Sorry Bro, You Are Fired!(Part One)

This troubled me. A lot of them slay on social media but still get to beg their parents for subscription fee. A lot of them can’t even secure a job after going to higher institutions and the few who manage to get casual jobs like cleaner, receptionist, casual worker and others still get fired from their jobs. Why were they firing them?

As a curious observer, I learnt that a lot of millennials are working just to survive. Lots of them don’t have passion for their present jobs and they are barely doing the jobs to make ends meet. So, as the Yorubas will say, Oga ta  Oga O ta, Owo alaaru ape!

This simply means that lots of millennials don’t have the visions of the companies they work for at heart. They are simply “there”. And this annoys their employers. So, I strictly observed the following as the reasons why millennials often lose it at work!

1. Lack of vision

 Lack of vision is the biggest reason why millennial employees sometimes flare out. "A lack of empathy is hurting many millennials in the workplace, because they're not understanding the circumstances of their employment from the employer's point of view,"

Millennials sometimes struggle to appreciate the bigger picture and their role in it. This can hurt their workplace performance.

Being able to think like your boss -- to see the big picture -- is vital in the workplace. If you think of yourself as nothing more than a cog in a machine, you won't exactly be irreplaceable when it comes time for layoffs.

2. Miscommunication

One common complaint about millennials is that phones and computers preempted their need to learn face-to-face communication skills. They're great at Snapchat, Facebook, twitter and the likes, but they struggle to get their point across any other way. While I don't necessarily buy into this theory, it did come up as an observation. Lots of young people can’t hold simple, reasonable conversation especially interpersonal conversations

Communication is vital in any relationship, even in sophisticated workplace; the most important communication is still done face-to-face.

Meetings, calls, interviews and sales pitches all require sharp communication and interpersonal skills. If young employees consistently look helpless in these settings, a millennial is likely to be seen as bringing less value to the company.

3. Anxiety or depression

Let's get real for a minute. Depression and anxiety are serious issues that affect millennials more than any set of generation. This is evident in the way young people commit suicide. Although there isn’t proper statistics in Nigeria but as many as 50 percent of young people have experienced symptoms of depression, and it's not like those symptoms go away once they hit the labour market.

These imbalances can make it difficult just to get out of bed in the morning -- let alone flourish in a stressful or competitive work environment. A boss who is quick to jump to conclusions could easily assume an employee with depression was lazy or disinterested.

Unfortunately, many employers in Nigeria don’t offer support to workers with depression or anxiety. As workplaces adapt, hopefully this will become less of an issue, but for now it's safe to say that suffering from mental health disorders makes it difficult to hold down a job.

4. Lack of confidence

Most employers are  basically looking for four things in every job applicant. These things are "Confidence, drive, selflessness and character." Without confidence, the other three characteristics are difficult to develop.

Self-esteem is vital in the workplace. You need to feel comfortable speaking up in meetings, presenting ideas to your boss, addressing unfamiliar people and working under stressful conditions.

Young people, particularly those who had parents who provided everything for them, may be unused to accomplishing things on their own, and therefore suffer from poor self-esteem. Unfortunately, if you don't stand up for yourself in the workplace, nobody else will.

5. The need for independence

Millennials don't like to be shortlisted. We want our bosses to trust our judgment and get out of our nose. Sometimes this even extends to working with a team. Some young people simply prefer to work independently.

For employers, of course, unwillingness to accept a hands-on management style or work well with a team can be a deal-breaker.

I have found that forcing a millennial to do something my way, on my schedule, is often a losing proposition

But, if you give millennials both freedom and ultimate responsibility, you can find a sweet spot that works. It's a lot better than having to constantly hire and fire unhappy employees.