The Millennials Are Fundraising

There are an estimated 80 million members of the Millennial generation and they make up over 36% of the current workforce. By 2020, it is estimated that Millennials will make up approximately 50% of the working population. There’s been a lot written about how the impact of a new generation is changing the ways we work together. I have the great privilege of working with Millennial fundraising professionals as part of the RNL team every day, and here are some things I have learned:

Tips for Coaching and Motivating Young Fundraising Professionals

• Ask Questions: It is important to get to know the people who work for you as part of your staff. Take notice in their responses and ask follow up questions. It isn’t enough to go through the motions and just ask “how was your weekend,” and leave it at that. Take active notice of things that are happening in your employees’ and colleagues’ lives and remember to ask about them down the line how those things turned out. Be sincere in these questions and really care about the conversations you have.
• Explanations: Take a few additional seconds or minutes to explain the reason behind why we are doing things a certain way. Millennials like to know not only what the task is, but the reasons. It can make a difference in how your employees will value their contribution. (This advice is strongly related to how we should communicate with Millennial donors, too).
• Follow Through: Do what you say and expect your team to do the same. You must lead by example. You are working with young professionals who still need to be molded and taught good habits. They easily learn by what you do in the office, so be sure that you are instilling good values and work habits.
• Adjust Your Approach: Millennials are a diverse group and this diversity has been more valued during their development than with any other generation. It can be detrimental to not take the time to understand the people you work with and that not everyone works the same way. You can’t put a blanket approach on your management. Learn the styles, strengths and weakness; cater your approach to individuals on your team to have the greatest possibility of success.
• Growth: Remember that young people are focused on potential. Discuss your employee’s aspirations. Give them a platform for opportunities to grow. Millennials have a strong desire to see where their career is going and what they need to do to get there. They look forward to challenges and as a supervisor it is your responsibility to deliver on that. Having conversations about growth on a regular basis helps prevent unexpected turnover and allows for smoother transitions if employees decide to leave the organization.
• Fun: Make time for fun, it doesn’t always have to be about work. Encourage your employees to be active outside of work. Being new in a city and working long hours can easily take its toll on someone- we see this with new call center managers. Continue to be an advocate for having a life outside of work. Employees that are happy in their personal life tend to bring that positive attitude to the work place. “Research has in fact shown that employees who believe they do not have time for the personal life feel drained and distracted while they are at work.”

Young Professionals are Our Future

The best advice for working with young professionals is advice that can work for all employees: take pride in your people and truly value the contribution they provide to our organization. My motivation stems from the accomplishments of my staff and seeing them succeed. There is no better way to end a week, month or fiscal year than with a handful of wins that can be attributed to your employees…

… and celebrating those wins together.