Fall 2015 Issue of Horizons

LAW FIRMS

The Millennial Generation & Workplace Ethics Considerations by Matt Finke, CPA, CGMA

“W hy do they ask so many questions?” “They need a lot of feedback.” “Sometimes I cringe at some of the questions they ask. When I first started at this firm, I would have never asked those types of questions of my boss.” “They spend far too much time on their phones. Why don’t they try having a conversation?” Sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve had a conversation like this recently over lunch or in the break room that consisted of some of the above dialogue.

“They,” the subject of such dialogue, are usually from a generation dubbed “the Millennials,” or individuals that were born during the time period ranging from 1981 to 2000. Extensive research has been completed over the past several years to understand why Millennials think the way they do. The research has explained how world events have helped shape their perceptions as well as provide insight into how Millennials can generally interact with the rest of the workforce. With Millennials’ share of the legal workforce increasing, understanding their characteristics and personality traits will be critical in shaping organizational policies.

page 26 | horizons Fall 2015