Are millennials really that impatient?

Millennials have a reputation for being impatient when it comes to professional development and even earning promotions – however, one senior HR figure says that perception might not be so accurate.

“I don’t think millennials are any more or less impatient than any other generation, not at all,” says Roz Urbahn, chief people officer at the Livestock Improvement Corporation.

Urbahn, who was formerly head of people and performance at Fletcher, feels millennials aren’t necessarily impatient but are actually just good at asking for what they really want and need.

“They are more proactive in actually voicing what they want to do and it gives them that brand of being more impatient but thankfully they are because it really keeps us on our toes,” she tells HRD.

Rather than become frustrated with millennials’ apparent impatience, Urbahn says employers need to reframe this perception and be thankful that millennials are open about what they truly want.

“When I think about millennials and what they’re asking for, they’re not asking for the moon most of the time,” she says. “They’re working in a world where the social norms are changing – everything is getting more instantaneous and faster and better – so it’s no surprise they expect the same in the workplace.”

Referring to the rise of social media, Urbahn says many people are now so accustomed to getting an immediate response so employers will have to provide the same to their up and coming staff.

“When we can use social media to get a quick response, I don’t know why we wouldn’t expect millennials not to expect a faster response from their colleagues or their manager,” she says.

“We need to accept that things are faster, more agile, more dynamic and we have to embrace that rather than going; ‘Gosh they are impatient,’ because it’s that impatience which is actually driving creativity and innovation,” she tells HRD.

With millennials ready to ask for what they want, Urbahn says employers can actually stand to learn a thing or two if they’re willing to listen.

“The way we create good learning opportunities is by asking people what they need and millennials are able to be more proactive and they’re very clear about that,” she says. “Where different generations might have waited for something to be on offer, millennials speak up about what they want. That’s where they can not only learn but they can teach us.”

Roz Urbahn is among the many eminent speakers lined up for the Millennial Workforce Summit in May. There, she will feature on a panel discussion about creating fast-track leadership programs for young staff and will lead an interactive roundtable about how HR can develop rewards programs that won’t miss the mark.

More information about the event – which also features senior HR figures from Cigna, Auckland Council and Air New Zealand – can be found online.