A Conversation with Neil Howe | Part II - Misconceptions about Millennials

A conversation with Neil Howe

Part I: Changes in the workforce
Part II: Misconceptions about Millennials

It's not just a function of age.

During my conversation with Neil Howe, I asked him what misconceptions he hears about Millennials and generations in the workforce. He said the biggest misconception he hears is that generational issues are simply a "myth." People attribute differences to age rather than generational differences.

Howe states, "people in midlife and even veteran people in the workforce always complain about anything new. No one likes to change. We like things to remain as they were, so older workers have always complained about younger workers."

Despite this fact, Howe does see changes in what people are complaining about.

"The things people complain about with millennials are very different than what they complained about 10 to 15 years ago with generation X."

"The complaints used to be that Gen Xers had no commitment, no trust, and an extreme amount of mobility. There was a free agent mentality as well as an attitude."

Howe finds that "with millennials, people don't complain about attitude, they complain about these workders being over programmed, not being able to take risks, not being able to accept failure."

This is almost the opposite of the complaints about Generation X, where "people felt they expected failure, which was almost a problem. With millennials, they are the opposite, expecting success, and they seem more teachable."

Basic Work Skills Training:

Howe has recommended that campuses start offering more courses focused on filling a gap in "soft skills" necessary in the workforce such as punctuality, attire, business communication, etc. The reality however, seems to be that most institutions of Higher Education are not doing this consistently, or if they are, the complaints from corporate America would seem to indicate it's not working.

I asked Howe if he believes companies should start offering remedial soft skills training as a part of orientation and whether he has seen this happening?

Howe states that while institutions or even institutes should be doing it, they aren't.

"Many Millennials in college don't have much work experience other than quasi-jobs in college. In general they aren't working very much. College and pre-college employment is "no longer regarded as fruitful." Also, "Boomer and X-er parents haven't taught them any of these skills."

The good news for employers when it comes to training in these areas is that Millennials "are extremely teachable."

I mentioned to Neil Howe that some of the articles I have read about Millennials indicate there is very little concept of loyalty to a company anymore, which can negatively affect a company's retention efforts. I asked him his perspective on this:

Howe's answer was more balanced than some of the perspectives I've read about. He explained that it "may take a while for loyalty to develop. Loyalty is earned. Blind loyalty is just dumb! You will move in if there is no opportunity with a job. The difference in orientation is that millennials will job hop when they have to, but their ultimate goal is to find a long term path and if they can find one company that does it all for them, they will stay. The surveys on this point are unambiguous. They want one job that will give them what they want. They will not job hop for the sake of job hopping."

Howe continued by talking about Xers, who he says "more legitimately had this reputation. (of job hopping). They had much more of a situational ethic. Typically when millennials to jump jobs, they are looking for the long term."

Howe believes this is a disconnect that happens between employers and young workers: "Typically older people don't talk to millennials about the long term, then they react with dismay when they quit."

The next post will continue with more information focused on "Advice for Employers."

Conversation with Neil Howe:

Part I: Changes in the Workforce

Part II: Misconceptions about Millennials

Be sure to check out Howe's books and services at Lifecourse Associates