When I was a young, fresh-faced uni student, I took my first steps into the world of hospitality and became a bartender. To this day, it’s still some of the most fun I’ve ever had.
Most young people fall into three industries for their first taste of professional work – retail, service or hospitality.
I tried my hand at retail and hated it. But give me a job where I can talk to people, host them, craft something delicious, and learn a little something about the human condition and I’m there.
It wasn’t all positive though – newly 18 years old, it was also my first experience in a completely grown-up workplace. With the wisdom of age, I look back on some of my time there and wish I could relive it with the confidence and knowledge I have now.
But that’s the thing about first jobs – they tend to happen during our most formative years. And just like our parents, teachers and coaches during this time, our bosses can have a huge effect on us in our youth – and it’s not always for good.
I had a manager during my time there who was one of the most horrific leaders I’ve ever known. Offensive, derogatory, sexist and racist. He ended up getting fired on his birthday for embezzlement, so that’s karma for you.
After him, I had a boss who was the complete opposite – friendly, firm, considerate, and respectful. He once said something to me that I have carried through my entire career:
“Don’t come to me with just a problem. Come to me with three solutions instead.”
He taught me to look beyond the issue at hand. To become solution-oriented and to step up and be as proactive as possible. He gave me confidence in myself and my ability.
Now that I manage a young team myself, I look back on these past bosses, and those that came before and after them with new insight. Every message I get from my team about changes to the roster, every shift they come in hungover on the weekend, I get it. I get their exasperated sighs and frustration at the challenges of managing.
But I also appreciate the gravity and responsibility of my role in these young people’s lives. Their time working under me will stick with them – how do I want to be remembered?
The thing is, I can say there is a generational divide, but I don’t think it is a millennial vs gen Z situation. I think young people will always be young and older people will always be wiser and more experienced – it’s what we do with what we have learned that’s important.
There is a trope online at the moment about the “Millennial Boss” – generally a 30- or 40-something woman who cares for her young employees by checking in on their mental health, taking them out for long lunches, making sure they’re not overworked and being very soft in their communication.
@businesscasualty take her advice even tho def she won’t take it herself. #corporatelife #corporate #corporatehumor #comedy #relatable #millennial #yourmillennialmanager #corporateamerica #corporatehumour
The landscape is definitely a lot different from when I was a young worker. Your boss asked you to do something? You did it no question. You had to take a day off? Sorry, too many staff have that day off already, you’re just going to have to come in. Understaffed? That’s okay, you’ll handle it all on your own.
Today, with our greater understanding of mental health and more robust workers’ rights, we are slowly seeing the workplace take on greater responsibility for the wellbeing of its employees.
Partly, I think millennial managers are leading the charge – no one wants to feel undervalued or disrespected in the workplace, and we are taking the generational challenges and wounds of our youth and trying to repair what was broken.
So, what do young workers value?
Young workers are savvy. They want you to be clear, up-front and communicative with them. They want to know where they stand and see you as trustworthy.
The challenge is being open and communicative while still maintaining a sense of leadership and respect – be friendly, but not their best friend. Be gentle, but still assertive.
Many young workers are balancing other commitments – study, second jobs, side hustles. They also want the flexibility to be able to travel, have weekends away and take time off during high-stress periods such as exam season.
Where possible, offering as much flexibility and work-life balance is key to keeping young workers happy and engaged. We regularly check in with our workers to see if the current workload is still suitable for them – ”we know exam time is coming up, does three shifts still suit you or do you want to drop down to two for the next few weeks?”.
This ongoing communication helps minimise the potential for burnout, makes your employees feel like they are noticed and valued, and makes it more likely they are going to stick around.
All young people are trying to find their identity and their place in the world. There is an opportunity to help them recognise their strengths and work on their shortcomings.
Help them see what they are good at by providing regular recognition of a job well done, but don’t be afraid to point out where they could be better. Making sure you clearly acknowledge when they go above and beyond also helps them feel appreciated and noticed.
I don’t claim to be an expert on the workplace generational divide, and I don’t always get it right with my own team. But I endeavour to manage my young staff with kindness, patience, understanding and respect.
Hopefully, when they’re older and wiser, they’ll look back on their time with me with their own moment of clarity and understand a universal truth – we’re all doing the best we can.
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Chryssie Swarbrick is a writer, small-business-juggler and mum of two. She is currently documenting her adventures in opening a cafe, Two Franks, opposite her childhood home.
