IBM recently released a surprising report about millennials, and their findings suggest that Millennials are not, in fact, self-centered snowflakes who can’t take criticism. The study, “Myths, exaggerations and uncomfortable truths: The real story behind Millennials in the workplace,” emphasizes the importance of creating a multi-generational workplace and outlines how millennials have many of the same workplace opinions as other generations.
This week, I’ve been reading up about what others are saying about the study and its findings. Here are some of the highlights.
What You Think About Millennials is Wrong. The Washington Post: “The survey also didn’t find any support for the entitled, everybody-gets-a-trophy millennial mindset. Reports of their doting parents calling bosses to complain about performance reviews may be out there, but, on the whole, IBM’s survey shows a different picture. Millennials list performance-based recognition and promotions as a priority at the same rate as baby boomers do, and they cite fairness, transparency and consistency as the top three attributes they want in a boss. Someone who ‘recognizes my accomplishments,’ meanwhile, comes in at only sixth place.”
IBM to Employers: You Need a ‘Millennial Mindset’. Business News Daily: “Make customer experience a priority. The IBM report found that, to some extent, all generational groups think their organization handles the customer experience poorly, particularly baby boomers (70 percent) and millennials (60 percent). Technology like social media and CRM solutions can vastly improve that experience, but leaders need to be transparent about the challenges involved and work with their employees to solve them.”
What Millennials Want in a Workplace Really Isn’t So Crazy After All. Entrepreneur: “As for the belief that millennials were raised with a ‘trophies for all’ mentality, 64 percent of Gen Xers thought everyone on a successful team should be rewarded while 55 percent of millennials agreed with that statement. And Gen X employees were also more likely than their millennial colleagues to want to get input from the crowd when it came to making decision (64 percent compared to 56 percent for millennials).”
IBM: Stereotypes Of Millennials Are Wrong. Information Week: “The primary difference between millennials and preceding generations is their lifelong use of technology, which has caused them to communicate differently from their older colleagues. Most have never known life without the Internet. As a result, they possess a digital proficiency more natural than that of Gen X and baby boomer employees, and are quick to use tech to collaborate.”
Do you agree or disagree with IBM’s findings? I’d love to know — please share in the comments!
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