Why Agile Work Cultures Are So Important to Millennials
Work culture suitability determines to a significant extent the overall output of the workforce as well as the accompanying job satisfaction. Since today’s labor market is driven by Millennials and generation X, a work culture that factors in the needs of these two generations had to be devised.
As a result, agile work cultures were born not so much to impel generation X which is more conforming as to accommodate and get more out of Millennials. Here are 9 reasons why agile work cultures are so important to Millennials.
The belief that work is an activity, not a place
Millennials believe that as long as the job is done well, there should not be additional regulations. This has led to a gradual shunning of the typical work environment for those whose jobs allow for location flexibility.
This pliability has increased the job satisfaction index giving Millennials more room to make decisions they feel improve productivity and the quality of life. On the flip side, it has also spotlighted self-supervision as a core work trait due to the reduced opportunities for supervision that come with work culture agility.
The work-play mix
Millennials want to enjoy life as it unfolds in a delicate balance between work and play. In a nine to five, traveling when working, building a network and socializing when actively on the job, plus other things that are more in the ‘play’ end of the spectrum are not possible. Agile work cultures enable Millennials to cultivate a custom balance that meets professional and personal needs comprehensively.
The modern economy
Today’s society runs on-demand. Convenient socializing through social media, content access at any time, delivery services for products and services, instant checkouts, etc. This has led to a high level of dynamism in the labor market where the margins separating winners and losers are minimal.
A simple maneuver by a competitor can actualize a big advantage and to counter this; agile work cultures come in handy by making it possible to react quickly to market dynamics and competitor stratagems.
The search for purpose
Millennials follow their hearts. They want to work where they feel they fit best and contribute the most. Most have a deep desire to impact positive change in the world and due to this, many have quit high earning jobs for gigs with lesser pay and the allure of purpose.
Work culture agility comes into the picture by empowering Millennials to organize themselves and find time to do what their hearts crave. In this fashion, job hopping is stemmed, and satisfaction levels are elevated.
Freedom
Of all generations, Millennials challenge the status quo most. They question accepted ideas in the search for freedom to express themselves and the space to effect change. Millennials want to wear a suit to work one day, and a hoodie the next. Arrive to work at 10 or 11 am and work till late.
Put in another way, Millennials want to work in a way that does not inhibit their natural tendencies, and this is what an agile work culture provides.
Teamwork
Millennials want to work together to make things happen. Social media has provided numerous examples of what can be achieved by capitalizing on the power of numbers to make things happen. The same is so in the workplace, and agile work cultures make this possible.
The lack of bureaucracy and highly defined labor division means that others can cover for weaker team players. The team can adapt quicker to hurdles and challenges resulting in fluidity that actuates higher success rates.
The desire for autonomy
Millennials do not like to be micromanaged. They crave the ability to influence the general direction of their lives, and agile work cultures provide this autonomy to some degree.
The effect is that Millennials benefit from a higher morale by personalizing work specifics. This comes with a substantial tradeoff since newbies are put at a disadvantage. However, the morale and job satisfaction gains justify the compromise.
To capitalize on opportunities
In a nine to five, there are limitations to accessing opportunities. Considering that current opportunities in all spheres of life materialize anywhere, at any time and in any manner; it becomes crucial for Millennials to bump up their chances of encountering these possibilities. Agile work cultures avail flexibility which puts Millennials in a better position to take maximum advantage of any beneficial possibility.
To earn more
Millennials need more money than any of the previous generations. The prices of basic goods and services have ever been on an upward trajectory increasing the cost of decent living. Employment does not seem to cut it and Millennials, ever enterprising, have been taking to side hustles to earn the extra dollar. An agile workplace creates an enabling environment for running other income generating activities
In the next few years, Millennials will command more than half of the workforce. Hence, agile work cultures will continually witness increased adoption. Those who succeed at optimal implementation will, without doubt, reap bumper output harvests.
