• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
CommentaryLeadership

Your Company Is Clueless About What Millennials Really Want

By
Vicky Oliver
Vicky Oliver
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Vicky Oliver
Vicky Oliver
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 31, 2017, 2:00 AM ET
Office Worker Hiding
Office worker eavesdropping in cubicle roomPhotograph by ferrantraite—Getty Images

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question, “How can you help millennials feel like they’re part of the company?” is written by Vicky Oliver, a career development expert and author of 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions.

The corporate world has pigeonholed millennials more than any other generation of workers, They’ve been singled out as upwardly mobile and anxious to take on more responsibility more quickly. But millennials aren’t a one-size-fits-all group. I’ve met many of these young hires, and their personality types and work styles run the gamut.

Just as with their Generation X and baby boomer predecessors, millennials are keenly aware of what they don’t know, and desperate to find a trusted veteran to give some guidance. By rolling out the welcome mat and embracing this talented generation, companies will improve their teams and add new vitality to the office environment.

So how can employers make their companies more hospitable to millennials? Consider these options:

Create intergenerational teams

Older workers possess the in-depth industry knowledge and years of company experience that younger employees lack. Meanwhile, the new generation is more facile with technology. Letting the long-timers provide the valuable industry insight and the new recruits share their skills can make the entire team more efficient and respectful of each other’s talents.

For example, when making a client pitch, members of the old guard would do well to add millennials to their group—the younger members can put sparkle on the visual presentation and address any digital considerations, while the older members can speak to services and strategies.

Assign extra credit

As millennials are often new hires and low on the corporate ladder, they may be saddled with more than their share of boring assignments that fall below their skill levels. Once they prove that they’re proficient with their work, assign them one of the to-dos that’s been sitting on your desk. You may as well direct that pent-up energy toward a task you’ve been putting off, and at the same time show your employee that you believe they’re up to the challenge.

Offer unlimited vacation

Millennials bring expectations of a more civilized work-life balance to the labor force. They, and frankly, most skilled workers, tend to balk at the traditional two-weeks vacation “benefit” offered to new hires of yore. Now, employers are luring young talent with unlimited vacation as an acknowledgement that it’s important for employees to feel their best to perform their best. Employers bank on having hired the right people who won’t abuse the policy.

 

Ask for their feedback

Give the new members of the department a chance to critique the team’s performance. While they may be in the process of training on office protocols and production, their fresh perspective may offer a better approach to some tired old processes. Take note, however, that modeling giving constructive feedback in a diplomatic manner may be needed to soften the tone.

Another option is to have the team give 360-degree feedback. For example, in a marketing campaign, a millennial may be critical about overlooking different digital platforms for getting a message out. But the veterans may counter with opposite criticism: that spreading resources too widely is less productive than a targeted approach.

Loosen the reins

The concept of clocking in and out each day has Big Brother overtones and is thankfully going the way of plastic tray inboxes. An open policy that allows personnel to track their own work hours—and even work remotely when possible—signifies trust, which engenders responsibility. Fostering a culture of trust in employees to do the right thing for the company without having to check with the boss at every turn promotes an office environment that workers across generations can appreciate.

About the Author
By Vicky Oliver
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

employees
CommentarySuccession
Millions of business owners are about to retire. They should sell to their employees
By Matt Helmer and Maxwell JohnsonMay 23, 2026
13 hours ago
Ashley Yetman
Commentarydisruption
Everyone is blaming AI for the death of ‘craft.’ Take a good look in the mirror
By Ashley YetmanMay 23, 2026
13 hours ago
clay
CommentaryLoneliness
I’ve spent 25 years studying loneliness. AI is about to make it much worse
By Clay RoutledgeMay 23, 2026
15 hours ago
ambrose
CommentaryRobotics
Former NASA Robotics Chief: America is building the wrong kind of robots — and China knows it
By Robert AmbroseMay 23, 2026
15 hours ago
morris
CommentaryEntrepreneurship
My startup hit $200 million ARR. But first I walked away from 2.5 million YouTube subscribers and nearly went bankrupt
By Joel MorrisMay 23, 2026
17 hours ago
brotman
CommentaryVenture Capital
I’ve spent 25 years in venture capital. Here’s how it quietly shut ordinary Americans out of the AI wealth boom—and what could fix it
By Steve BrotmanMay 22, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
2 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
1 day ago
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
Success
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
By Preston ForeMay 22, 2026
1 day ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
1 day ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 22, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.