Why Millennials Are Immature, Entitled and the Best HireIn the media, millennials get a bad rap for being lazy and conceited. Yet, they may be the best hire a company can make -- employers just need to figure out how to handle them.

ByJoel Capperella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As it has been pointed out countless times in the media and through anecdotes, millennials in the workplace feel entitled to undeservedpromotions and raises, are addicted to their smartphones andjob hopevery few years. The litany of complaints goes on, but of course no generation is as bad -- or as good -- as reported: Generation X was more than just a bunch of slackers and Baby Boomers' strengths shook off their juvenile delinquent label.

In the case of Generation Y, twenty-somethings bring new perspectives and habits to the workplace that add value to their employers, even though those strengths also carry inherent weaknesses.

Whether you're managing millennials or are a twenty-something yourself, here are the unique and creative talents Gen Y brings to the table, the lessons they still need to learn and the opportunities they have to establish themselves as the next generation of leaders.

The double-edged sword of natural collaboration.Immune to hierarchy or labels and raised in an era of social media and crowdsourcing, Generation Y is fiercely inclusive. Studies show that millennial managers are more likely to buildculturally competent teamsthat ignore race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical abilities, among other characteristics. This diversity of perspectives can drive stronger decision-making and should be encouraged.

Related:Employment Trend for 2014: Miserable Millennials

But millennials' need for interaction can also manifest in a need for constant performance assessments, with80 percentof this demographic wanting regular feedback from their managers. And for a generation used to receiving trophies win or lose, any negative criticism can be hard to take.

从婴儿Boome千禧一代应该采取一个页面rs and focus on getting the job done, regardless of whether there's praise for the work they did. In addition, twenty-something's need to rethink negative criticism. It can be hard to take, but it's offered with good intentions: to improve your work and the company's success.

The good and bad of being self-sufficient.While millennials are often knocked for boomeranging back home after college, they're actually highly self-sufficient. For example, when diagnosing IT problems at work,61 percentof millennials said they don't immediately call company support. Instead,71 percenthave turned to Google for a solution at least once. And while some IT departments balk at the potential risk of this approach, it's often faster and more efficient.

But along with self-sufficiency comes a dangerous rigidity. Millennials can't Google their path to success. They need to look beyond established methods and understand that their value to employers is to continuously seek out new strategies, devise better processes and improve quality. They're being given the opportunity to thrive and differentiate, but they need to see it and capitalize on it.

Related:领导Lessons from Young Female Entrepreneurs

The love-hate relationship with social media.Having grown up with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, millennials have no qualms about sharing their lives as they happen. In doing so, they can build their own reputations as well as that of their employer. Plus, they may be more willing to invest in creative solutions in anything the tackle -- even in quitting their jobs (Remember theMarina Shifrin下班见o seen by more than 17 million people?) The best managers are able to tap that creativity and millennials' ability to command an audience.

That said, incessant sharing of irrelevant or useless information is all the evidence most observers need to peg millennials as narcissists. To avoid this stereotype, Gen Y should err on the side of sharing useful, relevant information. Before sharing, ask yourself one key question: Does this post help someone? If yes, publish. If no, don't.

The balancing act of purpose.Millenials don't just want a job: They want to make adifference. An MTV study showed that83 percentof millennials want to work for a company that values their creativity. More than 90 percent are motivated to work harder if they know where their work is going and92 percentexpect feedback In this environment, managers have no excuse for withholding an explanation for even minor tasks.

It's absolutely fair to want to know how the task matters, but millennials shouldn't wait around until the higher purpose is revealed. Sometimes a task is just a task. Certainly, millennials should let their managers know if they'd like their work's purpose better communicated, but in the meantime, they should complete the tasks at hand and do them well.

If you're a millennial, play to your strengths but recognize you still have a few things to learn about the workplace. Your success ultimately depends on your ability to rise above your perceived weaknesses. If you manage millennials, take a step back and recognize the value they can offer through new perspectives and approaches to their work.

Joel Capperella is vice president of marketing forYoh, a Philadelphia-based staffing and recruiting firm. He has more than 20 years of experience developing value-added solutions that solve a broad array of workforce challenges.

Related Topics

Business News

KFC Has Been Dethroned as No. 2 Chicken Chain in the U.S. — Here's Who Took Its Spot

A viral chicken sandwich led to an increase in market share.

Business News

'We Don't Sleep Well Anymore': Airbnb Host Grapples With 'Tenant From Hell' Who Refuses to Leave

An Airbnb guest rented a guesthouse for a long-term stay in 2021 but has since remained in the unit for over 540 days — without paying rent.

Thought Leaders

5 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read Before Starting a Business

A selection of books that helped me found and scale a startup from a $10,000 line of credit to a billion-dollar business

Buying / Investing in Business

Ampere Is Delivering the Biggest Innovation to Eyewear in 50 Years

You have the chance to join them as a shareholder as they take on this $160B market.

Business News

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Accusing Wendy's and McDonald's of Size Exaggeration in Ads

The judge wondered if the plaintiff had even seen the advertisements in question.