Information compiled by Management HQ
Not since the early 1980s has a group been simultaneously the youngest and largest generation in the U.S. workforce. What does this mean for leadership development? Is it time to reassess and reinterpret some distinguishing characteristics of millennials?
Quick facts from the Pew Research Center:
- Millennials have surpassed Generation X to become the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. (2015)
- A significant portion of the millennial population are 19- to 25-year-olds. (2016)
- Millennials have surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living generation. (2016)
- A significant portion of the millennial population are 19- to 25-year-olds. (2016)
Millennials are now both the youngest and the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. The last time a generation held this distinction was in the early 1980s when the last baby boomers were first entering the workforce.
In light of this demographic change, the pool of both potential and newly minted leaders is the largest it has been in more than more than thirty years. So what does this mean for leadership development?
It’s no secret that the word “millennial” has sometimes been cast in a negative light. They’re entitled. They lack basic communication skills. They job hop. They require ego-stroking. They prefer their devices over human contact.
But as baby boomers and Gen-Xers begin to position and develop their future and current partners and successors, they’re starting to reassess and reinterpret some of the most distinguishing characteristics of the newest and largest group of current and future leaders.
In fact, in a recent article from Entreprenuer.com, We Gave Millennials a Bad Name. It’s Time We Look in the Mirror and Dispose of the Myths, a strong case is made for disposing of many of these common millennial myths.
“In short, millennials are much more complex than we might give them credit for… Perhaps they are simply willing to speak up earlier, and that’s what makes them different. But let’s not mistake youth for lack of perspective or assertiveness for narcissism. And if millennials are not living up to their potential, let’s look in the mirror,” the article reads.
“A lot of behavior that is criticized in young professionals can be directly traced to the behavior of the people managing them,” added Charlie Gray, formerly head of staffing and human resources at Google New York.
Not only are millennials the future of today’s organizations, they are also helping make major shifts in the way we work. From forcing transparency to choosing meaningful work, from making working from home the norm to making work more of a game vs a chore, millennials are making positive impacts across the way businesses operate and how individuals work.
That sounds pretty good to us.
