How to make your office millennial friendly
India is now one of the youngest countries in the world by population. By 2021, it is expected that about 64 percent of the workforce will consist of young Indians, and the country will be the youngest in the world the same year. To take full advantage of this, organisations need to pay close attention to their millennial employees to ensure the highest productivity. Optimising your organisation’s work culture and work environment is the key to making them happy. So how do you go about this? We’ve compiled a list of pointers to help you out.
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Comfortable architecture design
When it comes to designing a comfortable workplace for millennials, you can take inspiration from Google, which is undoubtedly the coolest workplace. In fact, Google continues to retain this reputation due to its overarching philosophy to create “the happiest, the most productive workplace in the world”.
While you may not be able to replicate the Google workplace overnight, there certainly are some factors that can be incorporated for better results. Gone are the days of dull colours. Vibrant, bright colours complemented with artistic pieces and motivational notes are the rage now. Replace stiff conference room designs with more comfortable sofas and futons placed for easy flow of ideas and conversations. Remember to allow green and natural lighting as well. Additionally, encourage people to showcase their personality on their work desks by decorating it however they want.
Flat hierarchy
Millennials do not like to be bossed around. Teach them, motivate them, inspire them, but do not belittle them. They have their own ambitions and they wish to be taken seriously. Treat them like accountable employees and show them the way to do things right. Make them feel accountable for their work.
Do not let the senior employees bully them by barking orders and overloading them with work. Ensure that the seniors understand that the millennial will be held equally accountable for their share of work. Getting rid of the cabin culture at work would be a good way to start with the flat hierarchy. Encourage the team to get together for ideation, brainstorming, and even fun activities together. Show them how to break the ice and then lead them effectively for a healthy workplace culture.
Effective reward system
Millennials cannot be won over with just drinks and parties! They aspire for a purpose at work. Make use of purposeful reward systems. Invest in the personal and professional development of your millennial employees. When they feel that the organization is actually helping them envision their future better, they will feel more engaged at work. Even if your organization only believes in annual appraisals, it is always better to have more regular meetings to give feedback and discuss the areas of growth. This will help them understand where they really stand.
Include relevant perks that will show how much you appreciate their efforts. Things as simple as having healthy snacks and installing a good coffee machine in the office pantry to things like giving monthly yoga and spa coupons or taking them out for a team picnic will keep them happy.
Incorporate these methods and give your workplace the much needed new twist to encourage the young workforce.