Millennials are changing how we work by ditching old habits that no longer make sense. These young professionals are all about fairness, flexibility, and taking care of mental health. In their push for better ways to work and live, millennials are leaving behind these 17 working practices.
Unpaid Internships
While young people often need experience, giving them an unpaid internship is often seen as exploitation, as companies will use their skills and labor without compensating them. Investopedia also says that “by providing free labor to employers, unpaid internships also may put full-time paid workers at a disadvantage.”
Strict Dress Codes
Strict dress codes generally seem unnecessary to millennials, who believe that wearing clothes that you feel comfortable in boosts your morale and creativity. As a result, companies that have a flexible dress code policy often appeal to a broader range of candidates.
Overtime
Having to consistently stay late can lead to burnout and increased stress. This means that employees will be less productive during their normal working hours because they are too tired. Millennials prioritize their work-life balance and, therefore, want their employers to respect their boundaries when it comes to working hours.
Hierarchical Management Structures
This generation prefers flatter management structures within organizations as they allow for more collaboration. Forbes says, “Fewer levels between employees improve the decision-making process among staff.” The rigid structures of the past are thought to limit innovation within the team, as people feel less able to communicate their ideas.
Lack of Professional Development
If an employee feels that they can’t grow in a role, they may begin to feel stuck or unmotivated in their job. This has a negative impact on their mental health but also affects employers, who are likely to see higher turnover rates.
Outdated Technology
The millennial generation finds outdated technology to be frustrating as it slows down their day to day activities at work, making them less productive. This generation grew up with technology and therefore expects workplaces to keep up with new innovations to ensure they have the most efficient systems.
Ignoring Mental Health
It’s important for millennials to feel that their mental health is supported at work, as without this, they may experience higher levels of stress and burnout. It’s often in the employer’s interest to create a happy workforce, as it’ll reduce turnover levels and sick days.
No Remote Work Options
For many millennials, flexibility is very important so that they can achieve a good work-life balance. In a survey of millennials and Gen Z employees by Deloitte, it was found that “respondents expressed that having a full choice in where they work was a priority.”
Rigid Work Hours
Having a rigid working schedule makes it hard for employees to have a balanced life, as their hours might conflict with personal responsibilities or appointments. By giving them the option to choose their hours, employees will often produce better-quality work as they are more satisfied with their roles.
Lack of Diversity and Inclusion
Millennials look for companies that actively promote diversity and inclusion, as it reflects modern values and shows they are a forward-thinking company. Inclusive workplaces are also often more dynamic as they bring together a variety of perspectives and ideas, helping to solve problems more creatively.
No Feedback
Traditional yearly reviews often leave employees unsure about their performance, and millennials prefer to have more frequent, informal feedback and discussions with their managers. This helps them to understand what they’re doing well and what they could do better, allowing them to focus on the most needed areas of their development.
Micromanagement
According to Breathe HR, “Micromanagement is where managers feel the need to control aspects of their employee’s work & decision-making to an extreme degree.” Over time, this can make employees feel distrusted and undervalued, which will stop them from thinking independently to solve problems.
Toxic Work Environment
Toxic working environments have high employee turnover due to low morale among the staff. The millennial generation wants to work for employers who create a positive, respectful, and supportive culture. This will also benefit the company, as they will see higher productivity levels.
Paper-Based Processes
Millennials are a very environmentally conscious generation, and as a result, they see paper-based processes as wasteful and unnecessary. Instead, they want companies to use digital processes wherever possible, which are generally quicker, more efficient, and help reduce carbon footprints. This is a win-win for employers, who will see increased productivity and generally decreased costs.
Unclear Career Paths
Without any clear path for advancing in their career, millennials tend to feel unmotivated in their role. Often, this means they will leave the company in search of more opportunities, so modern employers need to try and create clear paths with well-defined steps and goals along the way.
Formal Meetings
This generation finds excessive meetings to be time-consuming and disruptive to their workflow. They find this to be frustrating and prefer to have more informal communication with colleagues and third parties so they can work in a more efficient way. Employers should therefore stick to only the most essential of meetings wherever possible.
Ignoring Employee Feedback
If an employee has taken the time to give feedback on an element of working life or company processes, it can be disheartening if it is not listened to. Millennials want to be an active part of decision-making processes, so it’s important that their opinions are heard.
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