Debunking Myths: The Truth About Millennials and Youthful Traits
Explore why common stereotypes about millennials are misleading and how youthfulness shapes behavior across generations.
It's often said that millennials are fundamentally different from previous generations, requiring new strategies to manage their so-called excessive demands and perceived laziness. However, Patty McCord, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, argues that complaints about millennials mostly come from those who have grown older themselves.
Patty McCord
Former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix.
McCord suggests that traits commonly attributed to millennials—such as impatience, high career expectations, and a desire for self-fulfillment—are more accurately described as characteristics of youth itself.
In a June episode of the Friction podcast, she shared why she finds complaints about millennials in the workforce to be unfounded.
"I dislike all these talks about millennials. It's simply nonsense," McCord said. "You and I were millennials once. It's called being young and starting your career. At that stage, you want everything immediately."
The issue isn't that millennials differ from prior generations, but that all young people differ from older adults.
Therefore, stereotypes about millennials lack solid basis. For instance, millennials are often accused of narcissism. Yet research analyzing historical data shows that narcissism peaks in youth across all generations and declines with age.
"When adults claim that today's youth are more self-centered, it's not about generational change but about youth being inherently more self-focused than their elders," write the researchers in a chapter titled "Every Generation is the 'Me' Generation."
McCord believes organizations should stop worrying about how to work specifically with millennials and instead support all employees in becoming fully mature adults.
She defines a fully mature adult as someone who takes their life, career, and contributions seriously. Age is not a reliable indicator—some achieve this maturity in their early twenties, while others may not reach it even by fifty.
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