We Won’t Pay For Your Lexus, Boss Man!

We have written about millennials several times, and there’s a reason for that. We promise. Not only do some of us here at Peoplescape identify with the millennial label, we have been subject to the stereotypes placed on our colleagues (and at times ourselves). You know the ones: Millennials are fickle, they never settle in one place, they’re selfish, and they don’t care about the companies that they work for – always in search of the next big thing. While these stereotypes may be true of SOME millennials, they can also be applied to baby boomers and Generation X’ers. So let’s flip the switch a little bit and see why millennials are dumping you, their managers and companies who simply don’t get what these youngsters are after! Elizabeth McLeod penned a note to management in Forbes.com recently. What do you think of these millennial breakup lines? #millennials #careeradvice #multigenerationalworkforce

Dear John….it isn’t you, it’s me. No, but really, it’s you. Here’s why I’m leaving:

1. You put up with low performing employees. This doesn’t work for us, because millennials are driven. We want to make a difference and be top producers. The low-performing employees that you hang on to for loyalty’s sake are slowing us down.

2. You are too focused on money. While we aren’t opposed to working hard, we aren’t going to do it simply to pay for your new Lexus. We want our work to make a difference, and that is bigger than the bottom line dollar.

3. Company culture means something different to us. We don’t want free meals (we’ll take them, but we don’t necessarily want them or need them to motivate us!). We want a manager who is a leader, who wants to inspire us and challenge us to think outside the box.

4. You treat people like a number. We are people. We have thoughts and ideas and opinions and feelings. If you treat us like a cog in the wheel, we will show up for the paycheck, but don’t expect the top producers who you hired. This isn’t fun for us, and work is supposed to be something that we can engage in. Show us why our work matters, and be an example to all of us.

After reading these points, doesn’t it seem like the millennial next door to your cubicle might not be that different from you after all?