Corporations have managed the loss or retirement of key personnel in various ways over the years but the massive sweep of Boomer retirements coinciding with the influx of Millennial employees presents new challenges, many of them rooted in issues relating to communication.

For a generation that prided itself on its revolutionary approach to everything from music to relationships, the Boomers confirmed many bureaucratic business practices and surprisingly reinforced the status quo often. That led to some great accomplishments.

The Millennial generation, meanwhile, is entering today’s workforce with something of a bad rep. These folks have apparently been the most coddled generation in history and this has taught them to feel entitled to a voice in decision-making as well as instant feedback on daily tasks. We’re told their corporate loyalty is suspect and that they tend to leave work right on time rather than spend an extra hour completing an important task.  Whether this is true or not is almost irrelevant in view of the seismic shift in thinking we’re all going to have to make in order to ensure corporate success in the years to come.

Here are my thoughts on the situation:

1. The Environment has changed. The internet has revolutionized our communication and business processes and not all workers have kept up. Younger workers are far more likely to understand and navigate the online jungle than your average 63-year-old and this issue is here to stay. The smart businesses going forward will be the ones that leverage the communication skills of Millennial to compete effectively in a new economy.
2. Value conflicts. The underlying sub-text to all this talk of “Millennial versus Boomers” is that we are clearly in an era where values conflict. What was crucially important to the Boomer is much less important to the Millennial. New workers want different things and any corporation that wants to attract and keep the very best and most skilled young workers available is going to have to appeal to them on a fundamental and authentic basis. That means some of the cherished ideals that have kept an organization going for years are going to have to evolve in a way that incorporates principles that excite a younger workforce. Communication will have to occur in a way younger workers can easily embrace.
3. Identity matters. Marketers are telling us we are now in an era of personal branding, which I think is a fancy way of saying that our reputations are more important now than they ever have been in the past. Skilled young workers want to align themselves with an employer that reflects who they think they are. Some soul searching will be required but ultimately the competitive businesses will be the ones that ensure their corporate brand and identity correspond to new concepts in things like work-life balance, collegiality, technical proficiency and authenticity.

We’re likely in for a bumpy ride over the next five-to-ten years but as the Millennials mentor their superiors – and are mentored in turn – I suspect the pace of workplace evolution will increase.  How it all shakes out is anyone’s guess.

Am I right on this? I’d love to hear your perspective — please share your thoughts in the “comments” section below.

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