Many older generations would say that millennials are ruining society or the workplace, but we can look at what they do for the workplace that is good. Times change and so does the people with it due to technology and the growing workforce that supports the economy and environment.
What is a millennial though? “Millennials are the generation born between 1982 and sometime in the early 2000s. However, these boundaries aren’t set in stone” (What is a Millennial?). It can start as easy as 1978 and then as late as 1985, so it really depends on the person’s opinion. Of course, this angers many because they wouldn’t consider themselves as millennials while others do.
Millennials are known to society as the people who are changing everything. They don’t want traditional weddings, they want same sex marriage and peace, mostly liberals, and believe in global warming. This of course, is an average opinion of them. They actually bring good points up since many people are always bringing them down. “On the negative side, they’ve been described as lazy, narcissistic and prone to jump from job to job” (Main).
“They have also been described in positive ways. They are generally regarded as being more open-minded, and more supportive of gay rights and equal rights for minorities” and they would describe themselves as liberal, upbeat, and receptive to new ideas and ways of living as well as being more open minded to new people and giving them a chance to be heard (Main).
They are tired of getting a bad rap to them. They just want people to respect them, be treated fairly, and have positive outcomes from colleagues. Truly, this isn’t a problem. It’s what most people want in the workplace, although many older generations will revert back to the time that they were their age working, where it was much harsher on them. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Wouldn’t the workplace be better if it was like what the millennials wanted?
“This generation of young workers may have grown up in the digital world amid uncertainty and a shower of parental attention. But ultimately, they want the same thing that every employee wants: schedule control, meaningful work relationships, and choice of projects and learning opportunities” (Lewis). This can be achieved if the other generations become more open-minded to the idea of it, and some have, but some haven’t.
Improvement and stability are what millennials in the workplace mostly want. To be respected among all peers and shown the ways to be more creative are also welcomed ideas that they wish to have. Not everywhere is objective to millennials, because some places like new businesses welcome them as they are more open to creative ideas and problem solving. It is all up to the opinion of the people who will work with them, But in the end, they just want to be viewed as equals in the workforce and have a chance, just like everyone else, to move up the ladder in leadership.
Lewis, Katherine Reynolds. “Everything You Need to Know About Your Millennial Co-Workers.” Fortune, Fortune, 2015, fortune.com/2015/06/23/know-your-millennial-co-workers/.
“What Is a Millennial?” The Millennial Legacy, themillenniallegacy.com/the-millennial-generation/#.W39VvPZFxPY.
Main, Douglas. “Who Are the Millennials?” LiveScience, Purch, 8 Sept. 2017, www.livescience.com/38061-millennials-generation-y.html.
