https://mailchi.mp/7f59f737680b/the-weekly-gist-june-30-2023?e=d1e747d2d8

At a recent board meeting, the discussion turned to what Millennial consumers want from healthcare. The system COO put the administrative coordinator, the sole Millennial in the room, on the spot to speak for the preferences of an entire generation.

Nearly every health system we work with is debating how to engage Millennial consumers or understand Millennial (and now Gen Z) employees—perhaps an even more pressing need, given that Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers in the healthcare workforce. But having a real, live Millennial participating in a health system board meeting is a rarity. 

Most often we rely on secondhand information, either from studies analyzing their behavior, or Boomer board members’ personal experiences as the parents of Millennials. When we suggested that systems are at a disadvantage in not having Millennial board members, the system CEO agreed, and said they had tried—and failed—to recruit younger members. 

It was largely a question of availability. Family commitments were one challenge, but the greatest obstacle was committing to days away from work. Younger executives and community leaders are in the “high-growth” stage of their careers, and rarely in control of their own schedules, making the commitment to a (typically unpaid) board seat difficult. 

As boards push for more diversity among members, recruiting younger directors is a critical component. Even if systems aren’t ready to reshape the director role for Millennials, they must find a way to directly engage younger leaders and integrate them into decision-making at all levels of the organization.