The Millennial Invasion: are you ready?

Information Outlook, Nov, 2004 by John J. DiGilio, Gayle Lynn-Nelson

So what exactly does all of this generational stuff mean for us as information professionals? After all, each of us has his or her own quirks based upon the generation in which we grew up and were socialized. As they say, we all have our own "baggage" to carry. The bottom line, however, is that our workplaces and our clients already span many generations. What we do, as keepers, providers, and filterers of information, evolves with the groups we serve. If we are doing our jobs well, then we already know how to rise to the generational challenge. Who better is suited to address these changing times than we? Not only are these Millennials soon to be our co-workers, they are rapidly becoming our clients, customers, and the consumers of our services. We will be providing for their information needs as well as training them to use the resources we mastered.

Preparing for the Millennial Invasion

Given what we already know about this new generation, however, the task before us will certainly present some challenges. What was good for the Baby Boomers, Generation X, and those others that have gone before is probably not going to work for the Millennials. As information professionals, we already know the routine. Naturally, we have to tailor what we do and how we do it to meet the needs of our changing clientele. If different generations develop different learning styles and habits, then it is our challenge to make the most of what we already know about the learning styles of this emerging generation and provide the choices and options Millennials need to learn and succeed.

Let's begin to strategize with what we know. We know that Millennials, as younger learners, need more interaction and customized learning. Our challenge, thus, is to make learning practical and fun for them. These younger learners like to learn at their own pace and show a desire to constantly keep updating their skills. An effective approach to making the most of these characteristics might simply be giving these folks a lot to do and some freedom regarding how the work gets done. Of course, we will be there to guide them, give feedback, and even provide rewards as needed.

Another approach would be to offer a variety of activities that move at a fairly rapid pace. We can combine those tasks with the use of interactive learning and technology. Remember, Millennials appreciate real opportunities to apply what they are learning. They derive satisfaction from seeing their education at work. Why not provide them with chances to demonstrate what they know? After all, that is why we hire them and continue to educate them once they've come to the workplace. Again, no Millennials scenario is complete without the feedback and rewards. Research shows that they thrive on this exchange.

When providing educational opportunities to Millennials, experts suggest that the best learning sessions will include such gimmicks as video games, prizes, interaction with all the people involved, and, of all things, candy. Now many of us probably already incorporate prizes, rewards, and even candy into the training sessions we offer. Time and time again we hear our colleagues tout the success of food or dessert in increasing class attendance. There is no indication that our Millennials audiences will be any different in that regard.