Galen R. Faison New Jersey Institute of Technology

MSPTC Millennials, Social Media and the Workplace

Concept Paper Dr. Bernadette Longo

May 6th, 2015

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The Background

Millennials, in substantial numbers, have been and are entering workplaces en

masse and with this occurrence there has been considerable workplace disharmony as

the preceding generations—Generation X, and the more adversely, Baby Boomers—

acclimate to working with the Millennial Generation, also known as, Generation Y.

Millennials are set to outpace the latter generations in regards to population.

There are minute discrepancies as to the parameters of each group’s age rang. So to

maintain uniformity of information, this paper will use the American Census Bureau’s

(American Community Survey) definitions1 as the generational standard.

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020 nearly half of the

American workforce will consist of Millennials. Now this may seem like the natural and

evitable progression of an expectant younger generation forging into established and

awaiting industries—bringing with them an infusion of youthful vigor—but the optimism

of such unification has been marred by youth culture and age-gap related clashes. To

comprehend the core issues with cross-generational workplace rifts, there needs to be

an understanding of the parties involved, their work/life philosophies and how these

differing outlooks have and can cause friction.

1 Baby Boomers are born from 1946 to 1964 with a projected population of 74.9 million.

Generation Xers are born from 1965 to 1979 with a projected population at 66 million.

Millennials are born from 1980 (or later) with a projected population at 75 million and growing.

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Baby Boomers were witness to and undoubtedly defined by many a social

phenomenon (Cold War, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, etc.); perhaps such tumult

caused them to seek out stability during a time when the world was in era of socio-

political flux. When they introduced their significant numbers into the work force, the

ideal was for them to secure a position, work their way up the organizational hierarchy

(acquiring the requisite family and a home along the way) and then retire to enjoy the

twilights of their lives with a formidable nest egg. Author Steve Gavatorta, a corporate

communication specialist, further characterizes Baby Boomers as, “tend[ing] to have a

strong work ethic and be independent, goal oriented and highly competitive” (60). This

traditional work-your-way-to-prosperity tends to explain why Baby Boomers may have

placed a higher significance on work as it supported the other aspects of their lives

(home and family).

Generation Xers are the smallest cohort of the three generations and are

bookended by Baby Boomers and Millennials; they share characteristics of both the

former and latter cohorts: like Boomers, they expect to pay their dues, waiting the

appropriate time for advancement; they tend to respect the hierarchical authority and

are willing to ascend through work ethic— however, Gen Xers find worthwhile value in

the work-life balance and will eschew the 50-70 hour work week as they’d witnessed

their Baby Boomer parents wear away (marriages included) under burdensome

workloads. Gen Xers are technologically adept having been the first generation to have

grown up with intimate access to personal computers. After all, this is the generation

that gave the world Facebook, Amazon.com and YouTube, in addition to, other era-

related technology and social media advances.

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There is less information about Millennials as their forays into work

environments are still relatively new. Population psychologist, Constance K. Patterson

offers:

“Their childhoods were characterized by relative peace and prosperity, and this has lead

to optimistic attitudes and close family ties. Unlike their parents' generation, who became

independent as soon as they finished college, it is estimated that more than 60 percent

of this generation returned home to live with parents for some period of time after

college…

Some call them ‘digital natives’ because they have never experienced a world without

technology. Their technological sophistication allows them to consider the world a

smaller, diverse, highly-networked environment in which to live and work. They

understand connections with others as involving high speed and instant responses. They

expect frequent feedback from their families and friends, and have similar expectations

for their employers. Innovation and change are both expected and valued. They are

idealistic and have high expectation” (17).

To expound further, Millennials prefer a team-oriented work environs versus the

isolation of a cubicle. They don’t value hierarchal systems and feel as though their

opinions matter regardless of workplace status or length of tenure. Their idealistic

nature means that they tend to look for a higher purpose in their work outside of a pay.

Often referred to as the participation trophy generation, Millennials possess a highly

actualized self-image and elevated self-esteem. Of all the cohorts, Millennials place the

highest value on work-life balance and will often prioritize personal interests over work.

Having been born with social media platforms (and the requisite devices), they have

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strong attachments to digital networking; an offshoot characteristic of this is their

proclivity for seeking “insta-fame.”

Regardless of the issues at play, workplaces need to be a generational mixing-

bowl where the positive attributes of each age group is fully utilized. For that to happen,

there needs to be a universal acceptance of Millennials and their considerable talent

offerings.

Conflicts in the Broad Sense

Each of the last three generations has arrived to workplaces with their own set

characteristics, work ideals and principles of industry. Generational gaps by their very

nature incur generational differences; this is a natural and expected occurrence when

there are groups of people, born of different eras, who are shaped by the social, political

and economic triggers of their respective times. With differing occupational

philosophies, job processes and expectations all commingling in one environ, there are

high risks for conflicts that range from minor age/culture annoyances to full-on

dissention. The question to be asked is why are Millennials, more than any other cohort,

the target for higher levels skepticism and youth-centered phobia? Are they so unlike

Baby Boomers and Generation Xers that they come off as anomalous? Gavatorta

offers:

“The usual complaints [about Millennials] are about their constant use of technology to

communicate, their sense of entitlement, and their work ethic—all of which is enough to

drive their bosses and peers crazy. It is apparent that Gen Y’ers in the workforce is a

hot-button topic across all industries today” (59).

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The answer may lie in their unique attributes and how they get exhibited in real

world workplace interactions. Ferris-Reed and Sujansky open their book, Keeping the

Millennials, with these real world scenarios: a harried office manager being rankled as

he’s informed by his 22-year-old new hire that he wouldn’t be able to work overtime

because he’d plan on attending a concert; a hiring manager being rankled by receiving

a post-interview thank-you text message as opposed to an email; a department

supervisor galled, when at the onset of a retirement party, a young employee

approached him to be considered as a candidate for the newly vacated senior-level

position. Whether they’re perceived as breaks in organizational protocol or

misinterpreted blips on the interpersonal workplace radar, it is clear that Millennials view

occupational etiquettes, rites of passage and procedures differently than their

predecessors. What the older generations may have to accept is that these “affronts”

may be entirely a matter of perception and in a the greater scheme of ensuring a

productive future, the less problematic of differing traits (social disparities that won’t

acutely interfere with work) may have to simply be accepted or amended to the

satisfaction of all cohorts. This acceptance, of course, would require patience and the

likely recruitment of professional team builders.

If the aforementioned real world scenarios are any indication, Millennials don’t

lack for confidence. In fact, what is generally considered a positive attribute has been

negatively appended to Millennials as over-confidence, and in the extreme sense,

symptomized as deviant narcissism. An article published in the psychology journal, Self

and Identity, shares a survey of 9 million college students that reveals, “that 52% of the

2009 cohort rated themselves as having a level of social self-confidence higher than the

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average for the general population, compared with 30% of students questioned in

1966.Today's students also rate their intellectual self-confidence, public speaking skills

and leadership ability around 50% higher than their 1966 counterparts” (Twenge,

Campbell and Gentile). This is a negative attribute that can’t be simply glossed over; if

Millennials indeed perceive themselves superior to previous generation, a detrimental

disposition could lend to the proper lack of respect for an older generation’s breadth of

experience which in the long run becomes a pitfall for Millennials as they don’t acquire

every facet of organizational comprehension that they’d need to garner success and

maintain prosperous industries.

While cross-generational workplace interactions between Baby Boomers and

Generation Xers were not seamless, they didn’t include the magnitude of age-vs-age

hiccups we see between Boomers and Millennials; this is evident in that there isn’t

nearly the same volume of documented research and rhetoric surrounding Boomer-

versus-Gen Xers, in comparison to, Boomer-versus-Millennial, or for that matter, Gen

Xer-versus-Millennial. Generation X holds the unenviable position of being the middle-

child-cohort and is often deemed as the forgotten, or even more derogatively, slacker

generation. Gen Xers have to contend with Boomers who are reluctant to relinquish

managerial reigns while staving off impatient Millennials looking to supersede them—

not to mention being tasked to supervise this youngest generation. Having inherited a

less than ideal world from Boomers (economic downturns, pollution, etc.) and being

overlooked for Millennials, Generation Xers may harbor some resentment toward the

former and latter generations. However, there seems to have been a sort of middle

ground acclimation which is why there wasn’t as much ballyhoo (in the form of

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documented research) about Generation X’s inability to fit in corporately; that distinction

goes to Millennials and their prickly relationships with Baby Boomers.

Consider the traditional composite of a workplace Baby Boomer: suit, tie (pants

suit or skirt suit for ladies) and polished shoes; logging in office hours in the 9a-5p, 5

day work week; working independently (focused with what they’re tasked with) only

conferring when necessary; corresponding up and down the chain-of-command and

accepting at face-value what leadership has decreed; staying on a job, with varying

degrees of satisfaction, as long as the pay is adequate or better. Now consider the

composite Millennial: preferring casual Friday every workday (if it were allowed);

eschewing the 9a-5p office schedule for the world-is-my-workplace and make-my-own-

hours philosophy; needing a team so that feedback is immediate and constant; seeing

organized leadership as horizontal, as opposed to vertical, and with that their voice

being just as important as management’s; and also preferring to be existentially fulfilled

at work as opposed to just chasing a high salary. With such disparities in workplace

attitudes, coupled with a lack of reciprocal understanding, it isn’t difficult to diagnose

why the transition of Millennials into office spaces has been less than fluid. There’s also

the added issue of how advancements in internet technology and untethered access to

devices (mobile phones, tablets, etc.) have fundamentally changed the way that

younger people interact, both professionally and personally, which widens the gulf of

misunderstanding.

Conflicts in the Digital Sense

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“While it took radio and television 38 years and 13 years, respectively, to reach

50 million users, it took Facebook less than nine months to reach 100 million users.

iPhone applications even hit 1 billion in nine months” (60). That quote from researcher

Laleh Patel’s article “The Rise of Social Media” illustrates just how prolific growth of

Internet-based networks can be. Social media networks, initially utilized as personal

recreations and to stay in contact with friends, family and interest groups are

increasingly being introduced into the workplace as team-building, marketing and intra-

network communication tools. As more corporations and organizations evolve toward

being social organizations2, Millennials will be indispensable because of their forward-

thinking innovations and abilities to traverse digital communication platforms

To clarify, social organizations recognize the benefits of mass collaboration3 as a

business model and endeavor to make the transition (the inevitable change). In those

instances, it would only make sense to staff an office with employees who are adept

and fully capable of making that component of business progress. Ironing out the kinks

(failed or underwhelming social media initiatives) of operating as a social organization

holds its own logistical and implementation challenges, however, older generational

reservations about integrating social media and other digital communication platforms

into the workplace may incur interpersonal work maladies:

“[Feelings] of empowerment, exacerbated by the fact that they learned the digital

technologies that are changing the business landscape as they learned to walk and talk,

puts Millennials in a unique position…They have training and technological expertise

2 An organization becomes a social organization by learning from repeated successes in using social media to form

collaborative communities that deliver significant business value (Bradley, McDonald 220). 3 Mass collaboration is where large and diverse groups of people who may have no preexisting

connections pursues a mutual purpose that creates value (Bradley, McDonald 9).

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that belie their age and that often exceeds that of their senior managers. This creates a

rift between management and their Millennial subordinates…” (Argenti and Barnes 127)

So atop the inherit issue of embracing the practicalities of running a business

with digital communication sensibilities, there may be some refereeing of cross

generations who may have varying acceptances of the mediums. Still, with multitudes of

Millennials entering the workforce in the nearing years the change (to socially

organizing) may be simply influenced by their sheer numbers, pushing industries to

operate under wikis, blogs, shared spaces (Google Docs), social networks, podcasts

and/or shared media (YouTube).

The Social Media Benefits Index (SMBI) listed on page 10 as Figure 1. illustrates

the frequency and vocational context in which Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and

Millennials utilize social mediums as learning tools. The graphic included in Laleh

Patel’s aforementioned article clearly depicts the comfort that Millennials enjoy social

media usages in contrast with precedent generation.

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Figure 1.

When taking into account all the variables involved towards social organizing, adopting

a take-the-wheat-with-the-chaff posture can be beneficial: the wheat being a prudent

application of the Gen Y’s tech-savvy talents which will allow them to be fulfilled using

the tools of which their accustomed; the chaff being the added labor in overseeing

digital communications usage as to ward off security risks, impropriety, and/or an over-

reliance on mediums. The practical application of social media platforms are

technologies well within the Millennial wheelhouse. Stewardship and an accommodating

trust has to be fostered so that they can be allowed to steer the ship—and if not, they

may abandon it out of frustration. This is evident in the problem corporations are

experiencing in retaining Millennials.

The Problem Retaining Millennials

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Consistent employee turnover is problematic for any organization. Lack of

retention is costly, it’s laborious to keep replacing employees and it disrupts workflow.

As previously mentioned, Generation Y work sensibilities include, but aren’t limited to,

needing to find purpose in their work (regardless of pay), team-oriented work process,

flexibility of schedule and transparent work missions. Senior management is finding out

that if these needs aren’t met, Millennials have no qualms of looking elsewhere for

employment:

“You have a retention problem brewing, and it's going to cost you. According to research

conducted by author Dan Schawbel in conjunction with job site Beyond.com, more than

60 percent of millennial workers plan to leave their employer in less than three years,

with a cost between $15,000 and $25,000 to replace each employee lost” (Prokopeak).

The easy fix would to make workplaces more Millennial-friendly but that entails a bit of

tricky diplomacy because while an organization would like to retain Millennials and their

talents (after all, the future of any company relies on infusions of youth) there’s the risk

of alienating the older generations who may feel that their occupational wants had not

been met with the same gravitas. So in addressing one issue, another has been

created. Perhaps the fix is in the examination of what Millennials desire and cautiously

applying (where sensible and would garner a positive result) those wants to the entire

staff. After all, it’s not farfetched to think that most employers would get behind having a

more flexible schedule and less office face-time, or liking their work to have some higher

meaning than the work-in-pay-out detachment. Still, every industry isn’t the same; the

offices at Google likely have a much different culture and modus operandi than those of

Goldman Sachs. If the purpose is to retain Generation Yers, the key may be to cherry

pick the functions that work best in a particular area of industry, fits Millennial

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expectations and doesn’t alienate the other cohorts. Perhaps the cessation of the

traditional workplace may have a benefit for all.

Surveys and Data Mining

In researching workplace dynamics between cohorts, there was a surplus of

documented research examining cross-generational rifts, however, there was a

disproportion in the coverage as far as first-person Millennial accounts. To shore up the

gaps of information, a social media survey service (Survey Monkey) was conducted but

yielded unsatisfactory results as the survey only provided very broad data. Some of the

questions asked were as follows:

.

Figure 2.

(see complete survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-NHRTWR39)

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Figure 3.

Figure 4.

(see complete survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-NHRTWR39)

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While the survey yielded some data, it was problematic in the sense that there

wasn’t enough context to clarify the compilation of responses. Also, a main cohort

(Millennials) were not as visible in the study as it was conducted via Facebook and with

the surveyor being a Gen Xer the yield of responses were overwhelmingly from that

peer group. In order to get the data that was needed, a boots on the ground approach

was taken in the form of a small focus group consisting of six Millennials4 (three

professionals and three college students). Despite the truncated size of the group, they

were able to provide some insights that often would sometimes align or counter

stereotypical millennial traits.

Millennials Speak…

On their perceptions of and interactions with older generations. Linda, 31, biomedical research specialist: “Our finance guy orders items for the lab and uses an archaic system of typing things into [MS] Excel, then use a calculator. We’d tell him that Excel would do that for him but he’d always say, ‘This is the way I like to do it.’” Aron, 20, fine arts student: "The older generations are happy as long as [their] bills are paid and bellies are full it seems." Baaba, 26, communications marketing: “Some of the other departments borndon't respect the craft. They think we’re just a bunch of kids playing on the social media platforms.”

4 Linda, 31, biomedical research specialist

Baaba, 26, communications marketing

Shawna, 29, financial analyst,

Luke, 19, engineering student:

Ryan, 21, business major

Andre, 28, IT manager, Geico Insurance

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Shawna, 28, financial analyst: “The oldest person in my day to day interaction is 51. For the most part any divisions are more departmental than generational. I will say the longer tenured employees seem to expect bonuses despite lackluster work ethics.” Luke, 19, engineering student: “My father could care less about newer technologies despite the fact that he works for a software company. His company phone was a flip-phone for the longest [time]. They just recently switched to iPhones…he didn’t seem happy too about it.” Ryan, 21, business major: “I feel like I can get along with anyone regardless of age. I’m pretty easy going so… (shrugs).”

On their personal usage of social media platforms Luke, 19, engineering student: “I feel my time could be used for something else.” Andre, 28, IT manager, Geico Insurance: “I have an Instagram and Facebook account but I’m more of a spectator than a content provider. My circle of friends seem about the same.” Linda, 31, biomedical research specialist: “I use Facebook and Instagram daily. I may not post every time. I have a lot of friends so if I don’t check my [my account] my notifications can get out of hand (laughs).” Ryan, 21, business major: “I use Facebook to keep up with friends. I'm more of a person to person guy. And I don’t have a smartphone.” [When asked if a newer device would increase usage]: “Yeah, most likely. I'll jump on the train and see what the buzz is about." Shawna, 28, financial analyst: “My social media networking petered out with my job. I just don’t have the time to invest in it. But a lot of my peers live for social media." Aron, 20, fine arts student: “It’s a cycle. Being an artist I find wealth in networking with people with shared [art] interests. I use it mostly to keep in touch. Everyone doesn’t need to know what sandwich I ate today [laughs]. I can disappear off of it [social media] pretty quick when I have school projects coming up.” Baaba, 26, communications marketing: “Social media has interfered with work and vice a versa. Because I use it for work, I find that sometimes one aspect bleeds into the other.”

On their professional or academic social media usage

Linda, 31, biomedical research specialist: Yes, sometimes for me it’s a distraction at work. I’m not sure what the [company’s] policy is. Another department has a Facebook group for surgery but they do not promote anything on it.”

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Ryan, 21, business major: “I’m not personally distracting [by social media] but you see it in class. There’s a whole lot of Facebooking going on in classes.” Luke, 19, engineering student: “Yeah, I haven’t been in a position to where social media has aided schoolwork.” Shawna, 28, financial analyst: “[There’s] no social media at work. Our computers are blocked. Not even LinkedIn. Which is fine. I think the company understands how much time can be wasted.” Andre, 28, IT manager : Geico has analysts for social media needs [digital marketing], outside of that, our PCs are locked down meticulously at headquarters. If I need to network, I still have my phone.” Baaba, 26, communications marketing: “My last marketing job used Facebook but the chat turned off. If they caught you on the chat it was serious. There would be reprimands." [when asked if she thought that policy was hypocritical?] “More silly than hypocritical. I mean, it was something they had little control over.”

On their companies adopting social organization practices Ryan, 21, business major: “I’d be comfortable with using social media [as a required function of work] as long as I was trained and understood what the policy was.” Linda, 31, biomedical research specialist: “I would have some apprehensions about embracing social media networks at work because of the nature of my job makes it unnecessary.” Aron, 20, fine arts student: “A commercial artist may find more use for socially networking as a part of their job duties. Fine artists do have e-galleries but I’m a tactile guy. I like to see brushwork up close and check small details. So, as a way to coordinate on a digital level? I’d say a commercial artist working in a firm would benefit most from that [business model].” Andre, 28, IT manager: “It’s not how my office is set up now but I’m open to it. Right now, I have three younger guys that handle all the tech stuff. [when asked if the youth of his subordinates gave them a tech advantage over himself]: Before we hired them, I was the youngest person in my branch. I’m confident in my leadership. As long as they do what I tell them, were fine (laughs).” Shawna, 28, financial analyst: “Training…as long as there’s training, I’m fine with it.”

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On their experiences with job seeking, recruitment and retention Baaba, 26, communications marketing: “I placed my CV [curriculum vitae] on a lot of career networking sites so I get contacted by [corporate] headhunters quite often.” [when asked if she felt that this job-seeking process was superior to applying]: “It’s worked well for me but I believe it’s because I’m in the [digital] marketing field.” [her quotes on flexibility of schedule]: “I work from home a lot. I’d do it more frequently if I can. I don’t see the need in coming in the office from 9p-5p. I would take less money to have more personal time. I’ve quit a job with no job lined up…several times. If you’re not giving me what I need [to stay] then don’t get mad at me, honey (laughs)." Shawna, 28, financial analyst: “We have no turnover because this isn’t a market where you can skip around too much. Word gets out. I think the financial perks keep people from leaving, as well. [her quotes regarding fulfillment]: “I’d take lesser salary for more personal fulfillment. That’s how I found my current job at Prudential.” [her quotes on retention]: I’m actually more productive when out of office. I feel I spend too much time putting out small fires instead of working on my long-term objective." Ryan, 21, business major: “I have noticed at the career fairs that companies make it a point to show how tech and social media-friendly they are. It’s on all of their literature.” Luke, 19, engineering student: “Well, If by bills are high, I wouldn’t be as picky [to job options]. But I think as I gained more experience, I’d look for a better position.” [when asked if he saw himself working for one company for 25-plus years]: “No way (laughs), that’s just too much time spent looking at the same walls.” Andre, 28, IT manager: “I’ve noticed high turnover of Millennials and the poor retention rates. Management met with me and my contemporaries to address the issue. I’d previously told them changes needed to be made but they didn’t respond right away. It took them awhile.” [when asked if management addressed the problem satisfactorily]: “Well, one of the first steps was to make sure cell phone service was available in building. That alone was not as effective as they’d have liked. Truthfully, I don’t Millennials are all for the traditional corporate life.”

If anything, the reactions from this focus group—although small and far from the

full spectrum of ideals—illustrates the complexities of individualism. The Millennials of

this particular group did not appear to have obsessive attachments to their social media

platforms for varying reasons and appeared to be quite self-aware of their digital

communication usage. Most of their less than flattering perceptions of older generations

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seemed hinged on personal experiences. They were at ease and welcomed the

evolution of companies as the moved toward socially organizing. If this small collection

of Millennials is any indication, those poor retention rates will remain a problem unless

there is some amending of certain (think stodgy) aspects of traditional corporate and

organizational work culture.

Conclusive Bright Side

Scott Hess5, presented at a June 10th, TEDx conference6 he stated, “Every

generation is different from the preceding generation. Say what you will about

generational theory but part of it is just defining the differences between generations.”

He later expounded on this theory by relating back to his experiences as a young

Generation Xer entering the workforce. In his summation, Millennials are “engaged and

tolerant; [conduct] commerce lubricated with by conscience; are tolerant and inclusive;

have parents who are friends/helpers as opposed to authority figures.” Any dubiousness

about the eventual Millennial takeover should be tempered with the understanding that

the incoming generation is not a jaded cohort:

“Here's something even all the psychologists who fret over their narcissism studies

agree about: Millennials are nice. They have none of that David Letterman irony and

Gen X ennui. ‘The positivism has surprised me. The Internet was always 50-50 positive

and negative. And now it's 90-10,’ says Shane Smith, the 43-year-old CEO of Vice”

(Sanburn and Stein 26,).

5 The VP of Insights for TRU, a global youth research firm and is considered one of the foremost

authorities on American youth. In this role, Scott works across TRU's syndicated and custom research

divisions to discover, distill, and communicate compelling, actionable insights for clients -- the world's

leading youth brands and companies.

6 TEDxSF - Scott Hess - Millennials: Who They Are & Why We Hate Them?

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So when looking at the Millennial attributes with some semblance of impartiality,

perhaps a readjustment of perception is what really needs to be applied: Perhaps their

lack of belief in hierarchy will knock the rust off of aged bureaucracies; their protean

work philosophy will keep them keenly adaptable to changes; their sense of mission will

compel industries to emphasize values over capital; their need for transparency will

ensure corporate dignity and civic responsibility—and lastly, just maybe their renowned

narcissism will fuel them with the confidence to affect real change in the world.

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