Helping millenials reach their career summits

Millennials are finishing their education and joining the workforce – but, according to motivational speaker Simon Sinek, they’re finding this transition hard.

Sinek argues that millennials have unrealistic career goals: “It’s as if they’re standing at the foot of a mountain, and they have this abstract concept called ‘the impact that they want to have on the world’, which is the summit. What they don’t see is the mountain.”

The transition from education to employment has always been a challenge. So, why change things for this new generation? Sinek warns that the realities of the business world could damage millennials’ self-esteem. He argues that this new generation has exceptional technological skills, but often lacks social skills and the ability to deal with stress. Being dissatisfied with work could result in them taking time off for mental health issues, including depression. This would increase costs for the employing organisation. Helping millennials succeed at work could help businesses innovate for the future as well as maintaining their competitiveness.

CEOs must be willing to learn

Four star US Army general Stanley McChrystal said: “Leaders aren’t good because they’re right. It’s because they learn and can trust.” Millennials often have different experiences, skills and vocabulary than their superiors. By learning more about this new generation, CEOs can grow a deeper understanding of them and how they can help businesses.

CEOs also need to work out if they’re leaders or managers. While managers can create stable environments for workers, they often focus on results and tell workers what to do. Leaders, however, can create transformative environments, and are often part of the team. Due to their nature, millennials will benefit more from leaders than managers.

Mentoring and training

To help millennials reach the summits of their mountains, CEOs should be prepared to mentor and train them. Remember – this could include using mentors from other organisations/sectors to get the best benefit. Ensuring that millennials have clear plans to reach their career goals will increase engagement. Working with employees to create professional development plans that give a sense of progression will also help millennials reach their summits.

CEOs will need to change their approach when it comes to this new generation. By being willing to learn from them and to mentor them, CEOs can be optimistic about the future with a millennial workforce.

If you’re looking for a partner to collaborate with to help your workforce – particularly those who are just stepping into work – succeed, get in touch with St Andrews Highway today.

Image credit: New Zealand – Mt Cook National Park by Harshil.Shah licensed under Creative commons 6