Millennials & Effective Business Communication

In the US, Millennials are poised to become one of the most influential demographics in the labor market in the coming years. It’s estimated that they will constitute 33% of the civilian workforce by 2022 and employers must implement communication channels that make it easy to interact and converse with employees who grew up during the digital era. To learn more about Millennials and communication in business, checkout the infographic below created by the University of Florida’s Online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program.


Related program: B.S. in Business Administration

UF Online Infographic: Millennials & Effective Business Communication

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Modern Workplace Demographics

The US workforce straddles all age demographics, from Millennials to baby boomers. Specifically, it includes 64.2 million Millennials (ages 18-34), 82.3 million generation X (ages 35-50), and 54.8 million baby boomers (ages 51-69). By 2020, the American civilian labor landscape will constitute of 87.9 million Millennials (ages 20-44), 81.4 million generation X (ages 45-64), and 58.6 million baby boomers (ages 65-75). With this in mind, certain positive and negative traits characterize the millennial generation. One the positive side, 82% of Millennials is technologically adept because they have grown up interacting with computers, smartphones, tablets, and access to broadband Internet. As such, 72% are more amenable to change. Thanks to easily accessible information, 68% of Millennials have a wider skill set range and 66% are more creative. In addition, 60% are more adaptable.

On the negative side, Millennials have a slew of negative traits that employers may find disturbing or hard to accommodate. To begin, 80% tend to be more narcissistic compared to older compatriots in the workplace. What’s more, a large number of Millennials (about 58%) change jobs within the first three years, meaning they are hard to recruit and retain as employees. Given their narcissistic and nomadic employability tendencies, 31% of people in this age group require intense management to be productive.

Ways Employers Can Communicate with Millennials

First, employers must maintain regular communication with their Millennial generation employees. This is necessary because the younger generation keep in touch with their peers on a daily basis. Employers can exploit this trait to enhance cohesion at the workplace. A second effective communication strategy is mentorship. Younger employees look up to superiors who can help them advance in their careers as well as offer feedback on performance. Finally, employers should be quite flexible when dealing with younger hires because 78% tend to be partners of dual career Millennials.

Workplace Survival Kit for Millennials

To survive in the modern workplace, Millennials should focus on face-to-face communication. This approach is key to building lasting and meaningful workplace relationships given 59% of Millennials rely on mobile apps for communication. Only 14% of Millennials engage employers in face-to-face communication. The problem with maintaining this habit at the workplace is it creates a communication barrier especially with non-tech savvy employers. Another key workplace survival tip is maintaining professionalism at all times. A good example is always arriving at work on time. Currently, 21% of Millennials report late for work at least once a week. At the same time, 43% have never bothered to read employee handbooks. This means many have little or no idea of their employer’s expectations or workplace ethics and regulations.

Millennial Generation Contribution to the Modern Workforce

The biggest contribution Millennials have made to the modern workforce is technological innovation. Remember 82% are technologically adept and have good grasp of STEM subjects, which are increasingly the foundation of any successful business. To be precise, 34% are well versed in 3-D printing, 29% in cloud computing, 24% in wearable technology, 22% in autonomous vehicle, 20% in Internet of things (IoT), 18% in genetic modification, 15% in nanotechnology, and 15% in data visualization technology.

Besides technological savvy, Millennials tend to have a strong sense of purpose and social consciousness. In fact, 75% of the younger generation believes businesses focus too much on corporate benchmarks and rarely on improving society. Nevertheless, 73% believe the corporate sector can have positive influence on developments and activities in the society. At the same time, 66% of hiring managers say Millennials tend to have a more gender friendly attitude in the workplace.

Another positive workplace contribution attributable to Millennials is dedication and great leadership potential. Given their technological adeptness, 89% of Millennials check work email even after going home and on weekends as well. On the leadership front, 69% expect to be in managerial positions in 10 years’ time. Millennials are also more enterprising business wise than other age demographics. In fact, they are 1.76 times more likely to have taken entrepreneurial classes while in college compared to older people.