Millennials Have Finally Reached The Stage Where 9 Things Are Simply Unacceptable At Work
Krakenimages.com / ShutterstockMillennials now make up the majority of the workforce, and they have a lot to say about how ridiculous workplace expectations are now more than ever before. Previous generations never would've questioned certain things to the same extent as they do today, but millennials are among the key drivers of change in the workplace, so it's their time to make sure things are the way they want them to be.
Now that they're between 30 and 45 years old, millennials aren't interested in falling in line with the status quo. They've decided certain workplace givens are simply unacceptable, and they are now in positions in which they have the confidence and authority to direct their time and energy in the way they see fit.
Now that they're in charge, millennials are at a stage where they find these things to be simply unacceptable at work
1. Meetings that could have been an email
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Work often requires people to collaborate as a team. As a result, there are times when a formal meeting is necessary to review company goals and objectives. However, to put it bluntly, there are many meetings that millennials consider absolutely unnecessary. In fact, plenty out there think the topic of most meetings could be handled in emails, and that doing otherwise is a waste of time and energy.
One study conducted by the global recruitment agency Robert Walters found that 44% of millennials consider work meetings inefficient compared to a simple email. Millennials are generally sick of meetings, given today's technology for sending messages quickly and efficiently.
2. Meetings before meetings
Adding to the last point, having a meeting before the meeting is one of the most infuriating experiences for a millennial in the workplace. There's really no rhyme or reason to have a meeting before a meeting because the meeting itself is what is supposed to be met about. What is the confusion?
One study of a particularly large company found that "people there spent 300,000 hours a year just supporting the weekly executive committee meeting."
Due to the nature of remote work, many companies have adopted a meeting-first mindset, which has only exacerbated meeting fatigue, especially among millennials. Meetings are exhausting, and millennial workers clearly don't want to do them unless absolutely necessary.
3. Inflexible work hours
Many millennials expect flexibility whenever their job allows for it. After spending years proving they could be productive from home and using technology to stay connected outside the traditional 9-to-5, many have begun questioning whether rigid schedules are always necessary. If the work gets done well, they're increasingly asking why it matters whether it happened at 8:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m.
That doesn't mean millennials want to work less. In many cases, they simply want more control over when and how they accomplish their work. Flexible schedules can make it easier to balance childcare, appointments, commuting, and other responsibilities without sacrificing productivity. Research has also found that workplace flexibility can increase job satisfaction and boost retention, making it a benefit for employers as well as workers.
As a result, many millennials have become far less willing to stay in jobs that insist on rigid schedules simply because that's how it's always been done.
4. Reckless management
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More than any other previous generation, millennials are characterized as starting to question authority and the subsequent effectiveness of their managers. In fact, Purdue Global found that one of the key motivators for this group is the quality of their managers. If management isn't great, then they're calling it quits.
This makes sense. Good leadership can truly make or break a team. These are the people (usually) getting paid more to assign you roles, hire and fire, and keep things running smoothly, and they are essentially the people you have to turn to for anything outside of your control in the company. If they're unresponsive or just don't care about your well-being, millennials are going to leave.
5. Their efforts going unnoticed and unappreciated
While reckless managers can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety, millennials are just as fed up with not being shown appreciation at work. With such ambiguity, millennials don't have a way of knowing or validating their contribution to a company.
In a post on LinkedIn, millennial and organizational leadership expert Kelly Monahan, PhD, remarked that her generation doesn't necessarily need a trophy for their efforts. However, "we do want a clear sense of the path we are on and why we are even doing what we are doing in the first place," she said.
Without any feedback, millennials feel like their efforts might be appreciated elsewhere.
6. Overusing small talk to connect
Generally speaking, millennials have a higher tolerance for small talk than Gen Z. However, their threshold for using it starts to shrink when coworkers overuse it to the point of never connecting on anything beyond the weather or what you're eating for lunch.
Millennials truly want to connect with others in the workplace regardless of titles and rankings. While previous generations may have kept work and personal lives miles apart, millennials continually try to mitigate the effects of the sterile nature of corporate culture by befriending coworkers and being friendly with people across the board.
7. No room for growth or upward mobility
It used to be common for employees of previous generations to stay loyal to a single company, knowing they'd eventually climb the ranks to the top as long as they did what they were supposed to do and did it well. Not millennials. Due to the ever-changing nature of the economy and workplace hierarchies becoming stricter as a result, millennials are rarely hanging on to a single company for long if that company doesn't allow for growth in wages or salary.
Millennials spend an average of two to three years in a single role, preferring to move around within an industry rather than sticking to a single company. This group views changing workplaces as valuable to career growth, rather than as a setback compared to other generations. If a company won't let them do more for more money, they're out of the building.
8. Poorly designed offices
Speaking of buildings, millennials are sick of working in drab, ugly office buildings where they can't personalize their own workspace. This makes sense, considering we spend the majority of our time and lives at work, and the aesthetics around us are crucial to lifting our spirits.
Many younger workers are literally leaving work because of how ugly the space is, citing the negative impact on their mental health. Millennials, in particular, got used to working from home, where they are surrounded by their own things and can personalize their home offices. It's time for office buildings everywhere to catch up.
9. Work that doesn't feel purposeful
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Last but not least, millennials are fed up with doing work that feels meaningless to them and to the world at large. You have to remember that this generation came of age when everything felt like it was on the line. Now that they're adults, they long to do work that has a purpose, feeling as if they are making a mark on the world, one shift at a time.
One way to help with this is for managers to step up to the plate to remind their millennial workers that their work means something. It also helps millennials experience a variety of roles before possibly settling on one in midlife. Not to mention, if the workplace has markers that show employees that they matter and their work matters. If none of this is taking place, millennials will not stick around.
Millennials really are a unique group of adults just trying to make the most of a strict work culture and unfriendly job market. It's no wonder they're being burnt out at work and leaving in droves to find other ways to make ends meet.
If you're a millennial reading this, you're absolutely valid in your frustrations at work. So, I encourage you to keep doing what's best for you and keep being the changemaker that you're meant to be.
Luke Aliga is a writer with a degree in Technical Writing and Communication who covers relationships, culture, human-interest topics, astrology, and manifestation.
