Workplace
MANAGEMENT
Generation Now
They crave feedback, rapid advancement and flexibility — but here’s why millennials are changing the workforce for the better, and how managers can get the most out of them
THE PHRASE “IN MY DAY” is so common in discussions of workplace culture that it’s now cliché. But in the case of the new kids on the block — millennials — it’s true. There are fundamental differences between previous generations and this one, and that disparity can really shake up the workplace. “Millennials are hard working but
they prioritize living in the moment sooner than I did as a new professional,” says Rachel Culbertson, a partner in the assurance and advisory practice at Deloitte’s Edmonton office. “They are very innovative thinkers who want to be heard. I wanted to be heard, but back then hierarchy was more important.”
16 | CPA MAGAZINE | JUNE/JULY 2015
Their older colleagues oſten consider members of generation Y, who were born between 1980 and 2000 or so, high- maintenance and sometimes even entitled. Boomer and gen-X managers don’t quite know how to relate to these “kids,” with their oſten outspoken desire for flexibility, meaningful work, learning opportunities and rapid advancement.
The why behind the Ys Ask an HR expert why millennials behave the way they do and you’ll get a simple answer: their upbringing. They were raised in the era of gold stars. As a group, they’re into work-life balance, they expect recognition and rewards and jump from
company to company in search of better opportunities. They grew up between recessions and didn’t see their parents lose jobs, which is why they’re confident they can leave their job and find a new gig with ease.
But what older generations regard
as selfishness or entitlement isn’t the whole story. Millennials are also hugely passionate, technologically savvy and confident. They oſten leave university with huge networks (thank you, social media) and international experience, which was unheard of 20 years ago. At 30, Jennifer Lee, an assistant
portfolio manager at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, is firmly entrenched in this demographic. For her, the top three requirements of any job are culture, variety of work and drawing a direct connection between her tasks and a goal she identifies with. “It’s important to be rewarded for hard work, but salary is not the
Stephanie Power
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