The millennial workforce, now 56 million strong, represent the largest and most educated generation in history.  Most have earned degrees in Business and probably hold management positions in your company right now.

Millennials have been a favored target of criticism for their lack of loyalty, but who can blame them?  Less than seven percent of companies have learning and development programs in place to nurture them into leaders. While it is easy to criticize their apathy, the truth is, you have yet to unlock their untapped potential.

The Truth About Your Millennial Workforce

If media outlets grabbed a hold of your opinion of millennial workforce tends, you likely see them as lazy, narcissistic, entitled, and generally poor employees. It’s an honest mistake, but the truth of the matter is, they are changing the rules of the world we live in and the places we work.

Unfortunately, millennial workforce statistics show that 66 percent already have one foot out the door.  In the United States, where the percentage of millennials in the workforce represents the largest segment of employees, this is a serious challenge.  So, what can you do?

Don’t neglect them

Have you promoted your millennials and they don’t seem satisfied?  That is because they need more than a title.  This generation possesses the potential to become the movers and shakers of business management. Still, even with all this potential, 63 percent say their leadership skills take a back seat in terms of development.  Millennials believe that businesses are not doing enough to ensure a new generation of business leaders are being created.

They want the organization to help them understand how to effectively navigate corporate challenges and be independent decision-makers. They want to take on more responsibility and learn how to lead.

What can you do to get past this disconnect?  Millennials are problem solvers.  Give this generation some creative boundaries and you will find they are insightful and highly motivated.  Get them involved in projects that foster their need for learning and development.  Teach them how to lead.

Find Their Purpose

Millennials desire recognition for what they do because it is important for their self-concept and social identity.  Much like your company’s brand, a millennial’s personal brand is important to them.

This does not necessarily mean they have a sense of entitlement. Rather, your millennial workforce simply wants a purpose. Find out what makes them tick, and see if your company has any way to use that purpose to inspire them. Millennials often choose an organization based on similar values if you have a Corporate Social Responsibility program in place let them spearhead an initiative, if not—let them come up with a CSR strategy for consideration.

Engage and Empower them

Millennials grew up in the pioneering generation of the Internet and enjoy learning through experience. In a Workplace Trends survey, 68 percent of millennials said that online training would be most effective for their development as a leader and 58 percent said mentoring would also be effective. This generation wants to learn, so engage them with training and new skills development. They want to lead, so mentor them and empower them to become effective leaders by utilizing their skills.

Empower your millennials, and every generation on your team, with management and leadership training at Knowledgecity. We have over 10,000 video tutorials in Business, Computer Software and Safety Compliance. Lead the next generation of workers to success by completing our Employee Engagement and Leveraging Technology courses. Try it Free Demo.