In order to stay ahead of your competitors, you need to start thinking in new and innovative ways. Your company is only as good as the ideas it comes up with and you need a workforce that understands that. When considering what sorts of workers embody these traits, one group stands out from the rest: millennials.Millennials are tech-savvy, ambitious, time-efficient and they tend to prioritize work culture. They’ve grown up with technology and are always on the lookout for the hottest trends. As a facility manager, it’s a smart decision to dissect what key priorities and values millennials bring to the workforce. Based on what you learn from them, there are many changes you can make in your office to keep your company innovating and expanding.
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Millennials came of age during the technology boom. Since our workplaces are more connected and plugged in than ever before, it only makes sense to take a page out of their book and implement beneficial technology into the workplace.Technology isn’t just for procrastinating or when you need to zone out. Instead, technology can benefit the workplace and your employees. For instance, the use of certain website blocker apps and productivity tools can enable workers to better focus on the task at hand. Project management software such as Trello or Wunderlist can also be used to help oversee large scale projects and ensure that every task is handled efficiently. For facilities managers, implementing office management software like OfficeSpace is an smart and easy decision if you want to stay on top of everything happening in your workplace.
If you’ve ever interviewed a millennial for a position at your company, they probably asked you the following question: “What is the culture like?“. Workplace culture needs to be a focus for your company. It’s not enough to simply throw up a few company posters or comfy couches and call it a day. By putting company culture first, you’re prioritizing worker happiness. Happy workers will be more productive at work and more likely to stick with your company for the long-haul. As a bonus, this lower turnover reduces the unnecessary expense of always having to onboard and train new employees. Your office should include elements that promote work and play, have plenty of natural elements and space to relax and even provide options for workers to do their tasks remotely.
Millennials value more than just a paycheque. If possible, try to align your company with a bigger purpose. Doing something to make a small impact in the world is very attractive to millennial workers.
If it isn’t possible to align the core values of your company around service, you should still give your employees a way to give back. For instance, you could team up with a non-profit or volunteer organization and allow your employees to volunteer once a month during work hours.
The old 9 to 5 office schedule is slowly fading away. Instead of asking your employees to work longer hours you should instead ask them to work more productive hours. For instance, you could shift your employees’ work to be project-based. As soon as your workers finish the necessary tasks, they can head home for the day or even work on personal projects using company resources.
Companies in Sweden are already experimenting with a 6-hour workday in order to boost worker happiness. When your employees have to work fewer hours, it not only improves their lives, but it makes them produce more focused work during the time they’re given. This strategy should be executed within reason, of course—there are always new things to work on in a busy and growing company.By implementing some of the above priorities or policies into your company, you’ll not only help your business stay relevant, but you’ll also start to attract young bright minds. Ditch the stereotypes and embrace the millennial mindset.
Photo Credit: Unsplash, Luis Llerena, Julia Karo / Shutterstock, Bench Accounting, Luis Llerena