SAN DIEGO—Succession planning, intergenerational learning and understanding that workplace needs don't vary among the generations are important concepts in developing young leaders, said speakers at Realcomm/IBCon's conference CRE Tech 5.0 here this week. Speakers on the panel “Integrating Millennials in the Workplace—Technology, Work Style and Communications” discussed how Millennials are changing the look and functionality of the workplace and whether or not this cohort will be prepared to take the reins once the current leaders move out of the workforce, as they are beginning to do. Moderator Brad White of SES Consulting, a self-confessed Millennial, said, “The workplace is Millennial dominant—we need to figure out how to incorporate them.”

Esther Bonardi of Yardi said 48% of the workforce is Millennials, leaving the remaining 52% to be divided up among Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers. “Their communication styles and the use and desire for technology are where the differences lie. Boomers like the phone and short emails. Gen-Xers prefer long emails and long phone message, while Millennials want to text.”

Randy Howder of design firm Gensler said his firm has studied the way Millennials differ in the same physical space from others in the workplace. “We see no fundamental generational differences in what people need from their physical space.” They all need privacy and spaces to communicate and collaborate.

Justin Segal of Boxer Property said his firm has focused on hiring less-experienced people and has often hired them right out of school for the last 25 years. These hires “want to learn something new, be up to speed quickly and move on to another job. They don't want to hang around for three years shadowing someone. The workplace can be structured in a way that allows less-experienced people to be effective. We love them even if they're only with us for a couple years.”

Brandon Van Orden with Cousins Properties said the challenge is that now that Millennials are in the workforce, are they getting leadership training? Will they be ready to take over when the Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers leave?

Bonardi said there is a gap between doing a good job and having the experience and business wisdom that can only come over the course of time. She added that when younger people can find common ground with older people, they will listen to them, “but not if I can't relate at their level. You must be able to work and relate the way the younger generation does.”

Segal said more than 75% of the people in his company started at the entry-level point and grew to significant positions. He said his firm teaches younger hires in small bits of information as well as experientially in the form of “sprints”—goals that are not a part of an existing process, that may come up in meetings and, in the past, have been talked about but never acted upon. Millennials, with their goal-oriented ideals, do well when working on sprints.

Van Orden said when his firm looks at succession planning, it is realistic in understanding that there will be people coming in and changing jobs more often—that's just the nature of the beast right now.

Howder said that the way an office is designed sends a message to those who work there about its leadership plans. An office with private offices on the exterior and a size hierarchy, with cubicles in the center, “communicates something,” while open-plan offices also communicate something. “Why give some people more privacy if everybody wants the same thing?” One way of accomplishing this is to develop “do not disturb” signals for everyone in the workplace—not just upper-level management. “We're seeing the world moving toward a studio-based environment and team-based environments.”

Howder added that the workplace is often divided into the makers—or those who do the actual work—and the managers who oversee the work and create synergies among departments. He suggested that a free-address system might work better for managers who need to collaborate each day with different makers to get things done, while the makers may need a more fixed place to work every day. “This flattens the hierarchy and allows learning by osmosis.” Bonardi said Millennial workers are very collaborative, whereas Gen-Xers are more independent, so what Howder suggests works from a space perspective.

Howder went on to say, “We're recognizing the shortcomings of a completely open environment. Rather than designing for the lowest common denominator that demands, 'we must collaborate,'” we should be designing for what meets each need.

The question of increasing employee retention among Millennials was raised, and the panelists expressed mixed feelings about its importance. For Segal, “It's OK with us that they move; we get the best people who are passionate and get the best from them before they go,” but his firm does offer the ability to move laterally within the company.

White asked if culture and passion come up often for Millennials in the workplace, and Bonardi said it's important to market the company to its employees as well as give them the opportunity to do something they feel is good for the world—that promotes company culture and passion and encourages retention.

Howder said a healthy and health-promoting work environment is a “huge return on investment.”

Instant Insights /

The Next Phase of Millennials in the Workforce

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