Business coach, Sean Purcell, explains why millennial talent can bring some key skillsets into your business, which could becrucial to success during COVID-19…

Millennials are an extremely robust demographic, growing up in the digital age has meant they have a can-do attitude and work well at problem solving.As the coronavirus pandemic is putting strain on everyone and is such a drastic change from what we are used to – it is taking everyone a while to adapt.However, with millennials possessing a unique skill set, challenges created by the pandemic can be overcome and this generation of staff members can thrive in this strange new situation.

Millennials offer employees many advantages and their combined skills create determined individuals who seek results and are very driven – just what employers need in these strange new times.

1. They can pivot

Millennials have grown up in a world that has changed rapidly, and as a result, they have often found that their career trajectories take interesting and different turns.

Gone is the world where you have a job for life. Millennials are comfortable building side-businesses, working on projects and moving from job to job.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses need to be agile if they are going to ride out this difficult period and put plans in place to pick back up to full speed once lockdown has been lifted. A millennial’s ability to pivot is key in this situation, and employers can look to them for new ideas and strategies that will help the company adapt its offering in this difficult time.

2. They are results driven

Millennials seek results and outcomes quickly, partly as they have been raised in a world of immediacy. Growing up in a world where the news can be accessed 24/7 and learning can be undertaken anywhere, means that they have a need for instant gratification.

In the digital age that we live in, companies are expected to generate quicker returns and corporate performance is measured in much shorter periods of time than historically.

This makes for a worrying situation for businesses who are used to a constant cash flow. Millennials are focused on outcomes and achieving results rapidly and therefore are more comfortable working on projects that require more immediate results, such as in the current situation.

3. They are tech savvy

The millennial demographic has grown up with technology all around them and have had to use it as an integral part of most of their life. They are comfortable with digital and online and are quick to embrace new technologies, applications and software to make their lives easier.

As companies seek to find an advantage over competitors, they are increasingly embracing new technologies, applications and software to help them acquire and retain new customers, and it is millennials who are the forefront of designing and implementing these new strategies.

4. They like problem-solving

Having been raised to seek solutions, millennials are great problems solvers. Whether it be creating software through open source or generating multiple sources of income through network marketing and investing millennials are used to thinking outside the box.

To gain a competitive advantage in uncertain and rapidly changing times, companies can look to millennials to solve problems that do not have a textbook answer.

5. They are socially conscious

Growing up with social media and online chat rooms, millennials have learnt to build wide networks through different channels and are comfortable in making connections with a plethora of people from different backgrounds and different life experiences.

As a result, this generation is compassionate, socially aware and ethical.

Companies increasingly need to demonstrate a strong ethical backbone to capitalise on the millennial consumer market which is rapidly overtaking other generations in terms of financial value.

Millennial employees are best placed to help drive standards and best practices in terms of ethics, diversity and inclusivity within business and ensure that companies act with integrity. They also have an ear to the ground and a good understanding of general public opinion whichcan help companies stay visible in these difficult times.

? Companies that go this extra mile will be rewarded on the other side of this crisis.

At this difficult time, business owners should be doing everything they can to be agile, to adapt, and stay visible. Utilising the skill set of current members of the team is a great way to tap into existing resources. And you never know seeking a range of opinions from staff members may enable you to come up with the idea that helps further your business during this trying time.