Article originally published in the Philadelphia Business Journal on December 7, 2015
Leaders within all companies face the issue of how to motivate and inspire their millennial employees. Millennials are broadly defined as those born between 1980 and 1995. On Dec. 2, I wrote an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Business Journal headlined, “Millennials want to be inspired by a company’s mission. Is yours inspiring?” In that article, I state that millennials want to feel that they are making a difference in this world – a difference to the company’s customers, clients or society. That is what motivates them.
I often reach out to CEOs of companies who employ millennials, and ask about the most effective way to lead them. Ronald Rock, CEO of Point.io, a developer of mobile web applications, said, “I have found that if you genuinely listen to millennials, they get very motivated. I think most of my contemporaries talk ‘at’ or ‘about’ millennials, and don’t actually engage with them, which only widens the gap. Once they know you really hear them, they funnel all of that energy and enthusiasm towards getting amazing things done.”
Tim Panagos, CTO of Point.io, said, “Millennials are very comfortable with information technology and online social sharing because they have grown up with these tools. It is a natural part of their lives. Let them bring … [these tools] to your business. They are looking for ways to make their marks on the business world. By giving them this opportunity to do so, you will make them feel included and it may very well help your business grow.”
Continue reading on The Business Journals.
