For decades now, law firms have put significant time and money into various initiatives related to professional development. Today, one of the most critical efforts for law firm management is developing a strategy for communicating with millennial attorneys and creating cultures where this younger generation can be productive and thrive.

The Millennial Perspective

According to ALM Intelligence, millennials now outnumber attorneys from Generation X at firms in the Am Law 200. They also have the largest presence in the U.S. labor force in general, a presence which will only continue to grow according to the Pew Research Center. This generation will soon hold the majority of leadership and partner positions.

While generational differences can certainly be overemphasized and blown out of proportion, research suggests that some differences may certainly exist. A few key characteristics of the millennial generation are as follows.

Work-Life Balance

The culture at many law firms may encourage everyone to follow the model of grinding out 80 hours a week. However, millennials—individuals born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019), according to the Pew Research Center—often place a high value on work-life balance and parental leave policies.

Almost 75 percent of millennial lawyers said they would exchange part of their compensation for work schedule flexibility, increased time off or a reduction in billable hours, a recent study found. With more than 17 million millennial mothers as of 2016, accounting for 82 percent of U.S. births that year alone, parental leave policies are also important. And firms are taking notice that parental leave is valued by the whole family, not just mothers. Some firms have significantly expanded their policies, making them gender neutral and offering the same leave to all parents, no longer differentiating between primary and secondary caregivers.

Flexibility

It's well documented that many millennials prefer nontraditional work schedules and flexible hours. For example, a recent Deloitte study found that millennials whose employers offer flexible work schedules and locations are more likely to stay with the company longer—55 percent of millennials who plan to remain at a company for at least five years say flexibility in these areas have increased over the last three years, while among those planning to leave in the next two years, only 35 percent reported an increase in flexibility at their workplace.

Collaboration, Impact and Responsibility

Millennials also have a strong desire to be heard and communicate with decision-makers, researchers have suggested (including in a 2010 paper Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials' Organizational Relationships and Performance by Karen K. Myers and Kamyab Sadaghiani and a 2012 paper Reverse Mentoring at Work: Fostering Cross‐Generational Learning and Developing Millennial Leaders by Wendy Marcinkus Murphy). They want open communication across all organizational levels, wishing to be included in critical conversations. Millennials also want opportunities to contribute meaningfully to important projects and to be seen as valued team members.

Given this information, law firms must consider whether they have a progressive internal communications strategy in place to deal with this changing playing field. Law firms that do not close the potential gap between the values, perspectives and communication approaches of millennials and earlier generations will be at a distinct competitive disadvantage when it comes to attracting talent and increasing efficiencies.

Here are some tips for communicating and working effectively with all generations of associates and partners:

(1) Know your audience. Knowing whom you are communicating with makes all the difference. Does he or she prefer phone calls, emails, memos, or in-person meetings? Understand the strengths that each generation brings and educate all employees about ways in which different generations may respond differently.

Regarding the common perception that millennials tend to prefer written, rather than spoken communication, a recent study indicates that when it comes to work communication, preference for face-to-face communication does indeed decline with age: Of those 35 and over—an age range which includes the oldest millennials, along with Gen X and Boomers—36 percent identified face-to-face as their favorite medium for work communication, compared to 23 percent of 25-34 year-olds (those squarely in the millennial generation), and 19 percent of 18-24 year-olds (younger millennials and some Gen Z individuals).

Overall, older employees (35+) have a much stronger consensus around their #1 preferred work communication method, both in general and for specific work situations like delivering feedback, asking a brief question or quitting one's job. Younger employees, many of whom fall in the millennial generation, display greater diversity in communication preferences. For example, the vast majority (68%) of those 35 and over identified face-to-face conversations or email as their preferred method of work communication in general, while only half of those squarely in the millennial generation identified one of these two methods as their favored form of communication.

As a result, at the macro level, firms should ensure that multiple forms of communication are available and respected. And in individual interactions, people should be conscious about determining which method each individual prefers—it never hurts to ask, and to be flexible. This applies for client interactions, as well as colleague interactions.

(2) Create space for collaboration, but also set boundaries. A significant source of intergenerational conflict in the workplace can arise from the perceived frequency with which millennials ask questions, raise concerns and want to talk through workplace issues. This can create a dynamic where senior generations are expected to respond to frequent inquiries from younger employees, while workplace leaders wonder why millennials are not figuring things out for themselves.

However, recent IBM research suggests that millennials are no more likely to ask for advice at work than their Gen X colleagues. A majority both of millennials (more than half) and Gen X (two-thirds) say they make better business decisions when a number of people provide input, and similar percentages value group consensus. Granted, Boomers report a lower value of both these areas (39 percent and 41 percent respectively), so there is a generational gap there.

Since both millennials and Gen X seem to value collaborative cultures that emphasize consensus-building, they may clash somewhat with the Boomers' more independent approach. Given these potential differences, firms leaders should create space for collaboration and consensus-building while also establishing clear boundaries to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency.

(3) Welcome insight from all levels of the organization. The most junior associate in your group has a fresh idea? Listen to it. Establishing procedures to encourage employees to share ideas and suggestions can be a powerful gesture as workplaces often ignore ideas offered by younger employees—provided this input is taken seriously and acted upon when it makes sense.

Some steps law firms have recently taken to give millennial lawyers a voice include town hall meetings with two-way feedback sessions and forming a group of junior partners tasked with developing suggestions for how the firm should operate in 2022. Other strategies may include the development of a forum to discuss the pros and cons of a proposed strategic choice, the appointment of a task force to investigate suggested technological improvements, or other programs that demonstrate an interest in new ideas.

By proactively soliciting input throughout the firm, you are sending an important signal that new ways of solving problems are always welcome. Additionally, people who are given the opportunity to help shape the firm or contribute meaningfully to a specific initiative, may become more invested in the organization. To create a culture that encourages sharing of ideas at all levels, firms must demonstrate that they are serious about considering and acting on good ideas, rather than just collecting to them.

(4) Give feedback freely, but also empower individuals to ask for it. Millennials want meaningful feedback and a clear understanding of their career path within the firm. A recent Gallup study indicates that 55 percent of millennials are not engaged at work, leading to turnover that costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually.

A few factors that influence engagement include regular feedback, assistance setting performance goals, and consistent meetings with managers, the Gallup study found. For example, 72 percent of millennials who strongly agree that their manager works with them to establish performance goals were engaged. However, it appears millennials may also be reticent to ask for feedback: Only 15 percent strongly agree that they routinely solicit feedback about their work.

Firm leadership and senior partners should seek to both give frequent feedback, and also encourage millennials to ask for it, creating a space where they feel safe and empowered to do so. Useful feedback is a tool that develops the next generation of leaders.

(5) Leverage social media. For many firms, social media serves as a core business development tool and 85 percent of lawyers report using it in their marketing strategy. Not having a baseline knowledge of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn—and even perhaps Instagram—puts you at a decided disadvantage. As noted above, millennial colleagues (and clients) are likely to be using social media more frequently. Therefore, lawyers of all generations would do well to develop strategies for connecting with the audiences that matter to them on these social platforms.

For example, startup lawyers might consider a Twitter presence to connect with the startup and venture capital community there. Younger colleagues who may be more social media savvy can provide valuable upward mentorship and help build out and execute their firm's social media strategy, in conjunction with the marketing department. Internally, organizations can also think further about how to leverage other tech-enabled forms of communication in the office from instant messaging to file-sharing and project management tools.

(6) Establish clear rules for sharing information online. Despite its many benefits, social media—and online communication in general—also present risks. From tweeting something that offends a client to inadvertently sharing confidential information, there are many pitfalls attorneys must avoid. Firms should have well-crafted policies in place that clearly outline best practices and acceptable behavior.

(7) Thoughtfully integrate personal and professional communication. Today more than ever, people must be adept at transitioning between how they communicate personally and how they communicate professionally. While managers may fear that tech-immersed millennials will struggle to do so, research shows that the generations are relatively aligned on the appropriate means of communication for specific work situations.

However, since the integration (and differentiation) of personal and professional spheres has become more complicated and there is the potential for additional blurring, an organization would do well to provide trainings that encourage employees to think through how they'd like to navigate this and any related formal policies the company has. For example, should business conversations be held via text on personal cell phones? What is ok for employees to share on social media? Should you friend a client on Facebook?

(8) Mentor and be mentored. Reverse mentoring programs and two-way mentoring relationships offer valuable opportunities for younger employees to contribute in a meaningful way, have their voices heard and feel valued.

In these arrangements, more junior employees can teach more senior employees skills they have deep knowledge of—while also learning from their colleagues' experience in other areas. For example, millennials may offer unique insight in tech-related areas as they've grown up immersed in technology and may be more technologically savvy than some of their older colleagues.

Additionally, typically expected generational differences aside, each person has unique experiences and may have many valuable insights to share with colleagues of all ages. For example, a more junior attorney may have obtained a graduate degree in life sciences before pursuing law or have a passion for blockchain technology and can provide insight to a colleague who may be less familiar with these spaces.

(9) Understand trends, but also see the individual. While understanding generational trends and forming thoughtful, data-driven policies based on these trends is valuable, when forming relationships with a colleague, it is important to see them as an individual. Don't assume that someone will behave in a certain manner due to their age, but instead, get to know them personally.

The communication and evolution of the multigenerational workplace and the intersection between technology and ethics continue to evolve. Keep communicating and empower others to do the same.

Elizabeth Lampert is a PR and crisis communications specialist to law firms and professional service providers internationally. She can be reached at [email protected]. Emily Brooks is a senior communications coordinator at Fenwick & West, a law firm serving technology and life sciences companies.