Actually this is not true . . . in fact just the opposite is true, but it is something I hear in various forms way too frequently.
Several weeks ago I came across an article titled “Mythbusters: Millennials and Gen Zers Aren’t that Different, According to this Data” that inspired this article.
Here Are Two Key Findings . . .
Both of which will likely startle you . . .
- “Both Gen Zers and Millennials reported a similar (and higher) levels of job satisfaction as compared to their older peers.”
- “Gen Zers and Millennials rank “pay” and “benefits” as the #1 and #2 most important factors when choosing a job”. – Purpose not as important as the myth suggests
I want to add my own,not survey-based, but common sense, myth-busting . . .
- Every single organization out there has lots of slackers, not very good team members who are boomers, but since most high-level leaders are still boomers we have a hard time admitting that a bunch of our own suck.
- Mostly, good or bad team members are made by the quality of the organization’s culture and attitude toward their team members. You, as a leader, are mostly responsible for how good or bad your team members are.
- To the extent that millennials are more demanding, mostly what they are asking for will make senior living organizations better.
Not Much Different, If At All
Here are the top 5 things Millennials want when picking a job:
- Pay
- Benefits
- Job Location
- The values/mission of the company
- The ability to grow their career
At least to me . . . not a single one sounds unreasonable or entitled.
Being A Smart Employer
Being a great employer . . . the employer of choice is really simple, but oh so hard to implement. It requires that you really care about your team members, their needs and wants. But this is really hard because often they don’t know what they want, and you don’t know what they want and they don’t all want the same thing and . . . and . . . and . . .
And last of all, we get so busy that we don’t spend the time we should, building those great relationships.
Millennials . . .
Want the same thing you want or at least you wanted when you were young . . .
- To have a nice life
- To have some significance in the world
- To have some security
- To be trusted
- To be listened to
- To have some fun
Maybe it’s just me, but I am excited that when the time comes for me to live in senior living, I will be in the hands of a bunch of millennials.
One reminder for CCRC independent living residents is that our campus lives are 24/7, but the employees have their own lives. How many of us linger over our evening meals while the employees wait to clean up after us so they can leave? How many of us ask the receptionist to please not leave until the pharmacy delivers a needed prescription at the front desk?
Management needs to recognize this “employees need to commit to private lives” as well. The organization wants, for example, a part-time bus driver — but the incumbent must be able to “flex” and be available when needed. Maybe that’s unrealistic and some better scheduling needs to come about.
Millennials want a better balance — meaningful work, yet the ability to commit to family or some sort of “outside” personal life. We’re in an incredibly tight labor market — the 3.5% unemployment rate may be largely composed of those who wouldn’t pass a background or drug test. Those whom we hire need to be retained. The big question — is management doing all it can to create a setting which gives the workers not only a meaningful WORK life, but also a meaningful PERSONAL life? And that includes mentioning the challenges to thick-headed residents who sometimes demand too much. The times, they are a-changin’.
This is the first time that I strongly disagree with you, Steve. I’ve been in this business for 20 years, I’m a Regional Manager, and every Millennial executive director I have (or had) is a greedy numbskull. Of course, they put money at the top of their list. They want to get paid maximum dollars, and they offer minimum skills, experience, integrity, loyalty, or ethics. They are mercenaries. The one skill they have in Spades is the gift of gab. They will tell you how much they care for the residents and respect the regulations. They will promise you the best staff, a full census, total compliance, etc. Then they put in almost no effort except to delegate every bit of it. Which in turn means they have limited skills (or interest in learning about) marketing, medications, etc. And I can’t fault a younger person for wanting to job hop to make more money, but I can’t recall any of them giving advance notice they are quitting.
Contrast this with my best E.D. who covered every aspect of the job with a fine-tooth comb; level of care increases, assessments, training, mentoring, and marketing. Good luck with your millennials, you will meet many as your facility E.D. position will be a revolving door. Give me the old-timer.