What Millennials Want
For 17 years, I spent every day thinking about how to connect with, develop and lead those now referred to as "millennials." In those years, I was working with college students, and I always enjoyed their energy, creativity, curiosity, optimism and intelligence. And, with nearly two decades of experience working with that generation, I’m empathetic to the confusion, misunderstanding and even frustration many managers experience as they adjust to new expectations of young employees in the marketplace. Without a doubt, workplace culture is being transformed.
I’m currently in Omaha at Gallup’s annual Strengths Summit. I attended a seminar analyzing Gallup’s 2017 marketplace research focusing on the work place’s youngest demographic. Some of the fascinating numbers:
55 percent of millennials are not engaged at work, more than any other demographic.
54 percent of millennials are employed, but are still the most under- or unemployed demographic despite being the most educated generation in American history.
Millennial turnover due to lack of engagement costs the American economy over $30 Billion per year
93 percent of millennials leave an organization to change roles at work. They are profoundly unattached to organizations and brands.
While known for wanting work to be fun, 59 percent of millennials report that opportunities to learn and grow are extremely important to them when applying for a job.
All that to say, organizations MUST be intentional in shaping a corporate culture that connects to young adults, most importantly the values and meaning that is most important to this young generation. Researches have asserted six key issues to positively shape culture:
Millennials don’t just work for a paycheck – they want a purpose.
The are not pursuing job satisfaction – they are pursuing development.
Millennials don’t want bosses – they want coaches.
Millennials don’t want annual reviews – they want ongoing conversations.
Millennials don’t want to fix their weaknesses – they want to develop their strengths.
It’s not just my job – it’s my life.
My first impression as I reviewed this research was that, even though I’m decidedly Gen X demographically, I might be a millennial—at least when it comes to what I want out of the work place. I want my work to matter. I want to continue to grow as a person. I want to develop my strengths.
In five years, the millennial generation will comprise more than half of the American workplace. While that means a lot of change in a lot of workplaces, I think it’s a good thing. I wonder if this group of people is simply asking for the work place we all want but have accepted we’re not going to get. I’m excited to continue learning and to help organizations shape a culture that millennials—and all employees—are going to enjoy and be proud of.
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