5 Millennial Myths That Demand Mercy

Millennials are the most observed generation that has ever entered the workplace. So, why are Millennials the most misunderstood, over-scrutinized group of all time?

It’s often a frustrating question. As the largest group of consumers, it would seem that many companies shy away from appealing to them in order to keep an ‘older,’ more ‘sophisticated’ audience. Or, they take an opposite swing at the stand: in the trivial pursuit of trying so hard to appear ‘hip’ to these young, ‘carefree’ individuals, they overindulge in simple language and degrading products. It’s these maniac movements, for and despite our group of young professionals, that make our market its own interesting animal of influence.

The term “Millennial,” displayed on every listicle and clickbait article, is loaded with myths and misconceptions. And though a small rumor never created an avalanche, this sort of break in understanding may. Myths about this group of young people ages 18-35 need to be debunked, not only for the sake of sanity but for that of success on both ends. How can a business truly know its audience if they don’t understand the biggest cut of it?

MYTH 1: Millennials are lazy.

Fact: “CEB, a consulting firm, polls 90,000 American employees each quarter. It finds that the Millennials among them are in fact the most competitive: 59% of them, in the latest poll, said competition is “what gets them up in the morning,” compared with 50% of baby-boomers. Some 58% of Millennials said they compare their performance with their peers, as against 48% for other generations.” (The Economist)

MYTH 2: Millennials can’t communicate.

Fact: “Gen X and Baby Boomers focus on “transactional interactions” with a clear path and purpose, such as a direct phone call or e-mail. Whereas Millennials prefer group messaging or video. Older generations may feel irritated when the point of an interaction isn’t clear. In contrast, Millennials prefer to engage with a group and have several messaging interactions trickling in throughout the day. Millennials see the world less about transactions and more about community and belonging, which leads to joy and comfort when constantly communicating throughout the day. This type of blurred communication is another instance on how Millennials are integrating work and life. The constant contact between different groups allows Millennials to blur the lines between personal and professional relationships inside and outside of work.” (Forbes)

MYTH 3: Millennials don’t care all that much about education.

Fact: “Today’s young adults are much better educated than the Silent generation. The educational trajectory of young women across the generations has been especially steep. Among Silent generation women, only 7% had completed at least a bachelor’s degree when they were ages 18 to 33. By comparison, Millennial generation women are nearly four times (27%) as likely as their Silent predecessors to have at least a bachelor’s degree.” (Pew Research)

MYTH 4: Corporations don’t need Millennials, but Millennials need corporations.

Fact: “Corporations need work from Millennials, but Millennials have a choice to work for corporations or themselves. Millennials believe (or know) they can make money online, and work anywhere and on their own time. Corporations need to remember that “she who cares less wins.” The people who care less tend to have options. Millennials have options for work, corporations don’t have options for labor…unless they choose artificial intelligence.” (Medium)

MYTH 5: Millennials’ career goals and expectations are different from those of older generations.

Fact: “Millennials have numerous and varied goals. They desire financial security, seniority, inspirational leadership, clearly articulated business strategies, and performance-based recognition and promotions – just as much as Gen X and Baby Boomers do. Similarly, the other generations are just as interested as Millennials in working with a diverse group of people. This indicates that many changes being made to “Millennialize” the workplace will – most likely – be welcomed by multiple generations, too.” (Fortune)

So, sure: Millennials eat avocado toast, crave cold brew coffee, spend too much money on shoes and Airbnb’s, and have the least amount of capital strength from generations past. But: we’re all highly educated, overly motivated professionals who continue to take the strife that crippling loans and housing markets have laid upon our shoulders. We’ve been taught to want better, and now we’re asking for it. Once the realization comes that inhabitants within this demographic are still hard-working professionals who have large goals, the company-to-consumer wheel can keep rolling. It’s time to stop spreading or nodding to these myths that this younger audience is anything less than – that’s how you cripple your own success.

Shape brands that speak to flux and change, create messaging that is wholly relatable, and promote your products in ways that are thought-conscious and impactful. If you build it, they will come – of all demographics – with pour-over coffee in hand.