Boring tedious jobs generally reduce people's perceptions of their

the manager’s toolbox

Managing the Millennials: What’s Different about Today’s Generation of Younger Workers

Are the 75 million so-called Millennials, born between 1977 and 1994, really so different from earlier generations (the 78 million Baby Boomers, born 1946–1964, and 49 million Gen Xers, 1965–1976)? Do they need to be managed in different ways? The answer to both questions is yes. 1

Independent, Tech-Savvy, Diverse, Educated—&Anxious

Some major characteristics of Millennials: (1) They are extremely independent, because many were raised as day care or latchkey kids. (2) They are techsavvy, used to smartphones and the Internet, and accustomed to a faster pace of life. (3) They are racially and ethnically diverse. (4) They are probably the most educated in American history. (5) They are anxious they can’t meet their financial needs.

How Millennials Want to Be Managed

In the workplace, these translate into a skepticism about rules, policies, and procedures; a requirement for more autonomy; and a need for constant stimulation. Millennials not only want a good income and good relationships with bosses and coworkers but also challenging daily work, the opportunity for growth, the chance to show off skills and be recognized for their accomplishments, casual dress environment, and flexible schedules for social and personal time. Some tips for managing this group:

• Allow them independent decision making and expression. Millennials are impatient, skeptical, and blunt and expressive, but they are used to adapting and making decisions. Show appreciation for their individuality and let them participate in decision making.

• Train them and mentor them. Millennials are strongly attracted to education and training, the best kind not being classroom training but forms of independent learning. At the same time, they should be given the chance to create long-term bonds with mentors.

• Give them constant feedback and recognition. Millennials need to know they are making an impact and need to be recognized for their workplace contributions. Thus, supervisors should show them how their work contributes to the bottom line. This generation revels in, even craves, constant praise, so managers should provide rewards in the form of praise, flextime, and extra responsibility.

• Provide them with access to technology. To attract and retain Millennial employees, companies need to provide the newest and best technology.

• Create customized career paths. Millennials would most like to be self-employed, but few are able to do it because of high start-up costs. Employers can reinforce the sense of control that this generation desires by providing them with a realistic account of their progress and their future within the organization.

For Discussion As a worker, you might hope to be led by someone who would follow the preceding suggestions. But suppose your boss is of the old “tough guy” school and doesn’t manage this way. In a difficult job market, would you stick it out? How would you try to let your supervisor know how you would prefer to be managed?

This first of five chapters on leadership discusses how to manage for individual differences and behaviors. We describe personality and individual behavior; values, attitudes, and behavior; and specific work-related attitudes and behaviors managers need to beaware of. We next discuss distortions in perception, which can affect managerial judgment. Finally, we consider what stress does to individuals.

Page 338Personality & Individual Behavior

In the hiring process, do employers care about one’s personality and individual traits?

THE BIG PICTURE

Personality consists of stable psychological and behavioral attributes that give you your identity. We describe five personality dimensions and five personality traits that managers need to be aware of to understand workplace behavior.