HOW MIGHT WE KEEP MILLENIALS PRODUCTIVE IN THE WORKPLACE?
Enhancing employee productivity should be a top priority for employers. As the workplace continues to evolve, a number of global trends are being adopted and currently taking centre stage in some African markets too. Millennials now occupy a larger portion of the workplace, and in today’s age it is essential for employers to create an employee-centric culture that fosters productivity amongst this expanding demographic.
It is very important to note that millennials are the most connected generation in history. For that reason, they are informed and influenced by a broad spectrum of factors in the workplace. Having so much information at their disposal allows them to know what they want and not want.
Keeping the millennial generation productive is not a one size fits all. Employers must implement tailor-made employee-centered practices in order to get the best out of this dynamic demographic; by comprehensively creating and empowering diverse audiences
while emphasizing an innovative flexible working culture. Additionally, a work environment that is driven by authentic values and equipped with the right tools, followed by learning and development opportunities serves as a great competitive advantage, not only to millennials but also their employers.
This paper used a Pan-African technology company, Andela, as a case study since their brand embodies factors we have identified as crucial to ensuring productivity amongst the millennial cohort.
The mission of Andela is to “advance human potential by empowering today’s teams and investing in tomorrow’s leaders” through their famed ‘EPIC’ values which represent the acronym: Excellence, Passion, Integrity, and Collaboration.
Keeping millennials productive in the workplace does not have to be a daunting task, hence this issue explores the factors that are necessary to ensure optimum productivity amongst millennials, detailing the importance of each and illustrating how employers can implement them. The five focus areas are: Work Culture, Sense of Pride, Diversity & Inclusion, Training & Development Opportunities and Tools.
To better understand millennials and productivity in the workplace, the report surveyed 8,429 Kenyan candidates, and their responses are specifically reflected in our survey results section. Furthermore, the study interiewed key management staff and numerous developers from Andela, as well as gathered data from internal databases at BrighterMonday Kenya and from external research.
With this paper, it is hoped there are learnings that you can take back to your company, implement and get the best out of your colleagues.