Time to Stop Bashing The Millennials

When Hitoshi called our favorite supermarket to complain about the long lines at check-out, the young assistant manager listened patiently and then said

the young people we hire are very slow and don't care.

Huh?

Isn't he responsible for hiring and training them?

I would have let this pass without any comment, except I had heard something similar at my favorite Italian restaurant that recently downsized from three shops to one.

The owner who is under 40 gave me this reason for closing two restaurants.

"Young people don't want to work.

Are these guys really serious? Are they really Managers?

Well, maybe they are managers but not very good ones. And they certainly are not leaders.

Why, I wonder don't they recognize that they share responsibility when staff are hired to train them properly and assign them as needed?

There are a ton of other reasons why millennials [let's say young people under 30] may not be working out at your workplace.

And most of them have to do more with management and very little to do with the young people themselves.

I think it's probably natural for older generations to complain about younger generations. My father's generation undoubtedly complained about my generation.

But honestly, these kinds of comments say more about the failure of management and the older generation than they do about the younger generation.

I love working with millennials.

I'm encouraged when I meet and talk with them. They have dreams. They have power. They have passion. They have youth. And they are often able to withstand the bashing that comes from their elders.

If you are one of those who bashes the young generation, it's time to stop.

Why?

1. You are not helping anyone, including yourself.

2. You may be sounding bitter. Like a bitter old man or woman.

3. No millennial will ever want to work with you. And you need them.

4. Recognize that if things are not working out with millennial employees, YOU may be the one who has to change your way of working with them

5. Recognize that the millennials have something to contribute. And they want to contribute. You need them.

[I said "you need them" twice on purpose.]

I only wish the supermarket assistant manager and Italian restaurant manager recognize that the problem and the solution lies with them. The guy in the supermarket would most likely have a more successful market and the Italian restaurant owner would probably be expanding rather than retracting.

Are you bashing millennials? Or anyone else? Maybe its time to help out, to look at them differently and to look at yourself and what you can do to help them succeed.

Isn't that what you and they want? You don't want to fail and neither do they?

P.S. In Japan, there is a shortage of young workers. One recruiter told me that it's the biggest challenge he faces--not enough people. If you're not hiring and helping a whole generation succeed, who is left?

As always, all thoughts welcome.