MightyRecruiterFor decades in the American workforce, it’s been an established idea that you can achieve success and prosperity if you work long and hard at your job. Until recently, it wasn’t unheard of that a person would stay at one job for the majority of their adult life and expect that rewards would follow after investing that much time at a company. These days, things are very different. Employees, especially younger generations view success and achievement in a different way. Instead of waiting years for raises and promotions, they believe that a few months of hard work can be enough. Often young employees ask for these rewards before you think they are ready. So what is a good manager supposed to do in this situation? You certainly shouldn’t squash their dreams with no discussion, but you can’t promote them simply because they ask for it. Here is some advice about how to manage entrepreneurial-minded employees and encourage their enthusiasm.
Ambition is Great, Right?
Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. While you may want ambitious employees, you can’t promote people every few months. This may communicate instability to clients and it could increase the amount of hiring you need to do. Even if people want to advance quickly, someone has to carry out their duties. Also, people may think they are ready for a promotion, when really, their skills and competencies aren’t quite there. Be careful about the way you manage entrepreneurial-minded employees. Don’t discourage ambition, but don’t let your employees’ personal career timeline run your company.
Why Today’s Workforce Thinks Differently About Success
Unlike their parents, many young workers today view success not as something that you have to work your whole life for but as something even people in their mid-20s can achieve if they have great ideas and tons of energy. This generation of workers looks up to role models like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Ben Lerer of Thrillist, Alexa von Tobel of LearnVest and a host of other 20- and 30-something CEOs and entrepreneurs. The modern workforce also values quick promotion and growth because many of them came of age in a very unstable economy. This instability gives some a sense of urgency at a job. They feel that there’s no telling how soon a company will go under or have to downsize, so speedy advancement is important. This information may help change the way you manage entrepreneurial-minded employees.
How to Promote Ambition the Right Way
Now that you understand why some employees are so eager to move up, you should know how to handle it. First, make sure to listen to your employee’s goals. Even if you can’t immediately promote them, perhaps you can find another way to help them feel challenged and appreciated. If you could promote them but you are not sure if they are ready, make them prove themselves. Author and speaker Emily Bennington recommends giving a list of specific tasks for an employee to complete and requiring reports and feedback on their progress. You may instinctively want to give them deadlines for these tasks, but if you avoid this topic you may be able to see and evaluate the employee’s natural intuition. Bennington’s approach can be a great way to gauge employee performance and even improve their skills before awarding a promotion.
How to Tell if Someone is Ready for More Responsibility
So maybe you need a little information about how to manage entrepreneurial-minded employees and what concrete traits tell you that an employee is promotion ready. Here are a few more things to look for when helping employees advance: – Do their numbers look good? – Do they work longer and harder if it’s required? – Do they ask for feedback? Can they handle criticism? – Do they educate themselves outside of work? – Do they present actionable solutions for company problems? If the answer to all of these questions is yes, you may want to start planning that promotion.
Why You Might Just Need to Take a Chance Sometimes
It might seem risky to advance an employee that has only been at their job for a few months. But did you really get into business to play it safe? In addition to being entrepreneurial, younger employees possess a unique set of modern technological skills, in addition to important soft skills like creativity, drive and open-mindedness. Be careful not to listen to negative stereotypes about the younger generation; if you do, you might miss out on the employees that take a company to the next level of success. The next time you’re feeling unsure about whether to promote that 25-year-old, remember that young employees have lots to offer to your company, but they still need to prove themselves worthy. Hopefully this article will help you successfully manage entrepreneurial-minded employees. Get more advice on how to build an amazing workforce with the other materials available on Mighty Recruiter.