C&IT Agency Forum: Top 5 takeaways on millennials in the workplace

Drp head of PR and marketing Ryan Curtis Johnson and David Preston, CEO of live events training agency Realise discussed what agencies can learn from millennials in the workplace at the C&IT Agency Forum, a three-day event taking place this week at Manchester Central.

1) The stats show how important the millennial workforce will become

A big debate exists around how much emphasis employers need to place on accommodating millennials in the workplace, but stats don’t lie. By 2020, 48% of the workforce will be millennials, and this will increase to 75% by 2030.

2) Employers can learn from the younger generation

Learning is not simply passed down from managers to junior staff - the learning process goes two ways according to Curtis-Johnson and Preston. Curtis- Johnson said: "We must learn from young people in our team and nurture and empower them. They might know more than you do so it’s vital to acknowledge their areas of expertise."

3) Millennials care about experiences, not things

An uncertain economic landscape and the social media age have changed millennial priorities. "Gone are the days where people aspired to own a nice watch, car or home. Grasping at material things is difficult for this generation. They are more concerned with social experiences, like festivals and pop-ups. They fear missing out on experiences that are driving social interactions," said Curtis- Johnson.

4) Mentoring is key...

Shifting attitudes have brought about new values in the workplace, and in this environment mentorship and nurturing talent has become key. "Millennials care about coaching and mentoring. We need to provide the space and tools for businesses to be able to do that," said Preston.

Curtis- Johnson added: "If we expect and tell rather than empower and nurture, there will be no impact. Millennials are very concerned with how they as individuals can make an impact."

5) ...As is personal development

Asked about how to retain millennial staff, both agreed that this group needs to feel invested in. "Allow them to flourish and go into different areas of the business," said Curtis-Johnson.  

"Recognising skills and helping employees to move on with their personal development is how employers can retain staff," added Preston.

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