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78 DAYSPA | NOVEMBER 2014 MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP Managing Millennials Feeling challenged by your younger employees? Here's how to make the most of their valuable and untapped talent. By Kevin Mathews Oh, millennials. For years, many of us have derided the so-called Generation Y-ers (people born between 1982 and 2000), accusing them of being self-absorbed and irresponsible. Now, however, there's a good chance they're either working for you or will be soon. According to a study by the University of North Caro- lina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, these "young- sters" comprise 36% of today's American workforce. Like any generation, millennials come to the table with a unique array of skills and attributes. Some of these are assets and some are liabilities, but most of the latter can be worked through, if not outright capi- talized upon, by managers who understand how to work with this generation. DAYSPA spoke with a few professionals in the spa industry to learn which traits they see most commonly in their millennial employees, and how they've adapted their strategies to more ef- fectively manage Gen Y-ers. ASSET: They're tech savvy. When asked to identify the No. 1 asset of millennial employees, business experts are unanimous: it's their superb command of technology. This group has grown up with technology as part of their everyday lives and seems to have a near-instinctive ability to understand and use it, often highlighting a sharp contrast with older staff members. Sometimes this difference creates tension between the generations, especially when Y- ers become frustrated with what they perceive as their elders' lack of knowledge and slow pace when operat- ing technology. Tech savvy is a skill set employers shouldn't be afraid to exploit in millennials because, in general, these em- ployees want to put their new media knowledge to use. When Gen Y-er Stephanie Texeira began her job as an offi ce supervisor at Avalon Medical Spa in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she quickly proved herself a © LUIS ALVAREZ/GETTY