How Millennials Are Changing The American Workplace

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How Millennials Are Changing the American Workplace The American workplace is changing at a rapid pace and organizations are being forced to examine how, when, and where people work. Employment opportunities increasingly rely on social and technological abilities with less of a focus on physical labor. According to the Pew Research Center, manufacturing jobs have declined by a third since 1990; they report that the majority of people feel the most important abilities are critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills. Context states that millennials are the largest generation currently employed and that by 2025, three out of every four workers will be millennials. Additionally, the average tenure for a millennial is two years, …show more content…

Millennials are eschewing the traditional top-down management structure and moving to a flat organizational structure with a more democratic approach to decision-making. Flattened organizations have fewer titles, but millennials believe that true leaders don’t need titles and can demonstrate their ability by leading a project or campaign. Leaders are defined as communicative, have the ability to share their vision, and identify how those tie into the work they are doing for the organization and for …show more content…

They are not afraid to take risks and believe that succeed or fail, they are in it together. Millennials feel that the attributes that are most important in the workplace are passion, energy, excitement, and skill set. Millennials are less inclined to follow a traditional 9 to 5 workday schedule. Whether you need to go to a doctor’s appointment at 11:00 a.m. or meet with your plumber at 3:00 p.m., millennials will not care as long as you maintain your productivity. A recent study by Millennial Branding found that 89 percent of millennials would prefer to choose when and where they work rather than being placed in a 9 to 5 position. The same study found that 72 percent of those in “regular” jobs would prefer to quit to be independent and 61 percent say this will happen within two years. Being able to shape and make a contribution to where you work is important to millennials. To a generation used to instant replies, messaging, and tweeting, annual reviews are seen as a thing of the past. Most millennials seek immediate feedback weekly or as soon as projects are completed. They want a mentor, not a