Page 49 - Australasian Paint & Panel Magazine Sep-Oct 2019

W
ITHOUT A DEGREE IN SOCIAL
politics it’s not possible to highlight all the ways in which Millennials or Generation Y are dif- ferent from their parents – and why they are – but the differences are there and
are keenly felt by both sides.
The astronomical change in technolo-
gy since the turn of the century is one of the more obvious factors creating a di- vide between children and their par- ents, and this cannot be underestimat- ed. To get a snapshot of the vast impact it’s had on society in such a short space of time, consider that today there are an estimated three billion mobile users in the world, with global internet penetra- tion standing at 57%. Moreover, the app industry didn’t even exist in 2008 yet just a decade later and 105.3 billion apps were downloaded during 2018 alone.
And if we think that social media - which has gone from a standing start to the most influential media in the his- tory of the world in just two decades - has now reached saturation point, then we need to think again because more than 42% of the globe is on social me- dia now. Last year a million people used mobile social media for the first time every single day.
If we’re shaped by our environment, it’s hardly surprising that Millennials are ‘different'. They are the first tech- nology native generation. And those generations that follow, Generation Z and Generation Alpha, have their own distinctive characteristics, likely influ- enced by technology’s advances.
GEN WHAT?
ABOVE: When employees are allowed greater flexibility they are more engaged.
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
When it comes to business success, understanding those differences has become paramount because today Millennials are our employees, our colleagues and, most importantly, our customers.
EMPLOYEES
From next year Millennials are ex- pected, for the first time, to become the dominant age sector in the global workforce – and making up 75% of it by 2025. But understanding them, and what they want, has confounded many with accusations such as enti- tled, mollycoddled, narcissistic, and lazy laid at the door of most 20 some- things. While some of these terms are justified, much of it is down to misunderstanding.
Millennials are the first generation to have grown up in a digital world that is essentially 24/7. They expect to be able to carry out their business – renew car insurance, pay bills, do their shopping – at any time of the day or night. They
don’t recognise the ‘9-5’ which shack- led their parents, and that attitude fol- lows them to work. A Millennial is very likely to answer emails at 9pm, but in return expects the traditional working hours to be less rigid.
Blaming Millennials for wanting more is fruitless. Instead, employers could turn this to their advantage by bending their rules and reaping the re- wards. There are proven gains for both sides when employees are allowed greater flexibility – they are more en- gaged, more productive, morale is high- er, and they are less likely to leave.
That said, retention of Millennials is tricky. From some viewpoints they don’t stick at anything, they leave when the going gets tough and are too easily discouraged. It’s certainly true that a job for life is a thing of the past. Most people entering the workforce now will have at least 14 different jobs, which is all-the-more reason to do whatever possible to keep the people you have.
BABY BOOMERS: Born 1946 - 1964 GENERATION X / GEN X: Born 1965 - 1980
MILLENNIALS / GENERATION Y:
Born 1981 – 1995
GENERATION Z / IGENERATION:
Born 1995 – 2010
GEN ALPHA: Born after 2010
*NB: there is no ‘standard’ definition
49