Flexible Hours, Personal Days And Remote Work

To many millennials, having a job with flexible hours (as opposed to the typical 9-to-5) is essential.
They want to come and go as they please, depending on their workload. So consider if strict in-office
work hours are necessary for your business. Instead, you may want to gauge employees by the quality
of their work and whether they’re completing tasks and projects in a timely manner. Try giving your
employees “general” working hours and/or the ability to work remotely and measure if productivity
decreases.

Not having lenient personal or sick days is a job deal-breaker for many. If it’s too difficult to take
time off, 64 percent of millennials polled in the aforementioned survey said they would quit their job.
As of late, many growing companies are changing their policies on sick days from one to three days a
year to an unlimited number of days — as long as one doesn’t abuse the system. Flexibility is key.

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Clear Career Progression And Support

In my experience, I've found that millennials not only want a job with a company that cares about
their health and wellbeing -- they want a company that is willing to invest in their career
development. In other words, millennials aren’t looking for a dead-end job. A tactic I’m using in my
most recent startup is 18-month promotions, where the next career jump is chosen one year into the
current position. This way, each employee has six months to start learning the new job after they’ve
achieved mastery in their current position. My team is happy because they see how seriously we take
career progression, and we’re happy because we keep talent in-house.

In larger companies, I recommend holding regular reviews to understand employees’ career goals
and to recognize their accomplishments. Offer opportunities when an employee hits her goals
consistently, or if higher positions aren’t available, assign additional responsibilities. You may even
consider an office mentoring program to develop leadership skills, cross-departmental training to
broaden employees’ skill sets and improve office efficiency, or in-office skill development workshops
that focus on different topics such as public speaking or team building.

It’s unfair to put millennials in a position where they’re unsure where their career is heading and
then fault them for looking elsewhere. As leaders, we need to be more empathetic and show our
employees that their career progression is on our minds and offer clear opportunities for growth and
change.

Great Office Atmosphere

Unsurprisingly, the research also found that millennials value a great work atmosphere and culture.
What does that even mean? The truth is that it varies depending on your employees. The best way to
figure out exactly what your millennial employees want and start a cultural reform is by surveying
your current staff.
Ask questions: Find out what they like and what they feel could be improved. These
recommendations and criticisms are the best tools in your arsenal and can radically improve the
attitude and happiness of the office. At my startups, we've followed the premise that people want to
work with people they like, so I recommend holding team-building activities and celebrating
milestones by taking your employees out of the office to celebrate and improve friendships.
Personally, I’ve found that small team events such as happy hours and potlucks strengthen team
relationships more than more elaborate events like retreats.

Convincing Reason To 'Settle Down'

Let’s not overcomplicate this: Millennials have created a new set of workplace ideals, and companies
that apply ideals that worked 20 or 30 years ago won’t be able to track and keep the talent they want.
Among flexible hours, a great atmosphere and career development, millennials also want to be a part
of a company that’s growing, evolving and improving.

For companies that wish to keep their employees around for longer than 20 months — the average
time a millennial believes they should stay at a job before looking for another (per the earlier survey)
— consider observing the best practices of leading millennials and adopting some of those principles.

Feed their entrepreneurial spirit.

One of the biggest trends among millennials is finding out how they can easily maneuver themselves
out of the corner office and into their own businesses. This drive comes from a thirst for more
responsibility, a craving for exciting opportunities and an interest in the creative process. Many
companies are embracing this thought process by creating a system in which they feed that
entrepreneurial spirit while still retaining employees. Granting a sense of creative
vision and stimulating tools to the millennial generation will allow them to embrace their need for
freedom while maintaining their innovative spirits under your company's roof.

In business school, I learned how companies were adopting and embracing an entrepreneurial

culture that encouraged innovation. Equipped with this knowledge, I wanted to see if I could
apply this approach at one of the companies I later worked for. I presented a business case to
management that would allow scheduled free time for employees to either work on personal
development, affordability initiatives or new ways to innovate. My vision was that everyone on the
team considered themselves as an entrepreneur. Within a short time, we achieved an increase in
morale, cost savings, new tools and more efficient processes.

Provide flexibility.

The millennial generation has been shown flexibility through their entire lives, from their schedules
as children to how universities function today. This same flexibility is therefore sought as they choose
their careers. Creating a system of responsibility while also embracing this generation's preference to
sometimes work from home, go on vacation or turn a given creative process into a group session is
crucial for keeping millennials satisfied in their current positions. Sometimes improving means
thinking outside of the box and allowing your employees to maneuver in a way that suits their
natures, as opposed to old and likely dated company structures.

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In this day and age with the prevalence of technology, mobility and connectivity, many companies
have found success with a remote working option. When I worked for Dell Inc., I appreciated that
management allowed our team to work from home on some days. This flexible benefit was a
huge positive because it offered more work-life balance. I have worked at companies that wouldn't
even consider a flexible working environment for the sole reason of “We just don’t do that here,”
despite never offering substantiated reasoning behind this policy.

Of course, there are concerns when it comes to employees abusing these types of privileges.
However, that shouldn’t be indicative of policy failure, but rather more reflective of an organization’s
hiring practices, employee buy-in, and perhaps even the motivation levels influenced by the
organization’s leadership.

Encourage development.

It's no secret that millennials feel as if they are not being used to their full potential. This generation
is often overlooked for advancement and leadership roles while watching the torch get passed among
older workers. But let’s face it: To move into the new millennial-dominated era of employment, you
have to start passing the torch right now. Accordingly, developing millennials' skills and leadership
qualities in-house is another way of providing your company and your employees with the ability to
stay ahead of the curve – which is a wonderful alternative to playing catch-up later.

At one of the companies I work with, there is a leadership development program in place that aims to
establish a robust network within the company, improve on leadership and communication skills,
explore other functions/disciplines of interest for future roles, and assess management/leadership
potential. My participation in this particular program has been instrumental not only in my
professional growth and confidence, but also in my desire to be employed with the company because
the company cares about the employee and wants to invest in them and their future.

When you look around at your workforce, you can safely judge the relevance and competitiveness of
that workforce based upon how many millennials are present on the team. If your deck isn't stacked
with plenty of millennial talent, you're most certainly drifting toward an uncertain future. Millennials
are where the future is at. Don't let them slip away from you.

There are a few principles that leaders working at companies of all sizes must keep in mind in
order to successfully manage millennials. Here are five costly mistakes that leaders make when it
comes to millennials, as well as ways to avoid the mistakes in the future.

1. Misunderstanding millennial motivations.

David Kurzmann is an entrepreneurial force. He and his co-founders are responsible for the
creation of Women’s Best, a company dedicated to helping women live healthier lives. In his
role as CEO, Kurzmann has learned a thing or two about managing millennials. According to
him, “Taking a deeper look into the millennial generation, you notice that they value being
appreciated, and seek a good working atmosphere even more than being financially
compensated.”

Kurzmann’s point is supported by a number of different studies. A recent Gallup poll found that
“engaged” millennials were nearly 65% less likely to move on to another job than “unengaged”
millennial workers. When it comes to understanding what motivates millennials, compensation
and career advancement do not provide the whole picture.

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Millennials care deeply about the mission of their company. One study found that 84% of
millennials care more about making a difference in the world than about professional
recognition. As a business leader, it is important to create a work atmosphere that is charged with
meaning. Millennials want to feel like they are working for a purpose larger than themselves.
This helps to create engagement, which in turn helps to create retention.

2. Assuming millennials are only interested in technology for purposes of play.

Millennials certainly love their smartphones and social networking platforms. One study found
that the average young person checks some social platforms an average of 11 times each day.

However, millennials don’t just care about technology for purposes of fun. Kurzmann says of
millennials and technology: “Managers should know that millennials have opened their eyes to
technology. This means that employees are much more capable of applying technology for
professional purposes than previous generations.”

3. Failing to personally motivate millennial employees.

It is not only important for the institution to create a meaningful working environment. Managers
must play a hands-on role in motivating millennial employees. An effective form of motivation
can come from one-on-one interaction.

Take an experiment conducted by Sun Microsystems as an example. The company established a

mentoring program in which senior leaders mentored younger (millennial) employees. The study
found that millennials who participated in the program were more likely to stay with the
company than those who did not.
One reason for the success of the program was that mentors provided mentees with feedback.
A recent study found that a third of millennial employees felt feedback was the single most
important thing needed to improve professionally. Yet less than 20% of millennials said they
received routine feedback.

4. Assuming that all young people are alike.

Not all young people are alike. In fact, not all young people belong to the same generation. There
are significant differences between the motivations of millennials and the motivations of
Generation Zers.

Millennials are those born roughly between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s. The generation
following the millennials is known as Generation Z. Unlike millennials, Gen Zers are less
collaborative, more entrepreneurial and highly individualistic. It will require different
management techniques to successfully work with Gen Zers.

5. Underinvesting in employee training.

Roughly three out of four employees are interested in career growth opportunities, and nearly 87
percent of millennials said professional development was a critical aspect when evaluating the
desirability of a job.

Managers must find time to invest in the career development of millennial employees. Doing so
not only helps to keep employees more engaged; it helps build employees who are better able to
offer value to the company. Remember that millennials are fast learners, who have figured out
the latest technology through self-education and intuition. Similarly, they are capable of learning
new methodologies because they are a naturally curious generation, and because they want to
advance their careers.

Managers of millennials should consider building some sort of professional development

cadence into daily life. This can include things like paying for millennial employees to attend
conferences, organizing routine training sessions or hosting outside speakers. In some cases,
simply providing millennial employees with time for them to “self-teach” can be effective. Take
a look at Google’s famous 20% time program for inspiration.

Conclusion 

The most successful businesses tend to be the ones that are able to attract and retain the most
talented employees. Successfully doing this will help your organization to discover industry
breakthroughs while competitors spin their wheels.

But in order for businesses to retain the best people, managers must understand what motivates
millennial employees, simply because millennials will play an increasingly central role in the
workforce.
Managers working with millennials should know that motivations outside of compensation are
often a critical factor in determining where they work and for how long. Providing feedback,
mentorship and career development opportunities are important to keeping millennials engaged.
It is also important for managers to understand that not all young people are similarly motivated.

Lastly, managers should remember that technology is not just a fun distraction for millennials.
Millennials are digital natives, who have witnessed the incredible changes technology has
wrought and are generally eager to apply technology to workplace problems.

I am a serial entrepreneur, marketer 

20 Actionable Ways to Motivate your Millennial Employees

1. Provide Challenging Projects 
Every job includes some busy work, but when you’re trying to understand what motivates those Gen Y employees in the
workplace, it’s critical to note that amongst the day-to-day work you should give them challenging projects with
executive visibility. This fulfills their need for validation and teaches them how to learn new skills and reach stretch
goals.
2. Offer Philanthropic Activities 
Another way to make work meaningful for Millennials is by offering philanthropic opportunities like volunteer work
through the company. Getting your team together to give back to the community fosters team bonding and benefits those
less fortunate. Xactlians often volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Children’s Discovery Museum near our
office. Find a cause that resonates with your employees and send out volunteering invites.
3. Provide Real-Time Visibility to Enhance Consistent Feedback
Set goals and stick to them. Each week your Millennial employees should have a specific list of priorities that they
know must be completed by Friday. These smaller priorities should then be tied to larger, quarterly goals that are
visibly tracked through an employee performance management software solution . Don’t just set them and forget them,
make sure you’re putting in the time on a weekly basis to sit down with your team and discuss progress.
4. Offer Work Location Flexibility 
If you live in the Bay Area, or any major city for that matter, you’re all too familiar with rush hour traffic and
commutes over an hour each way to work. To save valuable time, increase quality of life, and increase productivity
many employers are increasingly offering privileges to work remotely part-time. This shows Gen Y you have trust in
their ability to complete their work and allows them to feel autonomous over their time.
5. Don’t Micro-Manage 
For some managers, it can be a thin line to walk between providing the frequent feedback Millennials crave, and plain
ol’ micro-management. Avoid the dreaded Micro-manager title by creating processes that help you easily assign, track,
and discuss the tasks you have your Gen Y employees working on. Trusting them to manage their workload will help
them personally develop in their careers by learning time management, and it gives managers the chance to enhance
their delegation skills.
6. Personalize Management Style 
Rather than assuming that all Millennials at work are all the same, for example, managers should take the time to
understand their team and what drives them, to get the most out of each person and support the business’ success. There
can be a tendency for management styles to be overly formalized and even prescriptive, overlooking employees’
individualities. Set one on ones and team off-sites to learn more about your employees as individuals.
7. Give Time for Training and Development 
Millennials might get overwhelmed thinking about how to stay competitive and at the forefront of their industry when
they are bogged down with day-to-day tasks. The solution? Make training millennials (and all employees for the
matter) a part of your company’s goals, allowing time to take workshops, seminars, and classes to up their game,
strengthen their core skills, and learn new ones.
8. Provide Mentoring 
Mentoring, as opposed to management, is a more valuable approach for both sides. Although this is dependent on
managers’ interpersonal style, there are tools that businesses can use to support mentoring, including psychometric tests
that help to highlight individuals’ personalities and priorities. Businesses should consider incorporating these tools into
their overarching HR strategy to motivate employees.
9. Personalize Benefits 
As psychologist Frederick Herzberg has argued, salaries are a maintenance factor that gets people to work every day.
Bonuses are what motivate them to be engaged and productive, ultimately increasing profitability. Ron Rasmussen,
 Xactly CTO, pointed out that Netflix employees are able to personalize their benefits package using an online system to
determine the levels of certain elements that they receive as part of their remuneration in recognition of the different
requirements of their multigenerational workforce.
10. Ensure Millennials Feel Part of the Company Vision 
This motivational tip is related to giving work meaning. As Millennials enjoy working towards a greater good and
feeling like their jobs are making an impact it’s extremely beneficial for companies to ensure that their executive
leadership is visible and vocal about core values and company mission. One way to make sure that everyone at the
company knows the core values is to bring them up at every All Hands meeting you host.
11. Personalize Bonuses 
Using platforms like Xactly, there is scope to tailor bonus plans to match either modern ‘gamified’ mindsets or more
traditional plans, varying plans according to what works best for individuals or teams. Also, providing businesses
access to data on how employees respond to these different plans allows them to adapt their plans according to what
works best.
12. Provide Tangible, Incremental Steps up the Career Ladder 
One aspect of Millennials working style that can frustrate older generations is their need for frequent promotions and
progress. There’s a simple solution though – make more steps up the ladder. A few years ago one of our account
executives asked for a promotion after hitting quota for just two quarters. While his manager was surprised, the AE
sincerely believed his six months of stellar performance deserved some recognition. This Gen Y-er had talent his
manager wanted to retain, so the manager split his job description into two sub roles. Next, he divided each sub-role
into multiple growth stages: Junior, Senior, team lead, and mentor. For each sub-role and growth stage, the manager
clearly defined an expected timeline, as well as what benchmarks were necessary for advancement. He also established
an ongoing training program to coach his team for success in their new roles. This resulted in a win-win solution for his
team, and for the AE.
13. Unlimited Vacation
No tracking; just get your work done. There are pros and cons to unlimited PTO, but more and more companies are
adopting this benefit policy. It’s a smart move for an employer, as it shows you trust the integrity and choices of your
staff.
14. Shout-Outs 
Peers praise teammates publicly via handwritten notes. These individuals are acknowledged during a company-wide
meeting. In addition, an end of year, “Most Inspired Employee” award is presented. Validation motivates the
demographic in question, so when co-workers voice appreciation, it’s likely their productivity will increase.
15. Quarterly Incentive Projects 
Employees can join in on group ventures that explore topics like innovation, industry knowledge, and client education.
Participants receive a variety of awards (i.e. personal shopper experience, Beats headphones, cold hard cash, or lunch
on the company).
16. End of Year Incentive: mystery location vacation!
If the agency meets its “stretch goal” for the year in revenue or profit, the entire company takes a destination trip where
they explore local hot spots and enjoy team-building fun. A collaborative environment is of utmost importance to
Millennials, and going on a trip with co-workers provides a backdrop for team bonding, and friendships that won’t
disappear when they’re back at the office.
17. Landmark Service Rewards 
Once an employee has been with Inspira Marketing Group for five years, the agency sends him or her on a “Vocation
Vacation.” Inspira foots the bill for the employee to set out and achieve a personal “betterment” goal that they may not
have had the chance to do on their own. The only requirement is that it must be tied to giving back.
18. “Wow” Incentives for Gen Y
A recent study from the Incentive Research Foundation on what’s hot in incentives revealed the top “wow” incentives
are as follows: “adventure activities” (such as hiking and extreme sports), with 68 percent of respondents selecting this
perk. That was followed by themed events (64 percent), entertainment (58 percent), and face-to-face time with
executives (46 percent), speakers (45 percent), and music (41 percent).
19. Wellness Incentives 
In the same research study, questions around wellness were also top of mind with respondents. While yoga classes
proved to be the top wellness incentive, other popular ones included healthy meal choices, fun runs, and spa activities.
Some ideas for wellness programs from respondents included “cooking classes using healthy cuisine, seminars on
stress management and work-life balance, giveaways that promote wellness, health screenings, and pedometers for
attendees.”
20. Clearly Defined Job Roles
This tip to motivate Gen Y in the office is related to a previously mentioned piece of advice; Along with setting up
ways to climb the ladder quickly, you want to explicitly define the roles and responsibilities of the job you’re hiring for.
This helps Millennials understand their priorities, hit their goals, and get that recognition they crave.
Purpose - mentor - micro manage - professional development