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Conference on millennials workers
Millennials also called Y and Z generations, are a growing part of the workforce and have introduced new behaviours in organisations. What are their key features and expectations at work? How can they be integrated into teams with employees from older generations?...
This topic was discussed on the 8th of November at the French Embassy:
It started with testimonials by two young professionals, Marion Attaoui, VIE at Parfum Christian Dior and Mette Abrahams, Executive assistant, French Institute.
Then, Morten Andersen, Business Director at Hays Denmark, gave some theoretical inputs.
His presentation was followed by an animated round-table discussion between:
- Gitte Rasmussen, HR Director Scandinavia at Sephora
- Astrid Melby, HR Business Partner at BNP Paribas
- Olga Mougeolle, Site HR Manager at Amminex, Faurecia group
The event was moderated by Victor Bloch, a futurist speaker specialized in the future work life, who provided this summary of the event:
“Today, Millennials make up the largest generation in the workforce. Around 2025, they will make up the majority of the entire workforce in both Denmark and France according to reports from PwC and Deloitte.
Millennials bring a new set of habits and priorities to the workplace, which present challenges for many companies, but also great opportunities if managed correctly.
While all millennials are far from the same, key trends in technology and social awareness have shaped their formative years. The millennial generation has matured alongside the Internet, computers, smartphones and social media – as a result, they are the first generation to enter the workforce with a better grasp of an essential business tool than their more senior colleagues. During millennials' youth and early adulthood, globalization has gone from a flashy strategic concept to a fact of life.
The following are four central themes that emerged from the night:
- Talented millennials are in high demand, notoriously hard to attract and at times even harder to retain. They respond well to brands that they trust and appreciate as consumers, as well as company profiles that reflect their personal values.
- Once inside of companies, millennials thrive when they are recognized as individuals with lives and interests outside of work. This requires managers to take a personal interest in their younger employees and listen to their needs and their dreams. Successful managers will act as mentors or role models or know how to connect their employees with these. On the other hand, managers that dismiss this personal focus as simply catering to the whims of self-absorbed youngsters will miss the opportunity to ignite and drive their new employees’ passion into loyalty and consistent value-generation for their organization.
- Many millennials are budding entrepreneurs with a desire to take action and make a change. Organizations that enable young employees with space, autonomy and trust may yield the benefits of innovation from within. The added bonus of giving millennials real responsibility is an increased sense of motivation and purpose.
- If you have recognized the fatal flaw of this article repeatedly generalizing all millennials into one category, you already caught the fourth and final theme. It is not possible to fit a whole generation into a few central beliefs and motivators, but it is possible to use this background to better understand and empathize with the younger employees in our generation.”
The event was followed by a cocktail provided by Les Grands Chais and by the group Bel.
