5 tips: Working with millennials in radiology

As millennials enter the field of radiology, many may be feeling the generational differences influencing education and workplace interactions.

By the year 2020, 50 percent of workers will be millennials, according to a prediction by the U.S. Department of Labor. This not only calls for changes to be made, but also a period for prior generations to have an open mind.

Ana Lourenco and John Cronan, MD highlight five key points in an article appearing in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. “Teaching and Working With Millennial Trainees: Impact on Radiological Education and Work Performance” aim to help bridge the gap between millennials and generations that came before them.

1. Open communication

Many millennials need clear and open communication. It is important for young trainees to feel as though what they are contributing to the practice is valued. Be open to ideas from new hires.

2. Teaching styles

PowerPoint presentations are still effective. But if images are from decades ago, millennials are likely to lose interest. With technology booming, trainees may be more interested learning from web- or tablet-based options. Clinical scenarios or a missed/quality assurance case presentation is a good way to get your trainees engaged.

3. Teamwork

Working in teams is important to millennials, so try to create a workplace that allows colleagues to comfortably seek opinions on a challenging case.

4. Acknowledgement

Those “annual and quarterly reviews are considered insufficient, if not entirely outdated, by many millennials who have grown up accustomed to real-time feedback,” the authors wrote. Young trainees seek real time feedback so that they are able to make changes or be acknowledged for a job well done.

5. Nontraditional work options

Millennials are skilled at juggling many things at once. The full- and part-time options may need to be reconsidered to staggered shifts, remote reading or job sharing.