Millennials, or the generation born between 1981 and 1996, now make up the largest demographic group in the UK. By 2024, their numbers are approaching 14.4 million. Currently, 12.2 million millennials are employed in the country, accounting for 36% of the total working population. The CEO of Entec Si, Eman Al-Hilawi, notes that given the growing number of young, tech-savvy leaders and decision-makers in business, changes in decision-making approaches will soon follow.
Similar to Generation Z, millennials are actively promoting diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability in the workplace, and they also strive for a healthy work-life balance. Therefore, the approach to organizational change should be carefully aligned with these values to ensure support from younger business leaders.
Compared to generations such as the Baby Boomers or Generation Alpha, millennials are the last generation to have consciously experienced the technological revolution. They remember times when instead of Spotify, there were cassette tapes, and VHS tapes gave way to streaming services like Netflix. This experience has made millennials more inclined to conduct in-depth online research before making any decisions about changes. Therefore, any transformation proposal should be well thought out, justified, and clearly explain its benefits for the business.
At the heart of every successful change project are people, and millennials are actively paving the way for changes that are focused on employee needs. The growth of digital technologies and online environments has made this generation more open to learning and improving their skills, while also positively contributing to the development of others. As a result, millennials are typically leaders in digital transformation, as they possess the technical knowledge necessary to successfully implement change.
Before approaching a millennial business leader or other decision-maker, it is important to consider how the proposed transformation will impact employees. For instance, if a new software or hardware implementation is planned, careful thought should be given to how the change will affect each worker. It’s also essential to have a plan for upskilling or supporting employees before presenting the project.
Millennials are much more vocal about their values compared to previous generations. Issues like sustainability, employee talent development, and promoting a culture of healthy work-life balance are critical to gaining millennial support for any initiative. Therefore, before pitching, it’s important to think about how your transformation can support these principles. If it doesn’t, you may need to find ways to link the changes to these values.
For example, a digital transformation aimed at optimizing the exchange of important information within the company can help reduce paper usage, cut down on time spent filling out and searching for documents, and also promote sustainability by freeing up more time for completing important tasks.
When it comes to business changes, the goal is not just to sell an idea, but to convince others of its necessity. Millennials often evaluate initiatives through an emotional lens and consider the needs of employees as much as the needs of the business. Therefore, it’s important to emphasize that most digital transformation projects are designed to increase productivity and simplify workflows, which in turn boosts team morale. Focusing on benefits for people will make the presentation more persuasive and successful.
It’s no secret that leaders are getting younger, and each generation brings new priorities. Understanding what matters to millennials in the workplace is the first step toward successfully presenting changes. However, if you want to succeed, it’s always better to be a leader who operates on evidence and emotion and avoid overly aggressive promotion.