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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Teri Ooms, executive director of The Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development at Wilkes University, said there are a lot of misconceptions of the millennial workforce &mdash; in part because they are compared to their baby boomer parents.
				&ldquo;That is the problem. Millennials are different,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;They are smart, hard working, educated and talented. They do, however do things differently.&rdquo;
				Ooms said millennials are less caught up in formalities and politics of the work place. his is also a generation burdened with school loan debt, so there is more stress and frustration.
				This generation is looking for a work-life balance which is probably the biggest difference than their baby boomer parents,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;To some, they are judged as lazy and entitled and nothing could be further from the truth. The millennials have a desire to succeed. They want to understand the purpose behind their work so that it has more meaning.&rdquo;
				Some of the Institute&rsquo;s findings include:
				Management Styles for Millennials
				As stated in Thompson and Gregory, research shows that &ldquo;people don&rsquo;t leave jobs, they leave managers.&rdquo; Researchers also state that poor manager-employee relationships will create even further turnover than is already expected with Millennials&rsquo; propensity to &ldquo;job-hop.&rdquo; The following, although widely cited and linked to Millennials, should not be blindly applied in a one-size-fits-all manner. Each workplace should promote what their employees want and what improves the manager-employee dynamic.
				Clear Communication, Frequent Feedback
				A coaching approach to management is recommended. This includes positive reinforcement and developmental criticism. Though they appreciate clear direction and detailed instructions, Millennials do not like micromanagement.
				More Team Oriented
				Within the school system, there has been an increase in team and/or group projects. As such, Millennials value teamwork and the affirmation of others. Creating a workplace structure that mimics this type of collaboration can harness some strengths of younger employees.
				Collaboration over Competition - Shared Success
				Millennials are far less competitive than other generations and work well in a collaborative environment. As with the team-centric atmosphere, they seek the input from others and want everyone included. They are also eager to obtain various viewpoints from colleagues with diverse life and work experiences.
				Inclusive Culture
				Projections indicate that Gen Z will be the most diverse workforce in future years in the U.S. In general, there will be a demographic shift as the share of Hispanic population grows. Millennials place a high value on this[1] and it is highly linked to a larger emphasis on teamwork and collaboration.
				Socially-Minded Workplace
				Millennials grew of age during a time shaped by the events after September 11th, amid political and economic turmoil, various scandals, and significant leaps in technology. They are aware of inter-sectional hardship and know how communities can be affected by events.
				Workplaces that allow and encourage employees to volunteer as groups in their communities are appreciated by many. Not only does it foster team bonding during the workday, it promotes the employers as generous and ethical businesses and organizations.
				Benefits Desired by Millennials
				It is important to note that the limited amount of people able to capitalize on the following benefits are largely employed in knowledge work, white-collar, and office jobs. The nature of these jobs allows them to request larger shares of certain benefits, like vacation days and flexible schedules. Those with blue collar jobs or those in the healthcare field, among others, may not be able to request some of these benefits. As such, the following may not be applicable to all workplaces.
				Work-Life Balance
				Popularized by Gen X, work-life balance is highly desired by Millennials and many expect it in positions for which they interview. Millennials have transformed work-life balance even further, into work-life blending. Work-life blending is the mixing of work and personal responsibilities throughout the day, night, and sometimes even the weekend. This type of set-up allows people to work when they are most productive.[2]
				Telecommuting, Flexible Schedules
				A survey conducted by the Harvard Business School found that people want flexible schedules partly because they are starting families later in life than other generations. This way, they are more invested in their careers when they do start families and therefore have more leverage to ask for what they need. The survey noted that many young people also care for their aging parents.[3] This benefit builds off the idea that Millennials do not understand work as a place to go but rather a thing to do.
				Transportation Stipends, Tuition Assistance
				Many businesses offer transportation stipends to their employees. They could come in the form of money toward public transportation, lowered parking fees, or private transportation provided by the company. Some also offer tuition assistance. Both of these benefits are further investments into employees and thus into the workplace.
				Evergreen: Compensation, Health Care, Retirement, etc.
				Millennials expect the traditional benefits beyond competitive salary &#8211; comprehensive health care and retirement. Other types of compensation benefits, such as 401(k) match, are appreciated as well.
				For certain jobs, creative compensation plans increase retention. For instance, some car dealerships are offering hybrid pay plans in which employees still earn commission but also have base salaries. This type of payment scheme could be applicable to several types of occupations, including those in sales. These payment plans are highly desired by Millennials because they ensure stability with base salary and do not create a highly competitive, territorial work environment.
				Pet insurance is another unique benefit to consider. More than a third of U.S. pet owners are Millennials, making them the primary pet-owning demographic according to the 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey. The addition or option for pet insurance could be a pull for many prospective millennial recruits.
				Financial Education and Debt Management Seminars
				Some companies specifically aim their retention efforts at Millennials by offering financial education and student loan debt help. Forbes dubbed student loan repayment support the hottest benefit of 2018.[5]
				Other workplaces offer various dollar figures in student loan repayment benefits (various dollar amounts annually) and others host debt management seminars.[6]
				Wellness/Fitness/Nutrition programs
				Mental health and general well-being have become hot issues over the last few years. Many workplaces are finding ways to incorporate employee well-being into their day-to-day operations as well as benefit packages. As previously mentioned, workday exercise or therapy breaks are received favorably, as are low-cost or no-cost exercise classes during or after the workday.
				Though many companies have been adding mental health days to their leave benefits, simply doing so does not necessarily resolve any issues. Some describe mental health days as &ldquo;futile,&rdquo; because even though employees feel better in the immediate aftermath of their time away from the office, two-thirds note that the benefits last only a few days before succumbing to their previous stress levels.[7] When mental health benefits are implemented well, employees reported lower stress levels in the long term and are ultimately more productive.
				Workplace culture is another medium for supporting employee mental health. This could include regular supervisor trainings, resource groups, and mental health as a part of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
				Mentorship and Continuing Education
				Career development is a noteworthy and wanted benefit. WeSpire, a platform for engaging employees in positive impact initiatives, notes that on-boarding and providing Millennials with opportunities to further develop their skills will help employers retain these employees.[8] Gallup has found that Millennials do not merely pursue job satisfaction; they want opportunities to learn and grow. The aforementioned tuition assistance could help in this area, as can enrollment in development seminars and/or conferences.
				Reverse mentorship is also a possibility. The implementation of a reverse mentorship program in which younger employees guide older employees on new technology and processes would be beneficial to the workplace (team bonding and upskilling employees) and to Millennials as a type of development during which they both teach and learn.
				Purpose
				Purpose is more what millennials look for in a job rather than what they could receive in benefit form, but it is worth mentioning nonetheless. In addition to working in a socially-minded environment, millennials want their jobs to have purpose &#8211; meaning and impact.

The Institute study: ‘Millennials are different’