advances in technology to enable this by allowing employees to work outside of the traditional office environment .

ENCOURAGES IDEAS AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
According to Sinek, millennials have a mantra that they can do anything because their parents told them they can. To inspire in the workplace, encourage this mantra as it has the potential to lead to the provision of good input and ideas.
In summary, the stereotype of the millennial generation cannot be followed to the letter, since despite the limits, albeit not very strict, established by Pew Research, the objective of these organizations is to see how the age of majority during certain Historical events and technological changes influence people. – not make sweeping generalizations like Sinek has, especially since these negative perpetuations of millennials would make an uncomfortable watch if it came down to culture, race, or gender. However, it is worth paying attention to the above points regarding workplace practices to help promote a happy workplace, millennial or not.