Managing millennials isn’t as hard as some people make it out to be, but…

Managing millennials isn’t as hard as some people make it out to be, but you do have to adjust your expectations. Millennials aren’t bad employees; they are just different than the generations that preceded them.  

You’ll get better results from your millennial employees when you keep these 3 things in mind. 

1. Millennials want flexibility.

In a PWC research study, flexible work hours came in second place of the most desired benefits by millennials. That flexibility doesn’t look the same for everyone, though. For some employees, that means the option to work four ten-hour days and take Fridays off. Other employees simply want to work 7-4 instead of 8-5. In addition to flexible hours in the office, millennials also want the option to work remotely. As many as 75% of millennials polled in a recent Deloitte study reported that they would like to work remotely.

As more companies move to flex scheduling and remote employees, managers are going to have to adapt accordingly. Communication becomes even more important when managing remote employees, even if the employees only work remotely part of the time. And when employees work different schedules, managers need to make sure they are getting face time with every employee regularly. Flexibility can be a good thing when managed correctly. 

2. Millennials blur the line between work and personal life.

That flexibility millennials crave may contribute to the very real idea that millennials are more likely to conduct personal business on company time. But conversely, they are more likely to conduct company business on personal time. 

More than any generation before, millennials have blurred the lines between their work and personal lives. Yes, they will probably check social media or person email while at their desk. Understandably, that can drive some managers crazy. But the managers don’t see the employee working at 9 pm at home, or answering the email that came in at 5 am before they make it into the office. Keep this in mind the next time you see that millennial on his phone in the middle of the workday.

3. Millennials want feedback early and often.

Forget annual performance reviews. Millennials would prefer monthly performance reviews – or maybe even weekly. They want to know how they are doing, and yes, they want to be recognized for the work they’ve done. 

There’s no need to provide a participation trophy, but acknowledging the hard work a millennial put into a big project is important. Millennials want to know that their managers see them and appreciate them. But they are also open to critical feedback when necessary. Offer feedback – both good and bad – as much as possible to keep millennial employees at their best.