Millennials, also known as the Y generation, are undoubtedly the biggest challenge for sellers, employers and marketers. The main problem is finding the right way to communicate with this most narcissistic generation.
As we mentioned in our previous article “How to reach Generations X, Y and Z: marketing tips” Millennials are born in the 80’s and 90’s. Digital technologies are an integral part of the reality for them, as they use it smoothly to make their lives easier and find entertainment. There are lots of myths about Millennials. Mainstream media very often describes them as entitled, spoiled, unrealistic. It is easy to present them in a bad light, because the millennials are clearly different from previous generations. Work is not the most important thing in their lives. The quicker they are getting into adulthood, the more obvious it becomes that many characteristics, which were seen as faults, are actually advantages.
They will shape the future
Generation Y lives in difficult times, but has learned to adapt to new circumstances. Their love of technology and social media builds a new kind of awareness and cunning in them. They are looking for new ways to save money in a world where economic uncertainty is the norm. Generation Y is a very diverse group. Unlike their parents, they have had the opportunity to travel a lot around the world, and this is a source of value. What we can learn from this group of digital natives is important because they will shape the future.
They know social media
Millennial parents may be well versed in the world of modern communication, although – unlike their children – they usually do not feel on Facebook or Instagram like a fish in the water. Their basic social network is existing in the real world. Millennial relations are slightly more transient, and their social skills are slightly smaller. But it is they who use the possibilities of social media better than their parents. Every second generation Y representative claims that he would reject the job offer if the company did not allow access to social media. The fast way of communication leads to the fact that millenials expect the immediate results of their actions. It is natural – in their world one should always be connected to the network and stay in constant contact. When a page loads more than 30 seconds, it causes frustration. Millennials can be described as lazy, but does the term give them justice?
They love development
Generation Y is a real challenge for employers. Millennials are focused on continuous development, gratuities – financial and not only, and it is also harder to keep them in one place of work. HR departments of large companies are constantly striving to meet their expectations. Looking from the other side, it is a generation that strongly focuses on development, so this is good news from the point of view of the employer. The researchers also noticed that millennials are characterized by a much higher narcissism than representatives of the X generation. Interestingly, representatives of post-war era were already described as focused on self-realization. Eigh millennials is, however, much larger, and the “epidemic of narcissism” fell between 2000 and 2006 and is constantly growing. It is worth bearing in mind that by 2025 they will constitute 75% of the world’s workforce.
So, how to find common language?
Millennials, despite social and financial differences, have many connections. They communicate using a common cultural code. Almost every one of them speaks English very well and often uses it on a daily basis. Regardless of which part of the “global village” they come from, they listen to the same performers and watch the same series. Therefore, it is worth knowing them so that you can communicate with them freely. For the millenial, the space of communication and the space for expressing opinions is extremely important, so if we want to establish a common language with it, let us try to understand their world and invite them to participate in our world.
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