A millennial centric workplace is associated with promoting diversity and inclusion which results in an overall more effective workplace.
Young professionals within the workplace are making their voices heard and pushing employers to place more emphasis on implementing diversity practices across all sectors.
What challenges do millennials face in the workplace?
Millennials may find themselves facing a number of challenges when attempting to implement these changes within their workplace. Many employers may consider millennials to have too little experience within the workplace to dictate changes which should be implemented, however, if employers are smart, they will look at the changes within society and understand the reasoning behind the need to diversify and build inclusive environments. Training is a great time for millennials to voice their opinions and find alternative and improved processes. Trainers should be ready to receive feedback from their trainees which should be valued and considered when looking for ways to improve workplace development.
Moreover, millennials are known for expressing considerably different views to previous generations such as ‘baby boomers’. With both generations recognising the importance of diversity, each tends to place alternative definitions on this. Values may differentiate and the way in which these two generations believe diversity should be implemented may be vastly different. Employers should look to implement training programmes that integrate these two generations more effectively and aim to align cultural and societal views to ensure a more productive workplace.
Larger businesses are typically more of a struggle for Millennials to insight change, due to the number of management levels and bureaucratic processes. In smaller companies, millennials will likely find their influence more easy to implement, often with the ability to gain access to the directors and owners of the company more easily. Training within a large company is an excellent time to relay concerns and ideas back to senior staff which can then be passed on for consideration, rather than trying to communicate these during the usual busy day-to-day activities.
How can millennials overcome these challenges?
Both employers and millennial employees must learn to listen, in order to best understand other people's perspectives within the workplace. Diversity, in particular, can be a sensitive subject, particularly when views are voiced by those in ‘the majority’. Diversity integration requires the workforce and management to establish cultural competence, and this can be most effectively established through listening more to other people's views, values and opinions. International leadership and team building training can support in building the skills required to more efficiently listen to others and work harmoniously with one another.
Diversity revolves around implementing equal opportunities for minority workers, ensuring that they receive the support they require in order to reach the same positions and receive the same opportunities as the majority. Amplifying the voices of those within the diverse talent pool, including those from ethnic minorities and women, can reinforce the messages and focus the messages and changes which need to be made.
Finally, workplace leadership training, particularly to encourage management development within minority employees, can support in building better management structures. A more varied and diversified management team will mean more influence in the overarching company decisions and consequently, the ability to instil more positive change across the board.
FOR BESPOKE TRAINING PROGRAMMES THAT DEVELOP THE SKILLS OF MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.