If you are getting out of the military soon and heading to the civilian workforce, you may find yourself working for a millennial. You have supervised and had millennials as peers, but you may not have had the opportunity to work for one yet. With the great resignation of the past few years, the workforce is becoming younger faster than ever. According to a Pew Research Study, millennials represent ⅓ of the U.S. workforce and by 2025, up to 75% of the global workforce will be millennial.
As baby boomers retire, millennials between the age of 25 and 41 statistically outnumber their older generation X workplace colleagues. Therefore, young professionals with valued technology skills are being promoted over their older peers and are increasingly landing management positions. This means, regardless of your age, you could easily find yourself working for a younger, millennial boss.
As a veteran from a relatively conservative and highly structured military environment, you may need to study up on the fast-growing number of millennial managers. Chances are, you need to make some mental adjustments. Let’s talk about a few things you should understand about your millennial boss and how you can work for them, better.
Understanding Millennials Bosses
Due to diversity failings that keep popping up in today’s headlines, millennial leaders are not impressed by older business leaders. The most criticized failings of older leaders by millennials are racial diversity, gender diversity, work life balance, and poor financial management.
And communication is different for both parties. When it comes to conveying information to employees – phones are not the way to go. Surprised? Millennial leaders said they like to keep things personal, with most wanting to reveal company changes, health, and financials to staff through small group conversations and/or companywide meetings.
Millennial leaders prefer to manage millennials – but they do not fear managing older employees. They try to hire carefully, have everyone on the same page, and show respect to all. So, here’s what you can and should do.
1. Don’t be a Know it All – Learn New Things.
The older know-it-all-employee is often feared by young managers, and this can lead to other problems. Therefore, avoid condescending tones and thoughts. It’s okay to manage up but be careful not to come off as patronizing. Your boss probably was promoted because they understand a modern way of doing things or new technology. A younger bosses can bring a great deal of experience and expertise to a job. Instead of frustration, respect and learn from them. In turn, you will demonstrate your willingness to learn – and gain their respect in the process.
2. Cease Controversial Conversations
Politics are better left at home. But there are a lot of other conversations that won’t work at work – either. Age-centric comments are a big no-no. Talking about your kids or what you were doing at their age is a slippery slope. Your boss might not want to hear you talk about your kids or date yourself by talking about grandchildren.
3. Speak their Language but don’t try to be their BFF
Determine how your millennial boss likes to communicate. They may rarely check voicemail – but they might online chat or text message quickly and constantly. Don’t struggle with becoming friends with your millennial boss outside of work. You don’t have to be friends, but you do need to have a good working relationship. Just keep it professional, and your relationship will grow with time.
4. Keep Your Social Media and Tech Skills Sharp
As teenagers, millennials had access to a lot more online, with a constant flow of information. Therefore, millennial bosses tend to be very tech savvy, open to new digital tools, and innovation that will help them succeed. If you want to stay in the game, you need to stay sharp. You may not need to be proficient at every app, but a general awareness and understanding will go a long way.
The Bottom Line on your Boss
If working for a millennial makes you feel uncomfortable, chances are they may feel a bit uncomfortable too. If your boss is managing others who are older, you can be sure they face occasional challenging ‘when I was your age’ comments. So, work at connecting with your boss and understanding them – it will go a long way in ensuring your future.
And if you are a millennial, if I missed the mark, please reach out to me.
