When asked what their millennial bosses do best, 65 percent cited creating flexibility in the workplace. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Millennial bosses certainly are a different breed. They communicate differently, and their prime motivation for the job isn't money, but the impact they can have on organizational culture.
According to a Korn Ferry study, millennial bosses' preferred method of communicating with their direct reports is via text message (55 percent) or via e-mail (28 percent), with just 14 percent favor in-person meetings and 3 percent by phone.
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But that doesn't mean that that's how their subordinates like it. In fact, when asked what staff wish millennial bosses would do more of, 29 percent chose face-to-face communications; 27 percent said they wished they would keep their bosses informed. Asked what they actually do best, only 10 percent said keeping their bosses informed and 3 percent said managing up to executives.
Millennials aren't completely dropping the ball, though. When asked what their millennial bosses do best, 65 percent of respondents cited creating flexibility in the workplace.
"The way bosses communicate with their staff has a huge impact on organizational culture," Samantha Wallace, Korn Ferry Futurestep North American Market Leader, Technology, says in the report. Wallace adds, "Millennials grew up using screens as their primary form of interaction, and while online messaging and e-mail are effective, efficient tools, face-to-face communication is needed to create an inclusive culture."
Even millennial bosses' motivations are different. The study finds that when interviewing for management positions, millennials say making an impact on organizational culture is most important to them, with salary being the least important.
Related: 8 of the worst kinds of bosses
And other generations don't necessarily appreciate millennial bosses' approach. For one thing, they don't think millennial bosses work all that hard; 70 percent of respondents say GenX and boomer bosses believe they work harder than their millennial counterparts. Managers do believe millennial bosses are qualified, however, with 75 percent of respondents say they believe millennial managers have earned their role.
The survey also found that compared with GenXers and boomers, knowing what is coming next is critical for millennial bosses, with 74 percent saying that a clear advancement path—the next two positions up the ladder—is more important for millennial bosses, with 49 percent saying it is much more important.
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
