Big Picture - August 2018 - 13

If you reread that list, is it really that different than baby
boomers or Gen Xers? Who wouldn't want interesting work,
empowerment, to be rewarded, or to have the opportunity to
advance and be heard? I believe that when it comes to
management and engaging employees, best practices apply
consistently to all generations.
HOW ARE MILLENNIALS UNIQUE?
Of course, there some differences that are important to note.
If we can understand these contrasts and address them, it can
have a huge impact on our ability to keep millennials engaged.
1. Millennials are not afraid to change jobs.

Treat millennials poorly or disrespect them, and they'll
likely be on Indeed posting their resume within the hour. In a
recent survey conducted by Gallup, 63 percent of millennials
believe it is "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that they would
find a job as good as the one they have if they were let go.
Millennials are certainly not afraid of jumping ship.
2. Millennials want work with a purpose.

We all want purpose in what we do, but millennials are far
less likely to work for only a paycheck. They want their
company and their role within the company to mean something - to stand for some greater good.
3. Millennials value different benefits and perks.

Other generations place a high value on benefits - health
insurance, paid vacation, and retirement plans. Millennials
value perks that offer them greater flexibility and advancements
related to children and education, like increased paid maternity
(and paternity) leave and an opportunity to get their master's
degree for free. Millennials are also far more likely to leave a
company for a perk than any other generation.
4. Millennials want flexibility in when and where
they work.

According to a recent Gallup survey, 50 percent of
millennials say they would switch to a job that allows them to
work off-site part time and 47 percent would switch to a job
that allows them to work off-site full time. This will be a tough
one for us printers to handle, and this may not work for all
positions in-house, but note that they do place a high value on
work-life balance. Consider walking meetings or one telecommute day per week.
HOW DO WE GET MILLENNIALS EXCITED ABOUT
AND ENGAGED IN THE PRINT INDUSTRY?

TIPS FOR ENGAGING MILLENNIALS
You might be thinking "OK Brian, I get it. Millennials are
important. But what do we do about it?" I'll conclude with
a collection of tips to help you engage with millennials who
work with you.

Practice meritocracy by rewarding performance over
seniority: Millennials can be restless and aren't scared to

switch jobs. Make sure you are rewarding employees based
on performance. At Olympus, we believe we're a team, not a
family. We reward top performers and replace mediocre
performers. We treat people fairly, not equally. This resonates
with millennials who, at times, can be a tad bit impatient but
understand and place value in results.

Millennials like to talk about and share their
experiences online.
Understand what benefits your employees value:

Ask your team members what benefits they value and if
there are any additional benefits they wish you offered.
Millennials appreciate the perks you provide and they aren't
scared to leave for a company that offers better rewards for a
job well done. Focus on PTO, flexibility, and freedom over
401(k)s and fancy titles.
Stop calling them millennials (Yes, I've used it through
this entire article, but only for consistency's sake):

Millennials truly value their individuality and don't like being
stereotyped into a large group. Instead of referring to
employees as "millennials," use their first names.
Don't skimp on the praise: Growing up in a culture of
instant gratification, millennials are used to receiving
feedback immediately. If someone is doing a good job, tell
them exactly that and make sure to do it right now. A little
positive reinforcement and some "atta boys" go a long way.
Deliver regular feedback: The traditional annual
performance review is dead. Millennials want constant
evaluation to make sure they're meeting expectations. (It's
also very important to ensure you have clearly set expectations in the first place). Set up regular check-in meetings (or
weekly 1-1s) with them and be honest. If they're not performing well, be sure to tell them.
Offer unique training opportunities: Millennials have a
strong desire for personal growth and development. Try
offering untraditional training opportunities including
mentorships or job shadowing.
I am by no means an expert on an entire generation. I do,
however, believe if you put a couple of these tips into practice,
you'll have a more engaged group of millennials working for you.
One of the best things about millennials is that they like
to talk about and share their experiences online. They aren't
hesitant to give details on their jobs and employers on Glassdoor. If you can get a little momentum engaging the millennials
at your company, it could open the floodgates for other
motivated and engaged millennials to want to join your team.
And who wouldn't want to create a desirable place to work?

BIGPICTURE.NET

Let's face it, print isn't exactly the sexiest industry on the
planet. We aren't developing flying cars, the latest tech
gadget, or the next renewable energy source. We're putting
ink down onto a variety of materials and often working on
the same types of projects every single day. Don't get me
wrong - I love and take a ton of pride in what we do. PSPs
have done some pretty amazing things, but unless your shop
is loaded with the latest 3D printers or AR technology, we
have some work convincing millennials that the print
industry can make for an exciting career.

Ask your employees if you have dumb rules: A great
question to ask your team members is if you have any "dumb"
rules. No one wants useless rules to control their actions or
behaviors. One of the best ways to disengage a millennial is to
use such phrases as: "That's the way we do it around here,"
"That's how it's always been done," or "In my day, nobody let
me get away with that."

http://www.BIGPICTURE.NET

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - August 2018