Millennials, Diversity and How to Problem-Solve
Aha Moment: Tap into the problem-solving diversity of millennials. [Tweet]
Effective problem solving plays an important role in the success of any business.
Employers typically hire people to solve problems the way they’ve always been solved.
But as the workforce nears 60 percent Millennials, leveraging their diversity and creativity in solving business challenges is how organizations will grow in the years ahead.
The professionals already in the workforce need to learn how to use millennials’ strengths to their fullest advantage. They think differently, they have more knowledge of the tools and technology that drive greater efficiency, and they bring a creative spark to product development.
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When interviewing prospective employees, standard questions help you delve into their approach to issues that could arise during the course of the job.
Employers want to get a sense that the people they invite to join their team can handle any situation they may encounter.
The shift toward a millennial-ready workplace should have hiring professionals asking a new set of questions, because these potential employees are coming in with a career-focused mindset, ready to take tasks and run with them, and disrupt the status quo too.
Important questions
The interview questions you ask should delve deeper into the problem-solving processes, keeping in mind the technology that is now available.
Here’s what to think about when seeking to integrate a diverse group of millennials into the workplace:
- Are you aware of how your business already solves problems and are you ready for a change? The truth is most people plateau at some point in their careers. They lose the drive to work harder and learn more, stunting their career growth over time. As more millennials enter the workforce and take up decision-making and hiring positions, they will demand that new hires possess problem-solving skills.
- How are you using technology today to solve problems? What new methods or means have you adopted over the last 30 days to solve problems? How do you use technology to solve business and personal problems? For example, planning a dinner excursion with friends. The Waze app can help you and your friends navigate to where you’re going and gives you traffic updates, as well. Is there anything available that’s similar to this app that can be utilized to identify business-related blind spots or to help you in a tough meeting? Set a goal that every 30 days you will research, find, explore and learn a technology that will help you do something in a more efficient way.
- Are you learning from the people in your circle? Think about those you interact with on social media, your friends, and other contacts. The tech-driven nature of the world can blur the lines between your personal contacts and business contacts, but it’s not a bad thing! Information is easier to share than ever before. Use each network available to you to learn. When you’re asking questions, gathering and sharing information about systems and technologies with your social media contacts, they become like a “board of advisors” to help you in your career.
It’s never good to be so stuck on one way of doing things that you’re not open to new ideas and processes. Even ways that have been successful in the past can be improved upon.
Leverage the knowledge millennials are bringing into the workplace to reach a greater level of efficiency and productivity.
See the diverse ideas they bring to the table as the invaluable assets that they are.
How have you seen the diverse problem-solving skills of millennials in your workplace in action?