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Employee Communications Council Blog

Insightful blog posts written by corporate communications professionals on ways to improve employee engagement, organizational change management and internal communication strategies


Employee Engagement: Why a Millennial’s Input is Vital in the Workplace

01 June 2017
Author :  

Employee Engagement is all about engaging with everyone at an organization, no matter their age, background, or personal beliefs. As Generation Y grows into more responsibility at work, employers have to adapt to the changing workforce. Luckily, Millennials are coming into positions better prepared than ever to succeed.

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." --Henry Ford, Inc.

Most of us can say we have experienced those weekly or monthly meetings at our jobs where we come together in a room to exchange ideas and future plans. We discuss current projects, goals, opinions, praise and results in order to get everyone on the same page: unifying the workforce. Unfortunately to some, this routine collaboration may be stressful, especially for newer employees who feel their opinions aren’t as valued as their senior peers.

According to Forbes, 88% of millennials prefer a collaborative work culture rather than a competitive one. We are like sponges, absorbing every ounce of knowledge that is offered to us, not to step on toes but to better ourselves overall. We like to work in a team setting because we are able to bounce ideas off of each other but we greatly value our time to work independently as well. When you have a mixture of generations within the corporate culture you are able to cultivate a melting pot of ideas that can produce momentous outcomes. Teamwork really DOES make the dream work!

Millennials and now Gen Z are beginning to flood the job market with a whole new insight. We like to create our own work style while learning new ways to find fulfillment in our duties. This is something other generations are impartial to and sometimes mistake for defiance, negligence or entitlement. I disagree. The younger generation’s outlook regarding these two major entities of work and life can ultimately assist in other key areas of an organization. This is why I believe millennial’s involvement is imperative in the workforce:

1. We are up to date

Everyone knows how attached we, millennials, are to our devices. whether it’s our phones, our laptops or our video games, we are constantly tuned in. We like to stay involved in current trends, breaking news, and upcoming events. Social media allows us to do this with its instantaneous features and we take full advantage of what these channels can offer. We can educate the senior generations about these popular tools and apps, the benefits of each, and how we can incorporate them into daily work tasks. We will always be the go-to generation for this type of information and ultimately help the business stay consistently updated.

2. Can be helpful when reaching younger target markets:

Who better to reach out to the younger crowd then the 20-somethings right? We can help target the earlier generations and speak to them using your company’s brand. When you can relate to their stories, their interests, their fashion, their ideals and their way of consuming media, products, and services, you can really differentiate your message from your competitors. Millennials are becoming a larger voice that everyone can relate to and young people look up to that.

3. We can assist in the projection of the company’s future:

When planning for the future, you must consider all of your variables. Millennials are your variables and we want to bring your business to the next level down the road. We want to be taught everything we need to know so your company can live on and prosper, with a little new-age twist of course! We will be your insight to the future generations and will propose our ideas to future audiences, using styles and techniques that might dominate your specific market one day.

Overall, the older generations have set the foundation for your company, but it’s the millennials’ job to strengthen each and every fiber of it as the years go by. We no longer want to be labeled, we want to prevail as the generation who set the bar and kept society moving in a positive direction. Our input, our innovative, ever changing thinking will allow us to do so but only with the help of the other generations! Let’s put our heads together and make things happen!

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Hannah Greenwood

Hannah Greenwood is 25 years old and originally from Manchester, NH. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Barry University in Miami, FL. Hannah runs Blonde Boss Media, which helps small local businesses achieve their marketing goals. Hannah writes about Millennials in the workplace for ECC.

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