Millennials grew up hearing, “Do what you love and love what you do.” When Millenials enter the workforce they expect immediately to be part of the cool action. From day one, they want to like where they work and the people with whom they work. If they don’t, during the day they will go onto their social media outlet and update their statuses on Facebook to reflect that they are not having a good time at their new job. Millennials are shocked to find it surprising to their Boomer bosses that they expect to love their jobs and have fun at work all-day, every day. An even bigger shock for supervisors and managers is the Millennials’ casual expectation that you will be BFFs (best friends forever). Xer managers are not just surprised by this attitude, but in fact, are so incredulous that they are taking a self-imposed time out to get their emotions under control.

As our Millennials enter the workforce, it is important to remember that they’ve been raised on positive coaching from their teachers, their parents, and their protectors. After an organization spends so much money to select the right person, it would be criminal to lose that person because the onboarding process was ineffective in helping him to become part of the company and feel like he is part of the team. Millennials and Xers often have decided in the first week or first month whether they are going to stay with your organization. Certainly within the first ninety days of employment, they have made a decision that could be costly to the organization if they have elected to leave, even if it takes them four, twelve, or eighteen months to find another position before they do leave. Integrating new people onto the team can always be challenging, but it can also be a rewarding endeavor.

Generationally Savvy Solutions: Generationally Savvy organizations create an onboarding timetable at least thirty to ninety days in duration. The worst scenario is that an organization’s management and leaders just neglect new employees because that’s the way those older employees were themselves treated. Putting in place a proactive onboarding program right now can put you ahead of the curve. The easiest way to lose an employee is to make her feel like she made a bad decision by coming to join your company because she isn’t able to find her footing or find a way to fit. Avoiding this situation is an easy process if you have the mentoring program to allow somebody to find her place in your culture and immediately feel like part of the team. Millenials are entering the workforce with the expectation that they will be welcomed to your organization in the same way they were welcomed to school, both public and private institutions.

Regularly check and ensure that your company’s orientation and training programs take generational diversity into account. Create an immediate mentorship or team experience, something to help new employees feel comfortable and secure from the beginning.