Man Impersonating Millennial Managers Goes Viral: 'Unserious'

Whether you have a manager who scrutinizes every tiny detail, or one who wants to be your best friend, this Instagrammer has delighted the internet by recreating the exact conversations every employee has had with their boss at some point.

Sharing the hilarious clip on his Instagram account @therobdon567, the 31-year-old jokingly played the role of a millennial manager who tries to be a firm leader while also being everyone's best friend.

While Rob, who doesn't wish to share his full name publicly, doesn't think that millennial managers are necessarily better or worse than their predecessors overall, they do offer a fresh style that's more befitting of the modern workplace. The content creator from New York told Newsweek that they are "moving the needle towards different managerial styles" as they take learnings from their own experiences, and focus on wellbeing and balance.

"I feel like millennial managers have a feel for exactly how not to manage, like being beaten down over archaic corporate structures of older generations, which we're seeing a ton of burnout from now," Rob continued.

"They often see their co-workers as fellow humans with a real life outside of business hours, and not just a corporate production drone like their predecessors. Millennial managers understand the importance of mental health, and that in order to be the most efficient you can, you really need to embrace those newer ideas."

Having previously worked in finance, Rob has dealt with his fair share of managers and knows exactly how the different generations tend to interact. After sharing the video on January 12, it's generated far more attention than he'd expected, already amassing over 14.9 million views and 624,000 likes at the time of writing. Evidently, this is something that many people can relate to.

Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 is considered millennial, and while they might still feel 21 at heart, life is catching up with them. Older millennials are primed for taking on managerial roles now, as they step into the positions previously held by their Generation X and boomer bosses.

Fortunately, it appears those millennials are doing a good job so far, as Pew Research Center highlighted that 55 percent of Americans regard their boss highly. Most workers say their manager is good at offering flexibility (63 percent) and giving credit when it's due (56 percent). Other positive remarks also included being open to new ideas, having clear expectations, and staying calm under pressure.

Very few people had negative comments about their boss, and among those who did, 36 percent said they can be dismissive, and 28 percent said they're arrogant. When it comes to age, the research suggested that younger women are more likely to prefer working for a woman, as three in 10 women under the age of 30 prefer the idea of a female boss.

The Social Media Reaction

The reaction to the video was far beyond anything Rob had anticipated, but he's loved seeing how so many people drew on their own experiences to relate to it.

He told Newsweek: "I did not expect the video to resonate with so many people, but it's been overwhelmingly positive so far. It's usually one of two camps: those that have a millennial manager, and those who want one. Both groups have said it's refreshing and helpful that they make work a more enjoyable experience for those around them."

As much as millennial managers have the hallmarks of being a great boss because "they're so unserious," that isn't to say they're perfect, as Rob suggests their style doesn't always work out. When they try to blur the line between manager and friend too much, that's when "problems occur" because it's hard to be both. Every individual will be different, and we all have our flaws after all.

With over 10,800 comments on Rob's Instagram post so far, many people connected with the highs and lows of a millennial boss. One commenter wrote: "This is how you get loyal, dependable workers that will drop everything to help out: show the slightest bit of humanity."

Another person responded: "The aggressive support is so relatable."

While another Instagram user joked: "We walked so Gen Z can run."

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