“Laziness” seems to be one of the most enduring labels stuck onto the millennial generation. They’re always thought of as idle for refusing to do the nitty-gritty work. But from Blackburn’s experience, this may be a misconception. Millennials “just seek easier ways of getting things done” and prefer to work smarter, not harder.

Millennials are also comparatively more flexible and can switch tasks more easily. “They are more willing to change their hours to accommodate business needs than are workers from other generations,” said Blackburn. She also noted, however, that issues can arise from their desire for flexibility. “They want a lot of flexibility from their employers with regard to scheduling, which is an issue in a clinical lab where turnaround time is critical.”

Not every employee within the millennial age group will be the same. Everyone will have their own pros and cons that may not align with the ones listed above. But as a generation raised during a period of great technological and cultural shift, expect that this new set of workforce will not perform the same way the previous set did before.

Blackburn summarized this in saying, “I don’t think that there is a problem with the millennials; I think the problem is how to integrate millennials with other generations. I am sure it is an issue faced every ten or so years when a new generation is introduced into the workforce. There is no right or wrong; there is just different.”