Managing Aviation - Generation Y (Millennials)

Generation Y (millennials) are coming into the aviation industry today. I hear many similar complaints about them, especially from the older aviators, such as:

•  They are not dedicated to the company — it is always about me

•  They do not want to work nights or weekends

•  They want instant gratification, such as promotions and money

•  They do not like working set schedules

I’m a baby boomer who was born in 1957. I’m now considered by the aviation industry as an “old timer” who has been around too long. However, many of the baby boomers are in high-level positions such as executive positions and director of maintenance. I can fully appreciate and understand the aviation managers’ feelings and frustrations when dealing with millennials coming into the workplace.

The fact is that the baby boomers created millennials. I will be the first to admit that I gave my children far too much. I gave them so much because I did not have anything when I was growing up. It also gave me pleasure knowing that I could give to my children. Now, I’m paying for the consequences that I created.

Please keep in mind that similar complaints were made by the baby boomers’ parents. My father used to tell me how wasteful and materialistic I was. My father also told me how lazy I was and how easy I had it because I did not walk to school three miles every day, even in a snowstorm. We now sound just like our parents!

My suggestion is that we should stop complaining and start acting. We need to look at the millennials as a fresh, new generation that can benefit our industry. We should look to them for new ways of conducting our business, improving our processes, increasing our quality and ultimately making the company stronger and more efficient. All we need to do is manage them effectively and set clear standards for them to follow.

Before I provide some management tips, here are the generation classifications:

Baby Boomers (Born 1946 – 1964)

They value freedom of choice and freedom of expression, and they don’t like the authoritarian management style. They want knowledge, information and logic to rule leadership. Baby boomers want managers to be experts and lead by their own knowledge and skills.

Generation X (Born 1965 – 1981)                  

They don’t value authority or experts. They rely on their own perceptions, experience, intuition and input of friends. They want flexibility, they will change careers readily, and they want their leaders to be team members leading from within.

Generation Y/Millennials (Born 1982 – 1995)

They were under structured parents and leadership since primary school and are skeptical of power. They want to work for themselves, not necessarily because of money, but for freedom — they want to be in charge without conforming to someone else’s vision.

Motivation for Every Generation

Here are the top three motivators that are effective for everyone, regardless of their age or generation. I recommend using these motivators in your daily management practices:

1.  Thank them for their accomplishments. You can thank them as often as you’d like. Everyone wants to be recognized and praised.

2.  Get them involved in the decision-making process and make them feel like a part of the team. Asking employees “What do you think?” is a very effective technique.

3.  Treat everyone on a personal basis. Help them with their personal issues. Show them they are the most important asset in the company and that the business comes second. If you take care of the people, the people will take care of the business.

Tips for Managing Millennials

Set clear standards and structure: Communicate clear standards and job expectations. Projects, reports and job tasks must have deadlines set by both the manager and the employee together. Meetings should have agendas and minutes. Certain activities are scheduled every day and goals are clearly stated with progress assessed. Define assignments and success factors and clearly define the expected working hours including some after hours and weekend responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance: Millennials want to look up to you, learn from you and receive daily feedback from you. The democratic leadership style is still very effective. They want to be informed and know the company status. Plan to spend a lot of time teaching and coaching and be aware of this commitment to millennials when you hire them. They want your best investment of time toward their success.

Encourage the millennials’ self-assuredness attitude: Millennials are ready to take on the world. Their parents told them they can do it and they believe it. Encourage them. Do not squash them or contain them. Give them more responsibilities but with guidance.

Take advantage of the millennials’ comfort level with teams: They have been working in groups and teams since they were very young and they have experienced team success. Millennials choose to gather in groups in their personal lives, too.

Listen to the millennial employees: Your millennial employees are used to loving parents who have scheduled their lives around the activities and events of their children. They are used to being the centers of attention. These young adults have ideas and opinions, and they don’t take kindly to having their thoughts ignored. They will appreciate and respect the managers who are willing to listen.

Millennial employees thrive on challenge and change: Boring is bad for millennials. They seek ever-changing tasks within their work. They want new and exciting tasks. Fast-paced tasks are also good for them. Don’t bore them, ignore them or trivialize their contribution.

Millennial employees are incredible multi-taskers: Multiple tasks don’t phase them. In fact, they love having more than one thing to do — talking on the phone while composing an e-mail, listening to music while concentrating on a project and answering multiple instant messages. This is a way of life that they have grown up with. Without many different tasks and goals to pursue within the week, the millennials will likely experience boredom.

Take advantage of your millennial employees’ electronic literacy: If you are a baby boomer or even an early Gen-Xer, the electronic capabilities of these millennial employees will amaze you. “Old timers” call and leave a message on the phone and wait for a response. You can have your millennial text message a person and you will get an immediate response. Use their skills to your advantage.

Capitalize on the millennials’ ability for networking: Not just comfortable with teams and group activities, your millennial employees like to network around the world electronically. Keep this in mind because they are able to post their resumes electronically as well on Web job boards viewed by millions of employers. Millennial employees can also praise or criticize their employer worldwide.

Provide a life-work balanced workplace: Millennials are used to filling their lives with multiple activities. They might play on sports teams, walk for multiple causes, attend sporting events or concerts, and spend lots of time with family and friends. They work hard, but they are not into the 60-hour work week as defined by the baby boomers. Home, family and quality of life are priorities. Don’t lose sight of this. The balancing of work with enjoyable activities is important to these millennial employees. Because of this, flex time at their workplace works very well for them.

Provide a fun, employee-centered workplace: Millennials want to enjoy their work and workplace. They want to make friends in their workplace. You need to worry if your millennial employees aren’t laughing, going out with workplace friends for lunch, and helping plan the next company event or committee. Help your long-term employees make room for the Millennials.

Simply Managing Millennials

Managing millennials is actually simple if you remember the top three motivators and use them every day. It is fine to set your standards and expectations high. Millennials will appreciate the high standards and see them as a challenge. However, it must be clearly communicated and understood by them from the beginning with routine reminders. Millennials want to be happy and successful. All we need to do is help them by coaching and giving them the proper guidance they need. Have the right attitude about them. After all, millennials are our future. 

JD McHenry is the president/CEO of Global Jet Services. He has been involved in numerous aviation maintenance and flight operation programs for over 37 years. McHenry holds A&P, IA, Pilot, and Doctorate of Business Management. Global Jet Services is the leader in on-site maintenance training providing high quality, flexibility and cost effectiveness. The maintenance customers are its #1 priority.  Both JD’s and Global Jet Services goal is to lead the way in aviation maintenance training standards.