How Mic’s millennial CEO manages a staff of millennials

This is View from the Top, a video series from Digiday where we sit down with leaders and pioneers at brands, agencies and publishers to find out how they’re adapting to the modernization of media and marketing. 

Chris Altchek is familiar with all the millennial stereotypes: narcissistic, selfish short-term thinkers. The 28-year-old CEO of the millennial-focused publication Mic thinks a vast majority of those characteristics are over-simplifications. With a staff of more than 65 young journalists, Altchek likes to highlight that his team is dedicated.

“People work their asses off to get these things done, and at the end of three months they may want the next project or a promotion or a raise,” said Altchek about how millennials don’t want to settle. “I think for non-millennial managers that’s a surprising phenomenon.”

So at Mic, millennial expectations are managed by setting short-term goals. Every three months, staffers are given a different project with a new set of goals and rewards. Watch our interview with Altchek to find out how he’s also beefing up his millennial staff by bringing in older millennial-minded managers.

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