The business world is currently experiencing a change in the trend of the employee profile. The “Millennial” generation is young professionals born between 1981 and 2000 who are incorporated into organizations and evolving structures and working procedures. They are entrepreneurs, technology natives, passionate and have a conception of work that is different to previous generations. The implication of “Millennials” means knowing how to manage their talent, knowing their expectations, motivations and interaction which is a new challenge for human resources.
Cristóbal Fernández Muñoz, communication director at Tuenti; Emi Solís, account director in the People area at ATREVIA and specialized in internal communication; and Esther Benito, consultant in the Brands area at ATREVIA and expert in external communication analyzed Millennials in the ATREVIA People Forum “Millennials and the company: a new competitive advantage” from a business perspective. This forum which was a space for debate on trends held the participation of diverse directors of human resources.
Millennials are characterized by their low levels of corporate loyalty, compared to previous generations (Generation X and Baby Boomers). In fact, more than 90% of people under the age of 35 consider that they will change jobs within 3 years and only 30% considers that they will develop their professional career in the company in which they are currently working. Additionally, 60% of those born between 1981 and 2000 have already changed their job position at least once.
Cristóbal Fernández stated that Millennials live “in absolute and total connectivity. The most important thing for them is their circle of friends and recommendations. The live away from authority and structural hierarchy collide with them as they are focused on horizontality”.
Mobiles have changed the way in which young people move and travel, “if you are thinking about Millennials, think first mobile, easy, fast, immediate and the click of a mouse”, added the communication director of Tuenti.
The Millennial employee does not obey to the most restrictive corporate policies with the use of technology. Applications and social networks which are restricted in some occasions help them to do their jobs better.
In fact, more than half (56%) of employees confirmed that they are willing to disobey their boss and use technology or applications that are not authorized to carry out their tasks. In Spain, 20% of employees have already disobeyed their boss in this sense and 36% do it on occasion. On the other hand, 51% say that mobile technologies allow increased productivity and engagement, and more than three quarters (77%) likes to carry out IT tasks themselves. “Millennials could do doing various things at the same time, technology offers them a new way of communicating and this is changing the way in which we work”, highlighted Esther Benito.
Emi Solís signaled that “this type of employee has micropower because increasingly they have a higher capacity to influence within and outside the company”. Additionally, he added that organizations should learn to share communication and let them share, allowing Millennials to constantly reinvent themselves.