Can Millennials Handle Criticism?

You sit down to review a new employee using the customary forms, processes, and procedures. Only this time you are reviewing a Millennial for the first time. You get to the section where you comment on “room for improvement”—or in HR speak “an area of opportunity”—and you share with the Millennial where s/he is not performing up to par. You expect to move on to the next section only to discover that the Millennial is shell shocked with the bad (or in your opinion constructive) news. In fact, there are tears!

Reports are in from managers nationwide that Millennials are not ready, and in many cases not able, to hear about their shortcomings. Unfortunately, reactions are right there with accusations such as referring to Millennials as “babies,” dismissing them as not being coachable, assuming they are weak… and the name calling goes on and on.