Leadership and talent development have never been more critical in the current dispensation. Companies cannot afford to overlook the crucial role that they play in enhancing profitability and sustainability.
How do existing leaders recruit, treat, and nurture future leaders? It is a challenge that most organizations are grappling with especially in this transitional period where millennials are taking over.
Millennials are different from other generations. They are natives when it comes to technology. They have also fundamentally grown with different values. It is their time; they are entering into leadership positions quickly. They are also making many mistakes along the way, which is typical of enthusiastic new managers. If you combine that rookie behavior with the exuberance of youth, you expect a few bumps.
However, that does not mean that they will not offer great leadership. Indeed, they are ready, but they must avoid making these grievous HR mistakes.
Avoiding Work Schedules
It is a known fact that millennials hate 9-5 jobs. Many tend to abolish work schedules in favor of working when it suits them. There is nothing wrong with this approach as long as the millennial leader doesn’t expect that all their staff members share this approach.
Often times, millennial leaders expect everybody to be available 24/7, even when they are not in the office. This is where problems usually begin. Flexibility about working hours and remote work is not bad in itself, but it has to be compensated accordingly.
If your staff members have a contract that states they work from 9-5, you can’t expect them to be on call after 5 PM. Which leads to the next mistake.
Expecting Everyone to Put In Double Shifts
Youthful energy and raw talent tend to replace finesse with brute force. This isn’t symptomatic for Millenials only, as Elon Musk recently demonstrated. His statement that he worked 120 hours a week to meet deadlines, and has also pushed his employees extremely hard, has caused quite a backlash.
Often times, it’s the millennial leader who tends to expect such commitment from every staff member.
What he must understand, however, is that his staff is diverse, and some may not put in the same energy or commit in the same way. You have to give your employees and coworkers breathing room.
Not everyone wants to be hooked to technology all day long. Give them time to disconnect. Having a good work-life balance is crucial to ensure everyone performs well and improves productivity.
Hiring Fellow Rockstars
It is normal for leaders to look for people who connect with them at a personal level. Even in a hiring panel, there is a tendency for the hiring team to favor people who think, behave, or come from the same background as them. This is somewhat expected, as companies today often look for those who share their values and vision.
Still, looking for a “me” during recruitment can constrict the diversity of a team. You will end up with people with the same traits and skill sets, only to find out you are lacking some skills that could improve your company.
Skipping Formal Processes
Every business owner takes time to set up business and operation processes for a reason: having them streamlines the way business is conducted. They apply to everyone: even the business owner who leads everything.
Skipping any formal procedure sets up a bad precedent, which lets everyone know that there are those who aren’t bound by them. This creates a deep divide between employees, especially when some have to follow procedures and others don’t.
If you entertain such a culture of abuse, expect resistance when enforcing company policies. For example, you have a strict rule that everybody should arrive at the office at 10:15 AM the latest, but you, as the business owner, tend to always be late and often show up around 11 AM. While your employees are bound to show up on time, you have decided you are exempt from this rule, because you’re the boss. In the long run, this will only cause problems, because employees will feel it’s not fair.
Millennials have a chance to become the best managers if they supplement their energy and desire to succeed with respect towards fellow employees. Accepting employee diversity and nurturing an inclusive culture will make them great leaders who every staff member will love to follow.