The Changing Workplace Climate
Singapore is changing. The city itself, our perceptions of others, our everyday lives and our future is changing. Yes, we are an innovative, futuristic city, continuously growing and expanding. There is a reason we are considered to be the trading hub of Asia, a country that tourists from around the world flock to and expats from around the world wish to be a part of.
Singapore is changing, growing – but is it in the right direction?
Are we becoming more frightened of innovation than encouraged by it? Are we becoming a generation too comfortable with the idea of being secure and comfortable, rather than thinking outside the box and nurturing others to do the same?
With the employment of Gen Y, the workplace is another area of our lives that is changing and evolving. However, the Baby Boomer generation often refuses to evolve with it. In companies both large and small, corporates and start-ups, this tends to create a bit of a struggle between the old and the young – opinions clash, and there are often consequences. Since it’s the newcomers who are still quite new to the workforce, it’s often they who suffer the most of the consequences. Hence the ‘trouble’ in managing them crops up from time to time; an issue which can have even more dire circumstances.
The Issue with Millennials
Gen Y or millennials are the first generation to have grown up with technology. As it advanced, so did they. While this can often give millennials an edge in certain areas – such as social media, mobile apps, online shopping and everything else the Internet has to offer – it has also given them a reputation of being lazy and unappreciative from older generations.
Rather than focus on differences, each generation must be willing to evolve and move forward in order to work together, both professionally and productively. For evolution to happen, we need to begin working together and better manage expectations. If we fail in this, we may just be compromising our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others in the workplace.
Managing Millennials
If you’re a baby boomer and you’re having difficulty managing millennials, it’s important to understand them and what they value. Firstly, millennials often value individuality. As individuality, creativity and innovation come hand in hand – there is a reason why an increasing number of young individuals are looking into entrepreneurship. This is why millennials place value on being given meaningful work while employed, quite often even more than other factors such as their pay grade or the responsibility they inherit at their job.
The significance of managing this new generation was uncovered in Deloitte’s Millennial Survey. According to 63% of millennials, it is management’s attitude which hinders innovation in their companies. It is therefore critical for baby boomers to build on a more improved method for managing millennials, which has the potential to lead companies to greater heights. This somewhat contradicts the current situation in a number of companies, which fail to empower millennials to reach their full potential. Instead, more often than not, millennial employees who are looking to contribute to their company are not taken seriously. With this, many brilliant and creative ideas are left unexplored, while millennials themselves are discouraged and taken for granted – which often leads them, as their false reputation holds, to look for work elsewhere, where at the very least their contributions might be appreciated. Statistics also show that merely half of working millennials believe their companies encourage employees to contribute and suggest improvements
Succeeding in Management
So, how does one attract millennials to join their organisation? By being innovative, the Deloitte survey shows. Employers that provide opportunities to innovate is a big drawcard for potential millennial employees.
The only way to achieve this is by fostering a culture of inclusive management, whether it is related to getting work done, nurturing creativity, or teaching millennials the pragmatics of teamwork in the workplace. The key to this is mentoring employees instead of managing them.
RMIT University aims to do just that – nurture its students to achieve their potential by tackling every task, large or small, with determination and understanding. This happens through a variety of online postgraduate courses in Human Resource Management, Marketing, Supply Chain and Logistics Management and more. As one of Australia’s premier universities, earning a postgraduate degree from RMIT equips mature-aged students with high levels of success in management.
Want to know more? Enquire today via RMIT or call the enrolment team on 1300 701 171.
