A look at CNY Millennials in the Workplace

SYRACUSE — Right now, there are 73 million Millennials in the United States between the ages of 18 and 34, according to the latest Census data. The Central New York Business Journal looked at a slice of this generation right here in Central New York.

Renee Downey Hart, a professor at the Madden School of Business at Le Moyne College, has conducted more than 25 years of research on generations. She says her research on Millennials is her most requested presentation.

Hart summarizes Millennials like this: “They want to learn. They want respect. They want technology that is up to speed. They want to be included. They want you to have a conversation with them about what’s happening and they want their ideas not to be judged as, ‘Oh that’s the 24 year old,’ but [as] ‘Oh that’s somebody that has technological capacity, and maybe I can learn from it.”

Hart’s research shows Millennials in the workplace thrive off feedback. She says it’s important for organizations to understand this is the way that Millennials prefer to work and respond to it.

“And I say to people, would it kill you when you have someone who is 25 years old who just finished a project, to wander into their office and say, ‘Hey, thank you for this. This is what went really well. Here’s some other feedback I would like to give you.’ They are hungry for that. And without that, they will leave you,” says Hart. 

Erica Muscetello, a 27-year-old marketing manager at Dermody Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC in Syracuse, says her boss, Pennie Gorney, director of marketing, gives her what she needs to succeed.

“She is open to communication and we are always giving each other feedback on a daily basis. It’s not where you have your one annual review at the end of the year; it’s just constant feedback, constant learning. You know what you are doing wrong, what you are doing right,” says Muscatello.

Millennials want more opportunities than a typical 9 to 5 job. John Neri, a young professional at M&T Bank, exemplifies this.

 ”Success to me is being well balanced, right. So, I want to be able to have my Bruce Wayne job in the bank but my Batman job is DJ’ing. You know what I mean?,” he quips. 

“I like to have different elements of who I am,” says Neri, who is a business development officer for M&T in Central New York.

According to Hart’s research, learning to communicate with Millennials is important in maintaining the workforce. Millennials now make up one-third of all workers.

Employers need to make a connection with prospective employees from this generation starting at the job interview.

“If there’s anything to remember when a Millennial is sitting in front of you in an interview, it’s to appreciate that they’re tech savvy. They need feedback in real time … And, they want to be part of something that matters,” says Hart. “So, what is it that your organization does that matters, and share that with them in the interview. 

And see if you can get them to be on board. People are most successful when they’re passionate about what they’re doing. And, this is a passionate generation.”    

SYRACUSE — Right now, there are 73 million Millennials in the United States between the ages of 18 and 34, according to the latest Census data. The Central New York Business Journal looked at a slice of this generation right here in Central New York.

Renee Downey Hart, a professor at the Madden School of Business at Le Moyne College, has conducted more than 25 years of research on generations. She says her research on Millennials is her most requested presentation.

Hart summarizes Millennials like this: “They want to learn. They want respect. They want technology that is up to speed. They want to be included. They want you to have a conversation with them about what’s happening and they want their ideas not to be judged as, ‘Oh that’s the 24 year old,’ but [as] ‘Oh that’s somebody that has technological capacity, and maybe I can learn from it.”

Hart’s research shows Millennials in the workplace thrive off feedback. She says it’s important for organizations to understand this is the way that Millennials prefer to work and respond to it.

“And I say to people, would it kill you when you have someone who is 25 years old who just finished a project, to wander into their office and say, ‘Hey, thank you for this. This is what went really well. Here’s some other feedback I would like to give you.’ They are hungry for that. And without that, they will leave you,” says Hart. 

Erica Muscetello, a 27-year-old marketing manager at Dermody Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC in Syracuse, says her boss, Pennie Gorney, director of marketing, gives her what she needs to succeed.

“She is open to communication and we are always giving each other feedback on a daily basis. It’s not where you have your one annual review at the end of the year; it’s just constant feedback, constant learning. You know what you are doing wrong, what you are doing right,” says Muscatello.

Millennials want more opportunities than a typical 9 to 5 job. John Neri, a young professional at M&T Bank, exemplifies this.

 ”Success to me is being well balanced, right. So, I want to be able to have my Bruce Wayne job in the bank but my Batman job is DJ’ing. You know what I mean?,” he quips. 

“I like to have different elements of who I am,” says Neri, who is a business development officer for M&T in Central New York.

According to Hart’s research, learning to communicate with Millennials is important in maintaining the workforce. Millennials now make up one-third of all workers.

Employers need to make a connection with prospective employees from this generation starting at the job interview.

“If there’s anything to remember when a Millennial is sitting in front of you in an interview, it’s to appreciate that they’re tech savvy. They need feedback in real time … And, they want to be part of something that matters,” says Hart. “So, what is it that your organization does that matters, and share that with them in the interview. 

And see if you can get them to be on board. People are most successful when they’re passionate about what they’re doing. And, this is a passionate generation.”