Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2019 - 40

"They are confident, motivated, eager and open
to fresh new ideas, but some tend to expect things
to be handed to them with little effort,"said Kennedy. "They want autonomy and authority, but
some are not always willing to put in the extra
hours necessary. They expect rapid growth, a defined path toward promotion and rapid earning
potential as part of a want-it-all-now attitude."
Another difference between younger and older
generations is that millennials more quickly identify and join professional groups online and spend
more time establishing their social media presence.
Many people like working with younger generations because they tend to be innovative and not
afraid to try new things.
"Many millennials are surprised at how long it
takes for people to find them and hire them," said
Cheryl Draa, owner of Cheryl Draa Interior Designs in Pineville, N.C. "But they are usually quick
to ask for help once they realize they need it, which
is where they differ from the older generation, as
we tend to try to figure it out on our own."

"Younger-generation clients will come
to you with their own ideas, but they
also need to understand your role."
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors

WORKING WITH THE
PROFESSIONAL MILLENNIAL

Younger generations are known for having more
energy and are open to being taught and trying
new things. This is an advantage over having to
potentially "untrain"a more seasoned professional.
"They bring a fresh perspective with the latest
info, technology skill set and different viewpoint,"
said Beach. "They look at the world globally and
take in many more factors. A disadvantage can be
their lack of follow-through."
Being part of the first generation of digital
natives, Green says millennials are highly tech
savvy - especially with design programs since they
learned them in school.
"I have hired many millennials, and their performance depends on the individual and how they
were raised,"said Clendendon."By and large at the
entry level/admin role, many applicants do not
know how to write a cover letter or follow directions. A design business has a lot of moving parts,
so critical thinking is, well, critical."
According to Draa, an advantage to working
with millennials is that they know what clients
their age are looking for. 

40
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Youth Talk
"Disadvantages can be that they only want to
work the minimum required to complete a project,
and they can sometimes think compartmentalized
instead of big picture," she added.
ENGAGING THE PROFESSIONAL MILLENNIAL

According to Gallup, only 29 percent of millennials are engaged in their jobs - meaning they are
emotionally and behaviorally connected. Another
16 percent are actively disengaged.
To solve this dilemma, businesses looking to
attract them need to recognize their need for autonomy, independence and more flexibility in the
workplace. They want you to communicate with
them on a regular basis with updates and guidance,
and they appreciate performance reports.
"I think flex time has proven to be a key motivator
in my most successful hire to date,"said Clendenon.
"She wants time to visit family out of state, so she
works like the dickens to make up for paid time off
in a larger amount than most would allow."
Green says flexibility is of the utmost importance for her generation and explained that a lot of
millennials have gone out on their own so they can
create their own schedules. This may be because
they are starting a family and need more time at
home, and travel is also important.
Millennials also like to work for firms that have
been highly recognized,as this means they eventually will be as well through such things as awards. They
also want to be appreciated and respected.
"They want to feel like they are making a difference, and they will change jobs - even careers - if
they don't feel valued,"said Draa."They are pretty
loyal if those needs are met."
As all generations, millennials want to be happy
with their work, but some of why they are attracted
to a certain company or firm comes down to salary
and benefits.
"I find some new grads come out of school with
unrealistic views on pay, and many want way more
than they can command," said Clendenon. "Design schools in general do not prepare a young
person for employment in a firm that is mostly
residential or small to medium in size." 
Location is another important factor for millennials, and Beach says this demographic is less
likely to move closer to where they work.
"It is about day-to-day living - they want to
have input on their hours and what is expected of
them so they can connect that with their needs,"
she added. "Many are not willing to work weekends or long hours, but on the other hand, they
have the self-respect to set boundaries.They know
what they want, and they are more than sure about
what and what won't work."
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Kitchen & Bath Business / FEB.-MARCH 2019 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2019

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