Millennials, the better known nickname for Generation Y, seem to be the generation on the tip of everyone’s tongue as of late. This generation is made up of individuals ages 13 to 33, born roughly between 1982 and 1994. According to Census figures, there are 60 million Millennials in America, and half are women.
When it comes to their careers and the workplace, Millennial women are a new breed. The majority are known for being highly ambitious, educated, optimistic, dedicated, and are attempting to thrive in a well-rounded lifestyle. These reasons alone make female Millennials powerful players.
In a recent Washington Post Magazine article, Laura Sessions Stepp describes the confidence of this new generation of career women by saying, “These women appear to be buoyed by a stronger belief in their capabilities than many of their mothers enjoyed at their age.” She also notes that these women have high expectations for the quality of their work, as well as high hopes for what they’ll be paid. They also feel confident in their abilities to blend work and life — even as mothers.
Where Do Millennials Fit In The Generational-Blended Workplace?
For the first time in history, we have four generations working side-by-side in today’s job market, due in part to an aging workforce and a sluggish economy that’s forcing Americans to put off retirement. This has bred a mixing pot of generations, including Mature workers, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. The collaboration of these four generations are crucial to driving companies forward. But how is it possible for such varied generations to work together like a well-oiled machine?
It’s comes down to understanding the importance of different work styles, adapting, and sometimes meeting in the middle. For example, many in the Boomer generation view in-person meetings and one-on-one interactions as the most successful way to conduct business, while most Millennials prefer the speed and convenience of smartphones and email. Many Millennials beg for Boomers to adapt to their more technologically-fueled communication styles, but the fact of the matter is that the more traditional focus on face-to-face business interactions will never die. These differing communication styles can be a breeding ground for catastrophe — if not handled properly. The key is effectively managing and seeking middle ground between these two generations in order to achieve business goals. Finding common ground is essential when there are a three varying generations in the workplace. Boomers may adopt smartphones and set up Skype accounts, and Millennials will find the importance in solidifying in-person meetings to benefit a variety of aspects of business.
Millennials seem to be getting a bad rap as of late — they’ve been wrongly perceived as an arrogant and undeserving generation. But I truly think their inherent traits of confidence and self-assurance are being misconstrued. When it comes to their workplace interactions, their optimism, ambition, and dedication are likely to be driving factors in finding the most effective way to blend into the workplace — especially as the youngest generation.
Takeaways From Millennials
There’s a lot to be learned from the work habits of Millennials. In fact, Millennial women have redefined what success is. Their search to find the sweet spot in the common work-life balance is unmatched — especially in terms of Millennial women. They also have become a driving force toward more flexible work. From adherence to flex-time scheduling — as well as the move to remote work — we could all take away an important lesson in the benefits of untethering ourselves from our desks.
But most of all, Millennials present the idea of overall fulfillment. They not only understand and reach for career fulfillment, they demand it. When was the last time you considered the fulfillment factor of your current position?
Advice For The New Generation
It’s hard to give advice to those who seem to be self-advised. The “I want it all — and now” attitude is a beautiful thing, but can be overbearing. Use your powerful traits to find the success you deserve, but remember to take it a step at a time. While many Millennials women are looking to take leaps and bounds to find the success they downright deserve, landing your dream job often requires gaining experience and skills in a moderate position.
As for the Millennial attitude, it’s something worth evaluating. While being self-driven and self-motivated has its benefits, it shouldn’t affect the way you interact with others in the workplace. Be a team player, put in the time and effort when others won’t — and most importantly — quiet your unnecessary complaints.
Millennial women are certainly a force to be reckoned with. Their futures are certain to be those stamped with prosperity and success, but their careers will be even greater if they can find their niche in their workplace, as well as remaining humble and ready to learn along the way.
What do you think is the most influential trait of Millennial women?
After celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day in March, women powering business has been the topic of several discussions over the last few weeks.
Here are some of the initiatives that we are supporting from within Randstad to empower women in the workforce:
- Randstad holds a partnership with VSO International and currently one of our associates, Brittany Morrell, is on a volunteer assignment in Choma, Zambia. She is working with the local Youth Development Organization (YDO), which has established high impact economic empowerment activities in the community by empowering young people, supporting their caregivers and by helping them to achieve their potential and shape a better future for Zambia.
With the help of YDO and the recent formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), it was clear that this program has made a major impact on the women in the village where Brittany is currently residing. The SHGs have really helped underprivileged women empower themselves financially, socially and politically, which has enabled them to provide a better quality of life for their children and for themselves.
We are honored to align ourselves with such an amazing organization that really focuses on improving the lives of women throughout the world, not just in local communities.
Recently, Randstad attended “Shaping a better world though research and action”, a Women’s Network Breakfast hosted by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The keynote speaker was Layli Maparyan, PhD from the Wellesley Centers for Women – and the author of the quote titling this blog post. Maparyan spoke about WCW’s support of women throughout the world, and according to their research, a women’s movement is happening now, worldwide. Social change is rapidly taking place, especially in Africa, which Randstad can vouch for given Morrell’s experience with VSO and YDO in Zambia.
Maparyan made special note that it is a business’s role and social responsibility to ensure that women have access to equality in the workforce and to make this change within our organization if it hasn’t happened already. We have to give women associates access to leadership opportunities, identify the skills gap between male and female peers and provide women with the tools they need in order to become successful in the business world.
The workplace has traditionally been very competitive, disconnected and embodied the idea of “hyper-individualism”. Today’s workplace is different. It’s becoming more and more interrelated, especially with the rise of social technology.
At Randstad, we live and breathe by the idea that we are ‘experts powering business’, but we also know that ‘women powering business’ is the future – it’s happening today. Given our thought leadership platform, Workforce360, we’re driving this point home and have made Women Powering Business one of our key pillars. We’re empowering women in business though education, CSR initiatives and by fostering a business community that truly maximizes the potential of our women leaders. Together, we’ll shape the world of work and mold the future of business.
Follow Randstad’s most recent Women Powering Business initiative by checking out our new LinkedIn group!
In the U.S., more women than men are graduating from college and women constitute the largest consumer base for many organizations. So why do women hold only 15.7% of board seats of Fortune 500 companies?
The lack of women present in top leadership positions was the topic of discussion during Randstad’s Women Powering Business breakfast and panel discussion.
Diversity of Perspective Reflects the Marketplace
Stacie Hagan, Chief People Officer for EarthLink, Inc., said that having a woman’s perspective at the leadership level is a huge advantage for companies. “If companies are not addressing the marketplace with a woman’s perspective you will absolutely fall behind,” she said.
Gender Mixed Boards Produce Bottom Line Results
Marilyn W. Midyette, CEO, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, said that numerous studies have shown that companies that have women on the board perform better. “Businesses that have women on the board and women in senior executive roles far outperform on the bottom line compared to those who don’t,” she said. “I think it’s because women have a much more holistic and multi-dimensional perspective on problem solving. We often can develop deeper relationships with employees who then engage on a much deeper, committed level and can help produce bottom-line results.”
Women Leaders Have Emotional Intelligence To Be Strong Leaders
Pamela Scully, Chair of the Department of Women’s Studies at Emory University, said that with more than 50 percent of the world’s population comprised of females, it makes no sense not to have women at the leadership level.
“Researchers are showing women are good at emotional intelligence,” she said. “We’re good at empathizing, trying to understand where someone is coming from and not being scared to admit when we’re wrong.”
What’s your take on the issue? Do you think companies lack women in leadership roles?
Women in Leadership Panelists:
• Keynote speaker: Susie Wolff, a development driver for the William’s Formula One (F1) team
• Academic: Pamela Scully, Chair of the Department of Women’s Studies, Emory University
• Business: Pat Falotico, Vice President, IBM
• HR: Stacie Hagan, Chief People Officer, EarthLink, Inc.
• Philanthropic: Marilyn W. Midyette, CEO, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has dominated the media after recently taking the helm of the Internet giant.
Her latest headline-grabbing move was a widely circulated internal memo stating that all employees (known as Yahoos) must report to work starting in June, putting an end to Yahoo’s telecommuting option for its workers.
The action has drawn mixed reviews: The Atlantic declares “Marissa Mayer Is Wrong: Working From Home Can Make You More Productive”. The New York Times calls it “a blow to work-family balance.” Meanwhile, Forbes called the new policy “One More Reason To Applaud Marissa Mayer.”
So what do workers think about working from home?
According to Randstad’s latest Engagment Index study, 49 percent of women say their company is flexible and accommodating in terms of hours or working arrangements and one-third of respondents feel this is one of the most effective ways to engage them. In terms of the skills important to growing their careers, half of women surveyed (50 percent) chose flexibility/adaptability.
Randstad’s research is joined by numerous studies that point to the same finding: companies that offer work/life benefits to their employees have a happier and more committed workforce.
However, although enhanced technology allows workers more freedom to work anytime, anywhere – our findings also showed that constant connectivity does not mean increased productivity for women workers. According to our study, 42 percent of women believe it is increasingly difficult to disconnect from work while at home, while the majority (68 percent) do not believe that the blurring of lines between work and home has increased their productivity. Modern technology has left some workers struggling to draw the line between work and home life – but the key to productivity is for workers to learn how to work smarter, not harder.
Whether working from home or in the office, we are only productive if we’re producing the results that impact our goals. Increased technology forces us to multi-task even more, but in order to succeed, we all must learn fundamental skills, such as time management, effective meetings and prioritizing. For more information on productivity, check out Randstad’s Six Tips for Working Smarter. For more advice on working at home, read this previous Women Powering Business blog post titled Working from Home? Be Sure to Establish Boundaries.
What are your thoughts about working from home: does it work or should more CEOs follow Marissa Mayer and bring employees back to the office?
How many successful women in technology do you know?
I can name a few: Sue Ericksen, CIO of New York Life Insurance Company, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo and Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM.
These extremely smart and talented women have carved out successful careers in technology.
Yet, despite the inroads these women leaders have made, the question still remains: how many women do you actually know personally who are working in technology? Probably not that many – and it’s time for that to change.
A recent Forbes.com article titled It’s Time to Find the Women in Tech pointed out that one way to increase the number of qualified women in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) industry is through bolstering education, opportunity and visibility for women in technology. It’s also interesting to note that women in technology earn 33 percent more in salary than their non-STEM peers!
Here’s a list of some highly compensated, niche positions where women can get on the right track to become the next CIOs, CEOs and COOs of companies.
- Network security engineer — Skills needed: UNIX/Linux scripting, killer analytical skills and strong technical knowledge.
- Senior Java Developer — Skills needed: Coding, a creative background and design and test component logic.
- Data Architecture Manager — Skills needed: Data migration tools, data modeling and integration experience and knowledge on how to implement and support data strategies.
- Virtualization Architect — Skills needed: Strong technical knowledge to design and implement complex system configurations and standards for several platforms at an expert level in a diverse and demanding customer environment.
- Project Manager Lead — Skills needed: Seasoned project manager with strong knowledge and experience in successfully integrating across multiple and complex technologies and systems.
All of these jobs require at least five years of experience in a similar position, excellent communication skills, a BS or MS in computer science, stellar leadership and management skills, strong knowledge of the IT industry and the ability to effectively articulate that knowledge in verbal and written presentations.
Many of these jobs are on the forefront of innovation, but culturally, we don’t normally envision women in these roles. However, at Randstad, we are looking to empower women in technology. Take a minute to check out this infographic about women in technology – female “superheroes” who have changed the face of technology through jobs very similar to the ones listed above.
Wouldn’t you want someone to consider you a “superhero” one day?
Are women better leaders than men?
Harvard Business Review explored this topic in a recent study that examined more than 7,000 men and women leaders, measuring 16 different attributes.
The study found that in measuring the attributes – which included taking initiative, developing strategic perspective, driving for results and developing others – women outperformed men in all but one of the areas and significantly outperformed them in four.
So why are there so few women in high leadership roles? In Harvard Business Review’s study, which compiled data from some of the most successful and progressive organizations in the world, the majority of leaders (64%) are still men.
Women leaders provided an inside look at the challenges women face in rising to the top and how their professional journeys may different from that of their male colleagues during Randstad’s Women Powering Business breakfast and panel discussion.
Do Women Really Want C-Level Status?
Patricia Falotico, Vice President at IBM, said that a growing number of professional women have decided to steer clear of the leadership track in favor of a better working environment.
“The attractiveness of the C-suite has lost some of its luster,” Falotico said. “More and more younger women have decided they don’t want that. They don’t want to put themselves in an environment that is not nurturing, even if they have the capabilities.”
What’s also lacking is the element of sponsorship for women and the opportunities to take chances, Falotico said.
“You have to have that sponsor who pulls you along and nurturing that kind of relationship is so important,” she said. “Also, have we been tested sufficiently? Have we been given the opportunity to take a chance, perhaps make mistakes and not have them be fatal?”
Lack of Structure For Women Leaders
Another way women could succeed as leaders is providing a workplace more conducive to families, said Emory University professor Dr. Pamela Scully. She compared America to Europe and said the U.S. is way behind in creating a workplace structured for parenting. The structure could be changed, she said, if businesses provided more childcare at work, more maternity/paternity leave and other factors.
“In America, we tend to think of failure and success individually without paying attention to the structure,” Scully said. “We haven’t been good at creating structural conditions for women to succeed and have children and not have to make choices. Women are faced with impossible choices and not supported as mothers.”
A Blend is Best
Stacie Hagan, Chief People Officer for EarthLink, Inc., said businesses succeed most when men and women work together and that companies who don’t allow women to succeed will suffer overall.
“Men and women bring different qualities to leadership and that’s why a blend is best,” Hagan said. “If we want to have a whole brain making decisions at the table, we should make sure we bring these diverse perspectives together. If women aren’t pursuing these roles because of the structure of companies, businesses won’t be able to compete.”
Women in Leadership Panelists:
• Keynote speaker: Susie Wolff, a development driver for the William’s Formula One (F1) team
• Academic: Pamela Scully, Chair of the Department of Women’s Studies, Emory University
• Business: Pat Falotico, Vice President, IBM
• HR: Stacie Hagan, Chief People Officer, EarthLink, Inc.
• Philanthropic: Marilyn W. Midyette, CEO, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Can women have it all? It’s a question that has fueled numerous debates during morning talk shows, on Internet comment boards and around water coolers.
When Anne Marie Slaughter’s controversial article was first published in The Atlantic in July 2012, it became a talked-about subject in the months ahead, even sparking counterpoint pieces in The New York Times.
Answering the question inspired a nuanced and in-depth discussion about the realities of work-life balance for today’s working women during Randstad’s Women Powering Business breakfast and panel discussion. At the recent event, a group of high-profile women leaders dissected the subject and discussed whether “having it all” really is a myth.
Balance Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
As Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Inc., Marilyn Midyette said she finds balance by defining the equation for herself – instead of other people’s expectations.
“I think balance is in the eye of the beholder, so it’s based on what your expectations are,” Midyette said during the discussion. “I’m really concerned about people feeling like they have to define balance based on anyone else’s definition. It’s got to be what works for you.”
Midyette tackles “having it all” in seasons. “In one quarter,” she said. “I may hunker down because I have some major initiatives that I need to get accomplished. In another quarter, it may be my kids are getting ready to go off to college and I want to be present for that.”
Navigate Around The Potholes
Having it all is possible, as long as women dispel the myth that work and life have to be equal parts all of the time, according to Patricia Falotico, an IBM executive. She shared a personal story of when she was caring for her sick father. “There were days when I had to be daughter first and executive second,” she said. “You can do it all — all that you choose to do — but you have to be able to navigate around the pot holes.”
Forget Balance, Consider Work-Life Integration
Emory University professor Dr. Pamela Scully said she tells her students to be more realistic about having it all. In her own life, Scully said, she is now focusing on new priorities now that her children are older – something she could have never done five years prior when she was “going to work and looking after my kids.”
“What I tell my students is, ‘I don’t think you can have it all – all at once, but maybe over the long haul in life you can.’ If you approach it as work-life integration, it’s much easier to think about.”
Isn’t “culture” just a soft, feel-good word that HR leaders throw around?
Actually, making a good match between company culture and employee is a clear predictor of success.
First, what is a company culture?
- A company’s culture is directly tied to its values that define how the company’s leaders act and react to certain situations
- A company’s culture defines the pathway to leadership, as well as who and why someone gets chosen for a leadership role
- A company’s culture creates boundaries around what is accepted and unaccepted
-A company’s culture defines the “rules of engagement” and defines what “good” looks like
- A company’s culture defines what behavior is rewarded and what is “punished”
If you are considering working for a company, it is important to “know thyself” and really understand how the prospective company operates before taking the job. A culture mismatch can result in the proverbial fish-out-of water scenario where no one wins. So where do you fit in?
Innovation vs. standardization
Some companies thrive when employees and leaders value innovation above all in an active, participatory culture. These are companies where speed is of the essence, smart risk-taking is encouraged and it’s okay to make mistakes.
Examples: New drug development, consumer electronics, and creative marketing companies.
On the other hand, some companies thrive when their employees and leaders value standardization. These are companies where rules are followed, measurement is intense and only zero-defect processes are tolerated.
Examples: Nuclear power plants, clean manufacturing environments, and logistics companies.
But whatever the type of company, its mission should drive its values, which should in turn create a suitable culture. Also, the best companies consistently exhibit commitment to their employees, with a strong culture that actively develops employees, effectively balances people versus business and ultimately maximizes the contribution of each employee.
I want to have it all. Even on days when I question it, I won’t give up. For me, “having it all” requires a series of conscious choices and sacrifices in order to achieve what I want. Having a baby while managing a career truly tested my ability to tango with work-life balance and I found that it can be a great dance, provided you focus on the rhythm versus the balance.
In order to ensure I could “have it all” I had to decide what I really want in life and work. So, how do I get what I want and find a work-life balance that suits me?
Make a Conscious Choice and Sacrifice
To do this, I made a list of the things that truly matter most to me. Narrowing this list to a handful of things was easy because I have very little spare time. After creating my list, I had to create a plan of action.
I’ll speak to a couple of things that I decided were “musts” in my personal life as I believe these two things are often thought of as being impossible for the working mom. The first thing that I decided I could not live without is exercise. Pre-baby I could work out whenever I felt like it; this is now a different story because I have to be at work by 8:30am and I also want to spend my evenings with my daughter. So I had to make a choice: If I chose to work out in the evening, I would have to sacrifice an extra hour of time with my daughter OR I could lose an extra hour of sleep in the morning in order to fit it in. I chose the latter, and hit the gym each morning at 5:30am.
Yes, there are days when I’m tired, but I never regret a work out; however, I do regret not working out – so I get up and make it happen each morning. There are other things that I am equally passionate about and I go through the same exercise – no pun intended – where I make the conscious choice to include whatever it may be in my life and then I usually make some sort of sacrifice to have it there, or keep it there.
In addition to exercise, my husband and I are passionate about “clean eating”. We make the choice to eat fresh food and avoid processed options when at all possible. We wanted to ensure that we follow that same principle with our daughter’s nutrition so we sacrifice 2-3 hours every Sunday to shop, prep, and hand make Brenley’s food, along with our own lunches for the week. I label all of Brenley’s food per the daycare requirements, and weigh/measure all of my meals. Everything goes into the refrigerator and I take what I need each morning with minimal thought. There are definitely times where I want to lounge and watch my DVR that is 79 percent full, and it isn’t always easy to pry my husband away from Sunday football, but we make this a priority and compromise with leaving the television on while we prepare our food. Brenley usually plays in the pantry or sits on my hip while I go into chef mode. I feel it necessary to put a disclaimer for letting your child play in the pantry – I was forced to reorganize our bottom shelf thanks to a “flour bombing” – compliments of my 10 month old daughter. In the end, we have found that it saves time during the week so that when I get home from work Brenley has my undivided attention, and then when she goes to bed I can spend quality time with my husband, chip away at my DVR stash, or read a good book.
Let go of the guilt
I recognized that being a mom also means I will carry more guilt than I’ve ever experienced before. It just comes with the territory, and I accept that. The good news is that all moms share the same guilt even if they are stay-at-home moms. I often hear working mothers say that when they are at work they feel guilty for not being with their families, and when they are with their families they worry about reaching their goals at work. Inversely, I have a girlfriend that stays at home with her son and experiences guilt because she is sacrificing his opportunity to participate in various extracurricular activities in order to cut costs after choosing to leave her job. Keep in mind that feeling guilty and being guilty are two very different things! If you are not guilty then do not punish yourself by feeling guilty all the time.
If you can get rid of the guilt and be intentional, life will be so much more enjoyable. If you are confident that the choices and sacrifices you make are in the best interests of your family then stop the guilt – hold your head up high and move forward!
To keep the work-life tango in motion, focus on the rhythm versus the balance.
Attempt to plan your life in quarters or seasons. There will be times where your job will require more than 50 percent of your time and on the flip-side your family will demand more than 50 percent of your time. Once you have an idea of what each “quarter” will look like for both work and family life then prepare accordingly. There may be quarters where work and life are equally demanding. This is when you tap into your network (a.k.a. “Momtourage”) and rely on the help from others to get you through.
It sounds so simple and in reality it is – but as human beings we often combat the obvious and fail to appreciate the simple things in life. Once you accept the fact that life is full of choices and sacrifices, create a plan for incorporating what you determine is your “all” in life, let go of the guilt and enjoy having it “all”.
Whether you’ve just started at a new job or you’ve been there for quite some time, it’s becoming increasingly more common for colleagues to take office connections online. It’s normal to create bonds with your co-workers, but you may not want them to be able to see every time your parents upload a picture of you as a baby in the bathtub.
With 91 percent of online adults using social media regularly, the chances of your colleagues adding you online are fairly high. Although many Facebook users tend to keep their pages private to only their close friends, family, occasional acquaintances, the social platform is making the move toward being a more professional outlet. In fact, a recent study shows that 84 percent of Millennials include at least one employee in their Facebook networks.
If you’re looking to bridge the colleague-friend gap, a simple friend request might be something you’ve considered doing, but keep in mind there are pros and cons to adding your colleagues or boss to your social networks.
Here are a few pros and cons of “friending” your colleagues:
Pros
It’s a good friendship builder. Occasionally, friending a co-worker might seem like second nature if you’re close at work. Friending a colleague could be a great way to stay in touch and take your friendships outside of the office.
Facebook has privacy settings. The social platform offers many unique settings to ensure your privacy. Whether this means clicking to approve all tagged media before its posted, or the simple option of adding friends to a “limited access” list, you can still keep a level of privacy while accepting online connection requests from co-workers.
You have nothing to hide. Many individuals don’t see the problem with accepting friend requests from colleagues because they either rarely use Facebook or they see it as part of their professional network.
Cons
You could still lose your privacy. Forget to post a status update only to your “Friends & Family” list? Facebook can get pretty personal on occasion. Slip-ups happen, and many employees feel friending a colleague isn’t worth dealing with the consequences of their personal information being viewed by someone they know professionally.
You might come to resent your colleagues. Social platforms are often an outlet for voicing opinions. Even though your colleagues might be quiet and neutral in the office, you never know what you could find out about them when you click the accept button. There is definitely such a thing as TMI.
You might be crossing a line. If you’re a manager, you could put yourself in a potentially awkward position by friending the people who report to you. This could include learning the social habits of your staff during office hours or maybe reading a status update griping about their job — no thanks. The same goes for employees considering friending their superiors.
Accepting colleague friend requests should be done with caution. Your inbox might be bursting with requests, but there’s a lot you should take into consideration before “friending” your colleagues or boss online.
How do you manage your personal and professional friendships online?
