”Organisations the world over are currently challenged with a lack of women in leadership positions, and fast becoming concerned with the competitive and financial toll this could mean for their organisations. Meanwhile they are also facing the challenges that come with vast numbers of millennial talent entering and reshaping the workforce" A recent PwC report cites.

Millennial Generation

The millennial generation, are born between 1980 and 1995, make up a significant proportion of the current and future talent pool. The report focuses on the millennial females due to the lack of women in leadership positions.

The “PwC’s NextGen: A global generational study” report, captured the views of more than 40,000 respondents in 18 territories across the PwC network.

The result highlights a high preference/need of millennials for:

• Inclusion in the Workplace
• Continuous performance feedback from employers
• A good work life balance

The Solution?

The clue perhaps sits in the findings regarding the importance of having a good work life balance, where 97% of female and 93% male millennials state having a good work life balance was important to them.

It’s not just a female thing. Both millennial males and females are different to the previous generations. A point established in the 2010 and 2013 book ‘Generations at Work’, which refers to the Millennials at ‘Generation Y’.

The ‘Generations at Work’ highlights the continual evolving change of the behavioural preferences, of the different generations. For example:

The Preferred Leadership Style for:

• Veteran (before 1950) - Directive Command & Control
• Baby Boomers (1950 – 1964) - Consensual Collegial
• Generation X – (1965 – 1980) – Challenging everyone is equal
• Generation Y (1981 – 2000) – Collaborative Engaging and Servant Leadership

The Preferred Feedback Reward Style for:

• Veteran (before 1950) – No news, Good news!
• Baby Boomers (1950 – 1964) - I don’t like feedback! Show me the money, Promotion, Title
• Generation X – (1965 – 1980) – How am I doing? Freedom/latitude
• Generation Y (1981 – 2000) – Immediate, ongoing Meaningful work

There are also stark differences in values and ethics, work definition and motivations between these Generations.

Male v. Female or Imbalance v. Balance?

One could argue a justification for ladies' lower salaries and positions, particularly if they were of childbearing age as the potential cost to a business (particularly is it’s a small or medium sized business), if they have children and take long term maternity leave, could leave a gaping exceptionally costly hole in the business.

However, in our emerging inclusive world of equality, lets compare the perceived potential barriers to maternity/paternity leave, which arguably is hindering work life balance and the full integration and employment of female employees and leaders.

Female Barriers to Maternity Leave

Ladies who take extended maternity leave to become the main carer have the increased likelihood to feel:

1. Under appreciated and valued
2. Their opinions not considered
3. Loss of confidence/low self-esteem
4. Should accept a lower job than they are capable of
5. Chaotic work life balance
6. Insufficient flexible hours
7. Lack of support and encouragement
8. Access to quality childcare is limiting
9. Perception of stigma from peers and superiors
10. Increased risk to be subject to bullying
11. Adverse impact on career progression
12. Lack of suitable opportunities to training and Continuing Professional Development whilst on maternity leave

Male Barriers to Paternity Leave

Similarly, and speaking from direct personal experience, as someone who elected to take extended paternity leave, this equally presents the similar business cost and continuity problem to the businesses.

Moreover, fathers who take extended paternity leave to become the main carer are similarly likely to feel:

1. Uncomfortable as the minority sex, in predominantly female environment
2. Under appreciated and valued
3. Their opinions not considered
4. Loss of confidence/low self-esteem
5. Should only accept a lower job than they are capable of
6. Chaotic work life balance
7. Insufficient flexible hours
8. Lack of support and encouragement
9. Access to quality childcare is limiting
10. Perception of stigma from peers and superiors
11. Increased risk to be subject to bullying
12. Adverse impact on career progression
13. Lack of suitable opportunities to training and Continuing Professional Development whilst on paternity leave

Therefore, given virtually the same potential impact on employees, whether they are male or female, and the potential financial impact on business, there is no justification for differentiating between genders. And as the PwC results suggest, both millennial sexes place a strong importance on having a work life balance.

Summary

Any business seeking to lead and engage the younger generations need to be aware of the generational differences, if their businesses are to succeed going forward. With Inclusion in the Workplace, Continuous performance feedback from employers and good work life balance must be high on the corporate agenda, i.e, business critical, not a nice to have.

Attracting and retaining the new millennials females, is not just about offering female employees flexible working, but offering flexible working to both men and women, as together, working together in balance, we can achieve a good work life balance.

Reference:

Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers in the Workplace by Ron Zemke, Bob Filipczak, Claire Raines, Joe Geoffrey

http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Generations_at_Work.html?id=deX_ugAACAAJ&redir_esc=y