Want to engage millennials? Lead, don’t manage

Millennials make up the majority of today’s workforce. They also live, work and act in a way that is completely different from previous generations. It is not surprising that employers are constantly seeking to understand the motivations, needs, and expectations of this generation of workers in order to attract, engage and keep them in their companies.

I believe the best way to attract and keep millennials is to work with them toward a greater purpose. Because they are driven by the desire to find fulfillment in work and in life, the business must align its mission to one that serves a bigger, life-changing goal rather than merely selling a product or service to the market.  

Be a team leader, not a team owner

Leading millennials is much more effective than managing them. But what is the difference? Leadership author John O’Leary interviewed top business leaders to understand the distinction. He found that people were more likely to talk about the “character” of a leader and the “behaviors” of a manager. 

Managers use people’s skills to efficiently achieve business outcomes, whereas leaders focus on motivating and growing people for the benefit of the team. “Focus more on people and you’ll demonstrate leadership, more on results and you’ll perform management”, O’Leary writes.

Millennials want to work with managers who direct, not command. They view the ideal boss as someone who is approachable, inclusive, transparent, and ethical, and who is able to motivate and recognize employees. That is why authoritarian leadership is out and inclusive leadership is in. Millennials want to have roles assigned to them based on their particular skills and talents so that they can find fulfillment in their work. Good leaders must therefore be able to look at each individual holistically.

Engage millennials through mentoring

Companies that fail to invest in developing millennial employees are likely to lose them. Millennials want opportunities to grow and connect with leadership. They thrive on regular feedback and guidance, and they appreciate leaders who check in with them, notice if they are struggling with a particular task, and offer coaching when necessary.

Millennials value having their leadership skills developed and will remain loyal to employers that make that happen. The Deloitte Millennial Survey found that 68% of millennials who are likely to stay with their organization for more than five years have a mentor. They crave coaching and will move to companies that offer this.

Along with their desire for mentorship, they want to invest in career growth and learning on the job is key. As digital natives, they are impatient and they want to make effective use of technology to learn, recognizing the opportunities technology presents in their working and private life to get answers at the touch of a button.

It’s all about collaboration

The millennial generation has driven the growth of the sharing economy, fueling the rise of companies like Airbnb and Uber. They are great collaborators and are looking to contribute ideas in a collaborative, not competitive, work environment.  

Because they are highly connected – sharing photos, videos, articles, ideas, memes, stories, and more on social media – they have enhanced collaboration skills and will use platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, to socialize, research, and learn. In fact, they overwhelmingly choose collaboration over competition, with 88% of millennials saying they would prefer to work in a collaborative work culture than a competitive one.

At PQE Group, our marketing and communications team thrives on collaboration to breed innovation, and this fuels a healthy sense of community in the workplace. We use our collaborative mentality to encourage team members to brainstorm new ideas and strategies.

I find that this leads to enhanced performance because everyone is motivated to work towards a common goal. A strong sense of purpose gives my team a meaningful reason to work together and results in mutual benefits for the company as well as the team.

It is important to remember that even if you lead the team, you’re also one of the key players. I know I have as much to learn from my team as I have to teach. I strive to keep the lines of communication open and to pay attention to what engages each person: mentorship, opportunities to learn, building career prospects, connection to a purpose, and collaboration.