It is in human nature to want to classify things and categorizing generations is no exception. Millennials seem to get a bad rep from previous generations, in certain contexts. Regarding parks and recreation, millennials have many qualities that make them valuable community members and employees of parks and rec organizations.

Millennials are the first generation to grow up completely in the digital information age, helping shape a lot of their beliefs and habits. They’re also the largest generation, composed of the most educated, technologically proficient, conscious, frugal, and entrepreneurial individuals. These traits can have big advantages in certain roles within the parks and recreation organization and we’ll explore some of those traits here.

Digital Life

For a modern organization to be successful, a firm grasp on conventional technology is necessary. From navigating through parks and rec management software to managing your social media platforms, many teams benefit from employees being tech savvy. Although you should have dedicated tech positions to perform tasks such as search engine optimization, e-mail marketing, content marketing, and social media marketing, millennials within your organization can provide some support, when appropriate. For example, those within the organization can accumulate social media content and imagery and encouraging everyone to submit content can help you build a great social following.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Millennials grew up seeing the success of such business leaders as Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk; the disruption of traditional industries is apparent, creating a desire for entrepreneurship not found in the past. Due to the sheer number of programs offered by most parks and recreation organizations, there are plenty of opportunities for extracurricular work. For example, your community manager may have an interest in starting a dance studio and allowing them to teach classes and to see a behind-the-scenes of managing drop-in dance classes can be mutually beneficial. As a result, the employee may be more engaged and happier in the workplace, whilst learning what they need to know for their next journey.

High Degree of Consciousness

Successful parks and rec organizations usually have a great company culture with employees who are passionate about the well-being of their communities and their environment. Many important initiatives and programs can benefit from a millennial’s perspective. Conservation is also another important aspect for parks agencies and this age group has grown up being highly involved in these endeavors. Conservation efforts will need a lot of support from employees to make a difference, especially in this political environment. Millennials tend to be conscious about health, social, economic, and environmental issues, which are all matters that parks and recreation organizations touch on. This makes the age group more attuned to many social issues, giving them an advantage for front-line work in the community, as well as being a part of internal teams that work to approach these issues.

Parks and Rec for All

Parks and recreation’s duty to boost well-being in a community needs to focus on inclusion for all. Millennials tend to value diversity more than previous generations, which can help frame your services and benefit as many people as possible. Paired with their strong sense of community, locally and globally, direction for new initiatives and programming can involve more facets that increase the social bonds in your city. Millennials’ adventurous side can also help with building engaging, modern programming that takes advantage of your trails, parks, and walkways.

Which age groups utilize your parks and recreation resources the most? Let us know on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Google+, to stay up to date with all of your Xplor Recreation news.