Millennials are the world’s largest generation and are expected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2030. Chris Tuff, director of content marketing and partnerships at the Atlanta-based advertising agency 22squared, shares his professional insights in his new book, “The Millennial Whisperer,” about how this generation has often been misunderstood and mismanaged.

Chief Learning Officer recently spoke with Tuff about the common myths surrounding this frequently discussed generation and the best ways to engage and motivate them in the workplace.

CLO: Everyone seems to have a negative opinion about millennials. Why do you think that is? What are some of the most common misconceptions about them?

Tuff: I think millennials are an easy target. The media and our culture have not portrayed them fairly. As a culture, we have made them out to be a problematic generation. In “The Millennial Whisperer,” I aim to shift the conversation to highlight that they are one of the best generations to emerge.

The problem lies in our systems.

One of my favorite quotes is, “millennials are not the problem, they just expose the problem.” Through the perspective of millennials, we can see where our sensitivities and priorities should be and how we need to adapt our corporate and learning cultures for the future.

To understand these misconceptions, just type “millennials are…” into Google and see the negative words that appear, like entitled or needy. We need to undo these falsehoods and focus on their strengths.

CLO: Do millennials have different learning preferences than other generations? How do they prefer to learn?

Tuff: Absolutely. The world has changed significantly for this generation. They experience everything almost in real time, which has created a generation with shorter attention spans. However, they can still binge-watch quality content on Netflix for hours.

Millennials learn by doing, seeing, and feeling. Instead of teaching theories, we should focus on practical applications. What specific actions should they take based on the theories being taught?

Daily, millennials are bombarded with information from their Instagram or Snapchat feeds and interact with their friends virtually. We need to encourage more face-to-face interactions to foster human connections. This applies not only to millennials but to all of us, as we all spend a lot of time on our phones.

We should embrace this reality and also promote more genuine connections.

CLO: How can companies design career paths that motivate millennials?

Tuff: People often dislike hearing this, but we need more open-ended career paths for millennials. We should break down the rigid structures of promotions and allow more lateral moves within organizations.

I work with my employees to align their personal goals with our organizational goals and map out a plan to move them towards their passions. Traditional career paths are too linear. We need a nonlinear approach and more lateral moves, working with each individual on a one-on-one basis. Don’t put this group into boxes—they don’t thrive in them.

One of the best things my boss told me was, “Chris, there’s an exception to every rule.” This mindset helped me realize my own millennial tendencies and influenced my book. We all crave freedom to be entrepreneurial, but we also need enough structure to work on our weaknesses and become better leaders. We need to rethink traditional career tracks.

CLO: How can companies not only hire millennials but also keep them?

Tuff: Today’s world requires work-life integration, not just work-life balance. Loyalty is built through real, genuine relationships. Many organizations try to separate personal and professional relationships, but I believe in knowing what’s going on in my employees’ lives and discussing it in our one-on-ones.

Mapping individual purpose is also crucial. I had my team create individual purpose statements and worked with them to align these with their day-to-day jobs. Our passions change over time, so we need career paths that adapt to these changes.

I call this my “70/30 rule”: 70 percent of your job should fuel you, and 30 percent might be a grind. Understanding and accepting this helps manage expectations. Millennials often job-hop seeking perfection, influenced by social media. Realizing that 30 percent of any job isn’t perfect can help manage this tendency.

Also, it’s important to allow employees the freedom to leave if they’re unhappy. If someone dreads going to work for two days in a row, and it’s not due to personal growth challenges, it’s time for a change. I’m even willing to help them find a new job.

CLO: Are any stereotypes about millennials in the workplace true?

Tuff: Millennials, especially younger ones, have grown up with instant gratification from social media, creating a need for immediate reward and recognition. They might seem needy, but it’s a result of their upbringing and the world we’ve created for them.

We’ve raised them with a lot of parental oversight, and they’re used to a certain lifestyle. We need to ease them into our organizations with empathy and proper recognition. These stereotypes are true, but we need to address them constructively.

CLO: What kind of leaders will millennials become, and how will they shape the business world?

Tuff: Millennials have the potential to be some of the most effective, transformative, and innovative leaders we’ve seen. We need to create environments where they can thrive.

A friend once told me after reading my book, “millennial is a mindset.” We need to adapt our old-school corporations to support and fuel the qualities that make millennials unique. This change is beginning, and my book aims to spark and catalyze this necessary shift to fully embrace the best generation in our workforce.