I recently came across and article in an e-newsletter from AdAge that caught my eye. Upon seeing the word “Millennial” in the title, I was prepared to cringe. Surely this would be another article on how spoiled, lazy and arrogant Millennials are. Great. Though I probably shouldn’t take it personally, I admit I do take some offense to these generalizations. After all, I am a Millennial.

However, I was very pleased to see that this article actually shed a positive light on this group – a very refreshing change. And let’s be realistic, there are always going to be a few bad apples out there, in any age group. But writing off all Millennials as coddled, unmotivated slackers is a big mistake because these employees can actually bring a lot to your company. They’re open to trying new things, they’ll tackle any problem you throw at them with no complaints and their vibrant personalities and endless energy will go a long way towards boosting company morale. They’re optimistic and look at new avenues and ideas, not with skepticism, but with a fresh perspective and a “yes we can” attitude. In an advertising world where traditional methods are always being challenged by new ideas – yesterday it was the banner ad, today it’s social media – these are the people who will jump right in with both feet, and explore and become specialists in these new vehicles. And you can bet they’ll be ready when the next big marketing idea pops up – which, at the rate we’re seeing, could be tomorrow.

So maybe great Millennials are few and far between and just like anything great, you have to really search to find the best – but they’re out there. The trick is finding the ones who are eager to learn and driven to propel their careers. I really got to thinking about this last week, as many area colleges and universities were preparing for graduation ceremonies. The class of 2010 is now officially on the market and companies looking to hire should give these talented young people a real shot. And a word of advice to graduates: just be ready to work hard and prove yourself. It’ll be worth it.

Have you found success in star millennials or are you apprehensive to hire them? If you’re the former, how have these young people helped your company? The latter, what are your biggest concerns about bringing them into your workplace?