The new generations are peers some people love to hate. The generation of cat videos, duck face selfies, and trendy eyebrows, made-up words like “on fleek” and “google it” might be making their way into our break rooms more than we think.
Gen Xers are particularly irritated, often resenting the changes they these new generations are demanding in the workplace, and finding their expectations and behaviors unrealistic and amateurish. These new generations are demanding in the workplace, and finding their expectations and behaviors unrealistic and amateurish.
However, millennials thrive on communication. Whether it is chatting with colleagues throughout the day, or engaging in a back-and-forth with their managers, they like to share ideas and learn from others. This is a particularly valuable trait in an improvement culture.
The recent generations are growing up with technology embedded in every aspect of their lives, unlike any prior generation. They are quick to adopt new technologies and can effortlessly learn new tools on the fly. This makes them an invaluable resource when introducing continuous improvement programs to the organization.
Continuous improvement culture that attracts and retains millennial talent.
The new generations are known for changing jobs more often than previous generations, which can be frustrating when a company has invested time and resources into training and developing them. The good news is that continuous improvement initiatives provide some valuable tools to keep the new generations engaged and attract new talent to the company.
Cassandra Co, a youth-focused consumer preferences firm, released a study concluding that 86 million millennials will be in the workplace by 2020—representing a full 40% of the total working population, 64% of them say it is a priority for them to make the world a better place and 88% prefer a collaborative work -culture rather than a competitive one.
The new generations are looking strategically at opportunities to invest in a workplace where they can make a difference, preferably a workplace that itself makes a difference, and according to Forbes, companies with strong cultures saw a 4x increase in revenue growth. Adjusting and promoting change to improve is critical to establishing a continuous improvement culture that attracts and retains millennial talent and the coming generations, it is an essential strategy to remain competitive, lean and flexible.
Remember, the coming generations are very persistent. They will search for workplaces filled with a significant number of opportunities for them to grow. Implementing a continuous improvement culture changes the perspective in which a company works, and at the same time can challenge, motivate and engage the coming generations.
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