Managing the Millennials, 2nd Edition

Chapter 15Mentoring Millennials

We decided to add a chapter for those who may or may not be managers but formally or informally mentor Millennials. If you are a parent of a Millennial, you may find this chapter most useful in helping your young adult succeed at work. As a parent, whatever the level of your involvement in the past, your young adult may need you more than ever—in the right way, not as an advocate but as a coach or a mentor.

There is nothing more frustrating or unnerving for a parent than sacrificing time and resources in a young adult's future only to see her or him struggle while making the transition into work life. Sometimes the disappointment is with the son or daughter but more times than not the disappointment is the result of an organization not seeing the potential greatness in him or her that the parent does and not understanding why. Note: We are not talking about helicopter parents!

Today's young adults need all of the help they can get. Their generation has the highest unemployment rate (13.2 percent, conservatively speaking) in the country and makes up 40 percent of the entire unemployed population.¹ The job market is highly competitive, and making a good first impression has never been more important. If they are fortunate to find a job, it is likely they will get frustrated and leave it within 18 months due to the challenges they will face. We believe that mentors and parents can make all of the difference in the world when it comes to a young adult ...