Difference Between the Millennials and Other Generations
Depending on when someone was born, they are classified into a certain generation. There is the World War II generation, followed by the baby boom generation, generation X, and the millennial generation. Over the past couple of years, there has been much debate as to what is so different about the millennial generation. Each generation has their own special characteristics they bring into the world, both positive and negative. They have various communication preferences, typical behaviors in the workplace, and ways in which they like to do daily activities (Hall, 2016).
Figure 1. Learning Characteristics by Generations (Lifvendahl, 2008)
In Figure 1, a major learning characteristic of the millennials is the use of technology. They are the first generation to experience a globalizing world that is post-digital. They have always had direct access to internet and rely heavily on electronics so they “would not understand a life without it [technology]” (Arellano, 2015). Unlike previous generations, they can easily stay connected with their family, friends, and coworkers through social media. They have 24/7 access to their phones or laptops allowing them to communicate with whoever they want, from wherever they want. Prior to this generation, people would have to arrange for a time to meet with someone if they wanted to stay in touch.
Approximately 75% of millennials are involved with some type of social media (Bannon, 2011). They are not opposed to building relationships with others through the internet. Their concerns for privacy are not the same as previous generations. It is normal for millennials to broadcast their lives on their social media accounts, so all of their followers will feel like they know them on a personal level. This has been classified as a “new social norm that has evolved over time” (Bannon, 2011). This has changed the workplace because employers must spend more time making sure that millennial employees understand the importance of representing their company in a positive manner. Many companies have made changes to their training and ethics policies as precautions to prevent incidents among their employees.
Older generations guide their own education and depend on educators to assist them by giving clear information with practical value of what their job is (Figure 1). Nowadays, they are often trying to seek and develop the skills the millennial generation already has acquired. For as often as other generations “seem annoyed” with millennials, they admit their attributes to the workplace are valued greatly. They have experience with technology and processing information, they seek innovation, they want to learn from older generations, and they can multitask well along with many other traits. These traits are all components hiring teams look for in their candidates when they are seeking new employees. The millennial generation offers candidates who will be able to add to a business in new ways (Florina, 2016).
The fear of failure is present among all generations. However, “Millennials are more likely than any other age group to have a fear of failure (40%) in comparison with Generation Xers (31%) and baby boomers (23%), as reported by Linkagoal’s Fear Factor Index 2015” (O’Hagan, 2018). This fear of failure can impact the risks millennials take in the workplace, which can be detrimental to their success. It is hard to tell where the fear stems from, but one reason for the fear may be the negative attitude other generations have of millennials.
