Portland is frequently touted as the city America’s young people flock to, with an ever-increasing number of single, childless residents as a result. A recent Oregon Business article by Katie Ausburger listed a number of strategies and ideas for companies to consider embracing in order to attract and retain employees of this younger population, such as allowing for more flexible dress codes and email etiquette, providing smartphones to employees, encouraging activity and mistakes, and more. Molly Kelley, an HR Business Partner at Xenium HR, put on her HR hat and commented on several of the unique ideas in Katie’s article:
Generational clashes
As HR consultants, we are beginning to see an increase in complaints from and about the Millennial generation—specifically that Millennials do not feel that they are adequately supported by their colleagues. Generally, these employees are very community-oriented and prefer collaboration, group projects, and a team-based work environment. They also expect a very engaged and supportive manager who is much more like a cheerleader than a dictator. On the flip side, I’ve seen an increase in Gen X managers who manage Millennials complaining that they are “too needy” and seek constant feedback and support. One manager remarked to me, “It’s like they want a blue ribbon just for competing!” From my experience, it is these two generations—Millennials and Gen X—that tend to clash more frequently than Millennials and Baby Boomers, ironically.
Dress code diversity
Being from the Midwest, I’m always struck by the Portland dress code. It’s still a shock to me to go to the Portland Symphony on a Saturday night and see people in jeans, shorts and flip flops! That said, employers with a policy against facial piercings, tattoos, gauges, etc., not to mention the restrictions around clothing, need to be awareness that religious accommodations must always be considered when enforcing a dress code. Additionally, it is important that employers are aware of the cultural and social norms here in Portland, namely that there is NO social norm stronger than “Keep Portland Weird.” If an employer’s industry (i.e. not a law firm where we dress to impress a jury), client base (a skinny-jean clad punk financial adviser might give me pause!), and work environment (no safety restrictions) can allow for diversity in physical and mental ability, appearance, and dress code, they should not let those factors be a barrier for finding the very best candidate for a position.
Workplace flexibility and freedom
Millennials typically expect workplace flexibility in all forms. Whether it be work from home options, alternate schedules, open office environments, high tech solutions, softer/more flexible employment policies and practices (including drug and alcohol testing), these are elements they look for when interviewing. On the drugs and alcohol piece, many pundits feel Oregon may soon see marijuana legalized. Employers ought to consider reviewing their policies and practices to ensure they are relevant. Legitimate safety concerns exist around an employee coming to work under the influence of marijuana and should be treated as someone coming to work under the influence of alcohol. Should marijuana be legalized in Oregon, an employer may still insist on a drug free workplace, just as we typically see regarding alcohol. In more flexible environments, it might only be addressed if it impacts performance.
Gadgets
Smartphones can be great additions to the cadre of technological support available to employees. Employers need to be cautious of off duty email and voicemail usage in non-exempt/hourly employees and realize that even infrequent email responses should be paid time. For exempt employees using laptops at home and iPhones for email and company calls, the issue becomes a sincere need to focus on work-life balance. Just because employees are now accessible 24/7 doesn’t mean they should be. In fact, dissatisfaction, burn out, and turnover can occur if careful communication from management concerning expectations for work load, communication response time, and availability does not happen. Managers also need to realize they lead by example and employees may feel obligated to respond after hours if that’s what they see from you.
Making mistakes
Concerning responding to employees’ mistakes, I would hope we are taking a common approach across all generations. People are human, and we all mess up sometimes, no matter our age! Having this understanding and being able to support an employee through a “learning experience” will not only build trust but also loyalty. We all come to work to be successful, and often the lesson is hardest on the student. There is a big difference between an occasional mistake and a pattern of poor performance. If we understand and internalize this as a culture, it will benefit all generations.
While generational generalizations are useful and helpful, they are certainly not the be-all end-all principle for employee engagement and management. Much more importantly, managers should work to build relationships with their employees that allow them to see their employees’ strengths and opportunities for growth and development, motivational triggers and drivers, and career path. We should never stop asking our employees, regardless of their generation or tenure with the company, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Doing so will ensure we’re creating a culture that embraces all, regardless of generation and location.
Attracting the Millennials of Portland to your Company
