The Millennials are Taking Over the World

 Your Blogger with the HNU SCS officers

Admit it or not but the Millennials are taking over the world. Not only are they the majority in today’s workforce but are also expected to have a larger and bigger share of the labor market in the near future. As the Baby Boomers retire and Generation X contemplates on slowing down and thinking of options, more professionally experienced and trained Millennials are also assuming vacant leadership roles and managerial positions. 

As the inevitable happens, crisis in management, ego problems and related challenges also arise.

 with BISU Bilar Campus graduating seniors

  with BISU Clarin Campus workshop participants

How do we embrace this paradigm shift? Would they be willing to let us share with them the knowledge & the experiences acquired through the years?  How can we help them gain the confidence and skills as we prepare them to take over the reins of leadership in the organizational structure?

So much has been written about the seeming great divide between Generation X where I belong by the way and Generations Y & Z also known as the Millennials.

In order to understand them, we have to know more about them.    

Millennials are very creative, pro- active & receptive

Who are Millennials? Millennials are currently aged 20- 36, or born between 1982 and the end of 1997. They are named as such due to their coming-of-age at  the turn of the millennium.

The older millennials are also called Generation Y that grew up on personal computers, cell phones, and video game systems while the younger ones are also known as Generation Z that grew up on tablets, smartphones, and apps.

They are characterized by their familiarity with communications, media and technology who want to interact and share everything on social media. 

Millennials thrive in laidback yet challenging environments

Positive Qualities  Despite the unsavory terms or labels that are attached to millennials, they have redeeming qualities that make them uniquely special.

Millennials are generally regarded as being more open-minded, less myopic and are more  supportive of LGBT rights and equal rights for minorities. Most common adjectives to describe them include confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat, creative and receptive to new ideas and ways of living.

Millennials have a strong sense of social & civic responsibility and have a stronger concern for the environment.  They are masters of digital communication and can work anytime from anywhere with Internet.  

Millennials belong to the most tech- savvy generation

Negative Qualities On the other hand, with most millennials being raised and reared by helicopter parents (parents who hover around their kids 24/7) many grow up unhinged, tentative and dependent hence most are accused of being lazy, self-involved, cosseted, politically and socially apathetic.  

Millennials are said to be living in a state of perpetual adolescence & are mostly incapable of relationship commitment and job loyalty. They are also perceived to have shorter attention spans and long office hours don’t appeal to them. 

Millennials can't imagine a life without digital technology 

While Generation X have to incorporate digital technology and social media into their skill set as adults and as professionals, millennials practically grew up with these gizmos. As a result, millennials have become so attached and dependent on these electronic gadgets, that life is simply unimaginable without the ubiquitous smartphone on hand.

Recognizing and understanding how millennials breathe, think and act would surely go a long way in ensuring that the generation gap is narrowed down, conflicts & irritants are minimized especially when this tech- savvy generation enters the workforce.

NEXT: Entering the Workforce