Millions are already in the classroom and workforce, and their reinforcements are marching through the doors in vast numbers. They are the millennials, the latest generation to give the country a facelift as they try to blend in with the traditionalists, baby boomers and Generation Xers to do their part in moving society forward.

The millennials were born between 1982 and 2001.^{1, 2}  The children of baby boomers, their generation was named for coming of age at the turn of the millennium.

Millennials are a symptom of drastic change, according to Paige Shaughnessy, PhD, CCC-SLP, graduate program director in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, School of Allied Health Professions, at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, CA. "The changes in America socially, economically and politically were so drastic around 2000 and 2001 that in many ways it shaped a generation that is very different from the rest of us. We truly have to struggle to understand them."

The older generations can learn to work with the incoming workforce of millennials by making every attempt to understand their characteristics, values and expectations without sacrificing their own integrity.

Millennials have a wealth of defining traits. Thanks to their total immersion in technology from the time they were born, their cognitive characteristics and learning styles are unlike any seen before. They really are wired differently because they grew up using different parts of their brains, Shaughnessy told ADVANCE.

Not surprisingly, they have been said to have hypertext minds. They use a "menu-driven" decision-making process in that they jump from one thing to the next, like a person does on the Internet. The thought process of most people can be compared to a hubcap: a problem is at the core, or hub, and every possible solution radiates outward like spokes. However, millennials simply use trial and error to solve problems.

"When you have a drop-down menu in front of you, you start doing trial and error," explained Shaughnessy. "You think, 'That one looks good; I'll see what that is.' Instead of going back to the original menu, you go link to link to link. You have not solved the problem but skipped to something else."

They have strong, rapid attention-switching skills that earn them the label of multitasker. Their use of processing time, or "soak time," is almost non-existent. "It has been noted that they think in sound bytes," she said. "A lecture to them is three seconds." Yet, they have excellent visual-spatial skills, and they enjoy showing off their Web-based investigative skills.

It's important for instructors, supervisors and employers to understand that instead of learning by taking notes or listening, this generation typically learns by doing. Millennials crave interaction and social support. Professors should forgo the age-old practice of the typical two- or three-hour lecture and encourage these students to work together in teams, instead of sitting quietly in rows and taking notes. Rather than showcasing the achievements of an individual, instructors should emphasize the ability of this generation to collaborate on projects and find solutions to problems. They appreciate discovery.

Competition is not an issue when millennials work in teams. They would rather share ideas than keep them to themselves. "Problem-based learning in group discussion works well with these students," said Shaughnessy. "We cannot expect them to be passive recipients of information. If they take responsibility for the learning process, then they will own it and know they are relevant. For them it's not about what I can give them; it's about what they can get on their own with my help and guidance."

Encourage their ideas and innovations, and ask for their opinions, which will help them think critically and logically. Clinicians should not be frustrated by the tendency of millennials to ask "Why?" and should not be afraid to admit when they don't have the answers.

"It's a really good question: Why do I do it this way? Is there any research to show that this way is the best way?" Shaughnessy said. "If not, we need to do the research or figure out a good reason. They like that."

One critical difference between the generations is the idea of work ethic. Typically, people are expected to come to work, look around to see what other people are doing, formulate ideas of what the rules are, and get to work. That concept is foreign to the millenial generation. These individuals need to be told the rules and procedures. "My experience is they want to follow the rules and to learn, but they need to be told explicitly what the rules and expectations are," she said.

Supervisors need to make them aware of the rules, procedures and consequences and then stick to them. Millennials may become confused if authority figures give them leeway when mistakes occur, such as saying, "It's OK you showed up to clinic late but don't do it again."

Supervisors should set clear expectations from the beginning, Dr. Shaughnessy said. "If they roll in at 9:00 after you've told them 7:30, tell them the consequences. For example, they may have to go home for the day and not get their clinical clock hours. Just give them one warning; they'll learn."

Millennials are new information addicts. They yearn for immediacy and seek instant gratification. They expect rapid back-and-forth communication and favor texting so they can communicate in "text bytes."

But do supervisors need to be a slave to their immediate needs? Of course not, Shaughnessy said. "They know that I won't necessarily respond to them the minute they e-mail me. I have trained them to expect a response within a day. I'm planning to change that to 48 hours, and that's an expectation they should be able to live with."

The need for immediacy can have a negative impact on the experiences of students. Their expectations must be realistic when it comes to patients with long-term issues, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and developmental delays. Students need to realize that the recovery process takes longer than a day, a month or sometimes a year.

"One person said, 'I'm beginning to understand this rehab stuff is a long process,'" said Shaughnessy. "We have to help them understand that concept right off the bat."

Facebook, which now has as many users as the United States has people, is a helpful means of communication for instructors. The social networking website quenches the millennials' thirst for technology, communication, and easy access to information.

"I've started using Facebook as a communication tool to discuss student experiences in the clinic, protecting the confidentiality of the clients," she said. "We don't have to be as good as our students when it comes to technology, but we have to show them we are trying."

While millennials love technology, they still seek out face-to-face interaction. Supervisors should act as a safe, nonjudgmental sounding board so students can feel free to discuss anything they want.

The millennial generation values a work/life balance. When asked to name the biggest difference between their generation and baby boomers, most millennials said the older generation, which includes their parents, is obsessed with work. "They don't want to be the first one at work and the last to leave," Shaughnessy said. As a result, supervisors may have to accept that workplace productivity will decline. "But is it over-rated anyway?" she asked. "What is productivity? Is it how many patients you see? How much money you make? Or is productivity more a measure of one's contribution to society?"

One of the biggest shortcomings of previous generations of workers is they forget they didn't know everything when they started out as a new clinician. Today's students must absorb more information than their predecessors yet are expected to learn it within the same time frame, she said. "It is unfair to put them in the workforce and expect them to know everything we know."

Millennials are aware that their generation is getting a bad rap. As a result, they place a high importance on respect, honesty and constructive feedback. They are responsive to suggestions for how they can do better.

"Having a conversation about the generations is very important," Shaughnessy said. "It will lead to all of us understanding that there are differences between me and you, and those differences are OK. We can't say, 'Your generation is bad, and ours is good' or 'What is this world coming to?'"

Other generations must make the effort to learn the language of the new generation. How do millennials talk to each other? What do they like? It's not a matter of imitating them-it's about understanding their needs and how they perceive others.

References

1. Strauss, W., Howe, N. (1991). Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069. New York: William Morrow.

2. Strauss, W., Howe, N. (2000). Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. New York: Vintage Books.

Jason Mosheim is an editor at ADVANCE.