Small Biz Subject and Solution: Millenial Edition

Subject:  Millenial Work Culture Research: Millenials now make up more of the work force than any other generation. More millenials work for small businesses with less than 100 employees than big organizations. Over 50% of small-business employees state they are currently feeling overworked and burnt out. In contrast, the same study reveals 89% are still content with their jobs and motivated to move up in the business. Small business employees are working longer hours than ever. 25% of employees report spending time outside the office on work and 40% work at least one weekend a month. Small business employees report that they are no longer taking breaks and sometimes skip lunch in order to stay ahead on their to-do list. Solution: Flexibility. If the amount of work is increasing for your employees, so much so that it’s leaking into their personal lives, then maybe it’s time to let personal time leak into their work lives to create the balance needed to eliminate burnout. This blended schedule is of course dependent on the trust factor between employer and employee. If an employer lets an employee work from home, he needs to know that things are going to get done. If he lets an employee come in late to get some sleep, the employee should offer to stay late one day that the workload is heavy. Downtime. There should never be an environment where employees feel judged if they step away for a 10-minute break. Employers should be encouraging some time away from paperwork and laptop eyestrain to go for a walk and clear away the clutter. Not only do breaks alleviate frustration and burnout, they encourage healthy decisions and often, inspire creative ideas. Prioritize. Overloading the email inbox is a reason millennial employees state they feel overworked. They feel the need to answer immediately whether technically on the clock, or not. It’s better to create a system where emails are prioritized as urgent or “it can wait”. Action. Millenials are inspired to do. They are encouraged by action words, so knowing they have 7 things on their to-do list before they get off work at 5:30 means they have a plan. And if non-productive meetings delay that plan, the mood in the room tends to shift downward. No one loves meetings. They are necessary, but in order to make them feel necessary, they need to have a purpose, be to-the-point, and end with a plan of action and dates to accomplish that plan. Environment. Often, we don’t realize just how much our work environments affect our productivity and work itself. With no one-size-fits-all solution, employers should take employee work environment preferences in consideration. Do they feel less distracted in a cubicle? Do they create well in an open space? Does natural light make them feel inspired? They seem like trivial things, but they can make all the difference when the office is where you spend the majority of your time. Information provided by entrepreneur.com