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Post-Millennials in The Workplace

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Harnessing the Potential of Digital Post-Millennials in the Future Workplace

Part of the book series: Management for Professionals ((MANAGPROF))

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Abstract

Based on our analyses of who members of the digital Post-Millennial cohort might become, this chapter present factors that employers should consider once the Post-Millennials are on the job. We foresee several areas of potential cultural conflict particularly around: the structures used to control work; the preferred career employment model and organizational culture. Observations are provided on how the Post-Millennials are likely to view a range of employment practices including: technology and social media; teams and collaboration; responsible autonomy, control over information and challenges to authority; organizational loyalty and career advancement; and, supervision and mentoring. We conclude that their GenX and Millennial bosses and supervisors will have to oversee a significant shift in employment philosophy and workplace practices. The key conflicts are summarized in four statements we attribute to the future digital Post-Millennial employee: ‘It’s not that I disagree boss; I know you’re wrong’; ‘Actually, we’ve decided to do it this way’; ‘My moral compass is pointing in a different direction’; and ‘I’m not who you think I am’.

The millennial generation, now entering into employment, will reshape the world of work. Are you ready?

—PWC Study of Millennials Impact

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For more on different corporate models see the original work by Mintzberg (1979).

  2. 2.

    See Okros et al. (2011) for additional presentation of the theories and concepts we have drawn on.

  3. 3.

    Creating some of the key transaction costs and attractors of efficiency identified earlier.

  4. 4.

    Again, for the original conceptualizations, see Mintzberg (1979).

  5. 5.

    In a 2015 international survey, 58% of employers valued work experience as the most important for new employees http://universumglobal.com/2020outlook/.

  6. 6.

    For more on this meme, see Jordan Weissmann’ “Old Economy Steve: The Official Meme for Embittered Millennials” The Atlantic 28 May 2013.

  7. 7.

    We generally ascribe to the conceptualizations presented by Edgar Schein.

  8. 8.

    For the original conceptualizations of tight vs loose cultures, see Pelto (1968); for application in the organizational context, see Hofstede (1998).

  9. 9.

    See Social Media in the Workplace Around the World 3.0, accessible at: http://www.proskauer.com/files/uploads/social-media-in-the-workplace-2014.pdf.

  10. 10.

    See again Verdon’s research and websites as well as Jenkins et al. (2006).

  11. 11.

    Accessible at: http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/Valve_Handbook_LowRes.pdf.

  12. 12.

    The core of MacGregor’s Theory X is that employees are not motivated to perform to a high standard at work hence need details rules, close supervision and threats of punishments to maintain a reasonable level of productivity. This philosophy is evident in many corporate approaches to the creation and enforcement of rules.

  13. 13.

    Amongst many professional articles that describe the application in the context of Special Forces, see Flynn and Schrankel (2013).

  14. 14.

    Again, see Okros et al. (2011) for a full discussion of these factors.

  15. 15.

    Again noting that each person will exercise choice as to whether to access this body of knowledge and how to interpret or apply it.

  16. 16.

    http://www.workplaceoptions.com/polls/.

  17. 17.

    Noting that there are differences across nations, the attitudes reported pertain to Boomers in the US and Canada.

  18. 18.

    See Nielson et al. (2009) for recent work examining OCBs and teams; and, Meyers and Allan (1991) for their original conceptualizations of organizational commitment.

  19. 19.

    Noting that this is less a factor with Francophones in Canada; see our reports by Charbonneau & Garneau.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Canadian Forces College, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Alan Okros

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  1. Alan Okros
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Correspondence to Alan Okros .

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Okros, A. (2020). Post-Millennials in The Workplace. In: Harnessing the Potential of Digital Post-Millennials in the Future Workplace. Management for Professionals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25726-2_7

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