The Millennial Invasion: are you ready?

Information Outlook,  Nov, 2004  by John J. DiGilio,  Gayle Lynn-Nelson

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They have been called Generation Y and Generation Next. Some have referred to them as the Digital Generation and others, the Echo Boomers. However, none of these names quite found the fancy of today's young folks.

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The moniker of choice to the next generation of consumers is none other than the "Millennials"--a name that befits both their current place in history and their overall optimistic outlook for the future. They are a generation that is about to explode on the world scene. The Millennials will soon be invading our libraries, our firms, and our companies en masse. Let there be no illusions, this generation is going to change the way we do our jobs. However, with a little bit of understanding and some creativity, we can be ready to address their unique needs.

The Millennials are shaping up to be a generation unlike any other. Some experts are already predicting that this new group could very well be the next "great generation." With births beginning as early as 1980 and extending well into the new century, the Millennial generation stands to be immense. Initial estimates put their potential numbers at well over 80 million. The first of their numbers began entering college in 2000. That means that many are only now entering the professional workforce, with millions more to come over the next two decades.

What is it that makes this generation so special and what does it mean for those of us who will be helping to educate them and meet their information needs? A look at the characteristics of the Millennial generation is very telling. Before we can even begin to address their needs, we need to understand exactly who these kids are and what they will bring to the workplace.

On the whole, the Millennial generation tends to be highly educated and technologically savvy. They have been plugged into computers and the Internet almost since birth. They have grown up over-protected and over-scheduled, yet close to their parents and families as a result of this rigid structure. Millennials tend to be very optimistic, overtly confident, and intensely competitive. Generally, they are politically conservative and yet more socially tolerant than the generations before them.

Interestingly enough, however, for all of the nurturing, scheduling, and education that this group has received, the Millennials also appear to the most stressed-out generation in history. Importantly, they seem to require constant stimulation to thrive--a fact that they are not too shy to make known. Just ask any parent of a Millennial child!

Millennials in the Workplace

There can be no doubt that the Millennials are going to flood corporate America, just as the Boomers and the Xers did before them. As such, these kids will be very important to our economy and society. This is a smart, practical generation that has already amassed an amazing amount of work experience.

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They are not the "green" hires of generations past. This group has already filled in the so-called "worker shortage" created by the retiring Baby Boomers and often-anti-corporate Generation X. Thus, this generation is fortunate in that it never had to search very hard to find jobs.

Current events aside, the economy has been relatively strong as these young people have come of age. Millennials have actually had the luxury of working when they needed to and not working when they didn't. As a result, organizations are looking at a highly capable generation that needs to be educated not just about the job and the company, but about how to work and what's expected of them. When you hire this group it will not be enough to present them with a one-page job description drafted by the HR department.

This is a generation that questions everything. Again, just ask the parents! There is no need to worry, though. Millennials are a pragmatic generation with a highly developed ability to sort through information. All their lives, they have had data spewed at them from every direction and at warp speed. They can handle it.

When it comes to business, the expectation is that this generation, raised on group sports and family activities, will bring its team orientation to the workplace. The same is true of their proficiency with computers and technology. The cutting-edge skills they have been developing since grade school will certainly come to the office with them. As new hires, Millennials are more than likely to be technologically ahead of their older colleagues and supervisors. The flip side of this, of course, is that they may be hard-pressed to perform without the latest technology. Theirs is a learning curve that will almost function in reverse!

The motivations they exhibit in the workplace should also set the Millennials apart from other generations. Surveys conducted among their members consistently show that these kids have abandoned the materialism of the past, preferring such employment perks as good salaries, good opportunities, and good jobs. However, when it comes to the workplace, we need to be mindful of that need for constant stimulation. It may very well factor into what a Millennial defines as a "good" job. Some researchers also caution that many Millennials seem to expect instant gratification for their efforts. In the absence of stimulation and rewards, job performance could very well suffer.