"Millennials are defined as persons born between the years 1980 and 1996. That would make them anywhere between the ages of 22 and 38 at the time of this article."
Before I begin, I have to define the four types of Millennials in the job market today, one of which isn't working for any of the managers I will describe later on.
The Established Millennial, or the Millennial with numerous suitors isn't under the authority of any of these managers. Ironically they may employ some of them, but they have worked too hard to escape their clutches to consider doing it again. Our focus will be on The Whistle Blower, The Strategist, and The Disadvantaged Millennials. They're not in a position to leave their less than stellar working conditions, but their eyes are certainly on the prize. Here's more about them below.
The Whistle Blower - this starry-eyed vegan checks Amnesty International almost religiously. They have a Master's degree in "employee handbooks," and read everything. There isn't a GoFundme they haven't supported or a restaurant they haven't reviewed, so things quickly go haywire when their moral compass is asked to be skewed.
The Strategist - talented, likable and clearly ambitious, this Millennial is certainly going places. They're just not quite there yet. Known as a rising star throughout the company, they say the right things or absolutely nothing at all. Although their work is very visible, they're always conspicuously absent in compromising situations.
The Disadvantaged - loyalty, loyalty, loyalty... Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna have taught them well. They know that they aren't the most qualified out of the bunch, so they put in extra work to show how grateful they are to anyone who gives them an opportunity. They'll ride or die right up to the point where a better opportunity arises.
With this understanding, each of these employees will leave the following managers for very different reasons and via different methods. Here is the breakdown why and how it will inevitably happen.
The Disgruntled Manager
Why Millennials Are Leaving
The disgruntled manager is probably the most talented of all the managers in this article, and perhaps the one that will be happiest with the Millennial employee's departure. This is because they have a bone to pick with the company they work for, and will be glad to see it lose resources. This ultimately makes them more valuable.
Several problems arise with disgruntled managers:
1. They often talk negatively about their superiors and spread distrust and confusion within the company.
2. They are also divisive and will silo their team in the act of rebellion and control.
3. Worst of all they are professionally bi-polar.
Disgruntled managers want to be seen as vital to the success of a company and desire to leverage this to secure what they feel they rightfully deserve (higher pay, more benefits, etc.). This means that their team must perform well, as they are quick to pass blame should a problem arise. However, individual contributors cannot shine too bright, as that will lessen the focus on them. As micro-managers and hoarders of information, any new ideas, processes, and initiatives that do not originate from them will be met with extreme scrutiny and hostility. What would generally help the company in the long-term, is viewed as an attempt to replace them.
How Millennials Are Leaving
The Whistle Blower - you can count on them to outright snitch on the disgruntled managers and all of their conspirators. After being forced into a competition that cannot be won with the manager, they will vividly describe how uncomfortable they are in a culture that bashes other departments and upper management, providing documentation of each occurrence. Citing company policy, they will request to be moved to a different department, for fear of retaliatory action (that is very common with disgruntled managers).
The Strategist - out of nowhere, the strategist will announce a new position in another company, often with the blessing or recommendation from the disgruntled manager. To preserve their personal brand the Strategist is never a party to company bashing, and often finds a subtle way to excuse themselves when it is about to start. They also make sure not to challenge or upstage the disgruntled boss in any way, even when being unfairly targeted. This understating of their real talent and feelings is ultimately rewarded with favorable reviews upon their exit.
The Disadvantaged - unfortunately, they will likely get punished for blindly regurgitating the sentiments of the disgruntled manager in an attempt to ingratiate themselves to them. Without the fear of seniority, other co-workers will inform the higher-ups when they notice the Disadvantaged Millennial mirroring their disgruntled supervisor's behavior. Whistle Blowers particularly, will notify administration and put the manager in the hypocritical position of reprimanding the Disadvantaged Millennial for voicing their own misgivings. This perceived betrayal of their loyalty will lead to the Disadvantaged Millennial angrily spilling the beans to whoever will listen, as they quit the company in a huff. There is also a strong possibility of them getting fired by senior management.
The Mediocre Manager
Why Millennials Are Leaving
Even though we grew up in the age of participation awards, Millennials are acutely aware of the clear winners and losers in life. Moreover, we are extremely comfortable with the notion of ditching a losing team for a winning one, regardless of our personal ties (think Kevin Durant or Lebron James).
The Office is a hilarious show, but it is quintessentially a Millennial's worst nightmare. Being a real-life Jim, Mindy, Ryan, or Pam is a doom that we will fight at all cost because real life Michael Scotts are not nearly as funny or fun to be around. They're also not as successful as disgruntled managers, but they are sometimes much more stubborn.
Whereas the disgruntled manager is very mindful of their metrics, mediocre managers are largely delusional about their effectiveness. Sometimes they are thrown in a position they aren't qualified for and grossly overestimate their abilities, or they have been in the same place so long that they can't see how the world is changing despite their stagnation. Either way, no one can tell them anything, especially when they are running the business into the ground.
How Millennials Are Leaving
The Whistle Blower - Acting like an investigative journalist, they'll follow the breadcrumbs to extreme inefficiency, neglect, and incompetence with laser-like focus. Wanting a reward for their time-consuming research the Whistle Blower will be excited to bring their findings to the mediocre manager. Their hope is to immediately start on the plan toward corrective action. Unfortunately, they'll realize that the manager is at the helm of these problems, either by their reluctance to fix chronic issues or inability to implement solutions, and they will head straight to corporate with the data. If this fails, they will bring their findings to the first competitor that is willing to hear them out. The moment the information is delivered to the mediocre manager, they will become mortal enemies.
The Strategist - shortly after taking on a high-level role, a significant increase in pay or more responsibility the Strategist will abruptly resign. Unlike the disgruntled manager, the mediocre manager loves his job and eventually wants to pass the reigns off to someone talented and capable. They will invest heavily in the Strategist, as they are their best chance to compete in the future. However, it won't take long for the Strategist to realize the trajectory of the mediocre manager and will bide their time boosting their individual stats to be traded to another team or company.
The Disadvantaged - many are holding on to the hope that the mediocre manager will promote them in some way for the extra mile that they continually do. However, this promotion is primarily based on the caveat that the manager makes their goals, which they woefully miss year after year. Usually, the boss of the mediocre manager makes the decision to layoff or shorten the hours of the desperate employee to cut expenses, and forces the Disadvantaged Millennial to find another job.
The Shady Manager
Why Millennials are Leaving
It should go without saying that the Millennial generation is extremely skeptical of companies today. We've seen Enron, the housing crisis, and entire shows like American Greed dedicated to exposing white-collar crooks. We largely don't believe companies have our best interest in mind, so we learn what we can as we build our own businesses on the side.
Unfortunately, shady managers come in all sizes and can fool even the best of us. From network marketing to insider trading, shady managers thrive on using the Millennial's social capital and college debt for their own devices. They figure that we need the money too badly to say anything, and if a friend or a family member were involved in a Ponzi scheme, we would be less inclined to post negative things about it. We may even defend it, because of who they are to us.
These managers are often self-righteous and inauthentically generous, giving out massive amounts of money and doing showy favors when the core of what they do is despicable. This serves as a moral greying tool, used to persuade cause-oriented Millennials that the ends justify the means. The problem is that insidious behavior gets more repulsive the closer you are to it, and many Millennials have no problem dragging friends and family on social media for attempting to defraud them. Jail time is a powerful motivator, but to some of us becoming a social pariah is even worse than jail. There are few things more meme-able than a mug shot.
How Millennials Are Leaving
The Whistle Blower - as you may have guessed, they are going directly to the news with it (with receipts). When they CC the police, do not collect $200 as you pass go, head straight to jail.
The Strategist - expect a formal email of resignation, thanking everyone for the opportunity, followed by a swift internet purge of any connection to the said company a few months before things hit the fan. They've consulted their friends in law school for the best course of action, and are preparing to sue should things go left.
The Disadvantaged - most likely they were BCC'd by the Whistle Blower on their way out, and are wearing a wire as they prepare for the witness stand. They've been dutiful, but they have no plans on being a scapegoat.
In Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman's book "First Break All The Rules: What The World's Greatest Managers Do Differently," they interviewed over 80,000 managers in 400 companies to reveal that an employee's direct manager is the biggest influence on an organization's overall success and the proficiency of their support staff. It's not a charismatic CEO or an amazing compensation plan, it's the first line managers. Not all Millennials are job jumpers, some of them are just looking for new management.