Today's youth: a blessing or a curse?

I know very well, of course, that I am no longer the youngest. Not for a long time. Good, I feel fit and young, active and energetic. And yet I am regularly confronted with the facts. For some months now, we have had a programme for young professionals at Improven, called 'Young Improven'. As one of the boosters of this programme, I see CVs of starters and students born around 1995... by then, I had already graduated and was working for a long time!

What strikes me is that the CVs are impressive. Wonderful undergraduate and graduate degrees - sometimes several per person, training courses, international internships, board work, volunteering, temp jobs, knowledge, skills, tools and techniques. They are still young, but they have already done so much.

Threatening?

Somehow that is still a bit confronting, maybe even threatening. This has not so much to do with getting older, but more with development and evolution, and the natural course of life. A new generation of HBO and WO talent is emerging here. Sparkling, open-minded, ambitious, well-educated and with a great affinity for the digital world.

In our profession as consultants, I notice that young professionals master new tools much faster. In fact... they also 'just' do the implementation on top of it. They embrace new technologies and also know a lot about them. To cite an example: 41% prefers to hold meetings electronically instead of by phone or face-to-face.

In this age of digital disruption, such digital skills are desperately needed and they are simply easier to develop by young people than by older ones. These are the new professionals who will one day take over from my peers and me. Will they ask us nicely first or will it be ripped bluntly out of our hands? Should I be worried?

Research

A lot of research has already been done on this new generation, also known as millennials. Just a little 'googling' yields interesting information. It is usually assumed that millennials were born between 1980 and 2000. Their formative years are around the beginning of the new millennium. They grew up with broadband, 4G, smartphones, laptops, ipads and social media like Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram ('Insta' in 'young people speak'), Vine, Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

They have different attitudes towards work and the way they do it. They also hold different values in life. What they value? They want varied roles in work and a good work-life balance. They want to keep learning, they want to grow fast, they want to be challenged. They want responsibility as well as freedom. They want it all! And I think we should offer them that too.

Red thread

In a recent report by HR and pensions specialist Mercer, I recently read that plans for a new pension law in 2020 are in line with this. Employees may soon be given more personal responsibility for planning their career and financial future. The report also outlines a 'war for talent' that will play out particularly around highly educated millennials.

To attract and retain these young professionals, companies will have to develop propositions that match the personal preferences of start-ups. Individual freedom of choice seems to be the common thread. For instance, rather offer a higher basic salary, public transport card or an extra pension deposit than a company car. 'One size fits all' is a thing of the past. Recognition, good feedback and continuous facilitation of individual development are more important to newcomers than, for instance, a financial bonus.

Ironclad combination

Meanwhile, our Young Improven programme has been running for a while. We are getting confirmation of what the CVs are also already showing. Millennials are smart and eager to learn. They have energy, and very importantly, they are digital toppers. They work with us in varied roles, as project managers, PMOs, business analysts or process designers. They are flexible and adapt easily. At Improven, we offer Young Improvers plenty of additional education and training on data analytics, reporting and auditing.

What surprised us a lot is how well and easily the young people cooperate with our 'older' team members. They are not biased and leave others to their own devices. A tolerant generation, in other words. Also surprising is how the older and younger team members reinforce and coach each other. The older ones have the experience, the younger ones have the fresh perspective. It is a rock-solid combination and shows that diversity makes teams stronger.

With open arms

Back to my earlier question. Should I worry about the new professionals emerging in the labour market? No, definitely not. Granted, millennials confront you with what you don't know, and that's quite a lot, especially in the digital field. But thanks to our Young Improven programme, we also know that they are eager to learn and open to the knowledge and experience of older people. They are team players 'pur sang'. Let's welcome them with open arms and give them a little space so they feel at home quickly. Because with the digital revolution in full swing, we need them very much.

For more information, call Masha Plooij-Hennequin (Sales & Marketing Director at Improven) on 06-20604325 or email to masha.hennequin@improven.nl.