Millennials are not lazy, they only have different interests

“We are more than satisfied, and I know that many people complain but we honestly do not have any objections. I do not know whether our work with them is generally different from others, or whether we are simply a different company, but our experiences are quite good,” Tatjana Jovanović, HR Director at the company Philip Morris responds to our question of experience with employment of young people.

„We are continuously searching for young people, we provide internships and concretely this year we have an internship that functions according to global principles. We have no issues with the integrations of millennials, perhaps because there are many young people working in the company.”

What do millennials expect from their first job?

My experience shows that they want to learn, they want to get an opportunity to show what they know, have a dynamic environment… Impatience, which is a reflection of youth, is something that we need to handle with our experience, as it can be a very good combination. We need to find what interests them and give them a chance, because if they acted the same as we do then essentially we would not need them. We employ them because they are unique and different.

Are you under impression that millennials are lazy, strangers to authority, lacking focus and to what extent?

I would not agree with that, I do not think they are lazy, I think only that their interests are different. Employers often point out that they are not there to satisfy their interests and to do what they are instructed. I look at it differently – you, as someone who runs the business must find a way to maximize one’s potential. I think it’s our role as managers or directors to find a way to motivate someone, because everyone is different. As for hard work and laziness, they do not always have the privilege to simply do what they are interested in, but they understand this very quickly. Yes, they really like everything to be fast but they can indeed „carry“ a lot because, among other things, they rely heavily on new technologies.

What novelties did millenians offer to the labour market?

They bring freshness, a spirit of a new time. Young people are more enthusiastic and bring energy that you need to “get out of them.” Young people should not give up on their dreams, as they are completely different from the dreams my generation had. I wish them all the luck in the world to make those dreams a reality.

Izvor: BIZLife magazin

Foto: BIZLife/Nina Karaičić

Piše: Tanja Kovačević