When I run training programs for companies on how to better manage their Generation Y talent, there is a certain complaint I hear over and over again:
This generation wants too much feedback!
According to many managers, Gen Y employees want feedback “on-demand” — they want to know how they’re doing after virtually every meeting, presentation, report, project or any other demonstration of their skills.
Most Gen Ys don’t dispute this fact at all. Almost every young employee I’ve questioned about this stereotype has agreed that it’s true: they can’t get enough feedback at work. This may be because Millennials grew up receiving endless feedback from their performance on video games. Or it may be because they received constant attention and encouragement from their helicopter parents. Or, as digital natives, Gen Ys are used to comparing themselves to the rest of the world with a single click.
Whatever the reasons (and they may be different for each individual), the reality is that most Millennials want more feedback than they’re currently receiving. Many Baby Boomer and Gen X managers are doing their best to provide more feedback — after all, providing feedback is a great way to make one’s employees more productive and successful — but a gap still exists. Remember that for many managers of a previous generation, an annual review was once considered adequate feedback.
In my opinion, the burden to meet Millennials’ feedback needs should not rest entirely with managers. If you are a young professional (or any age professional!) who feels you are not getting enough input from your manager, here are three simple ways to ensure you receive the feedback you want and need:
1. Set a feedback schedule. One of the reasons managers don’t give regular feedback is because they simply don’t have time. So, make it easier for your manager to assess you by asking to set a regular time to discuss your performance. (This strategy works best if your manager has specifically said that you are asking for too much feedback.) Ask your manager for a daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly meeting (depending on what’s reasonable) to chat about your work and provide you with feedback and guidance.
Read the rest of this post in the Experis Career Center..
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