Are we Millennials that Unmanageable?

Jasmine Flowers May 7, 2007

We have all heard the alarming statistic that in the next 5-10 years approximately 40% of the current workforce will retire, a majority of them being Baby Boomers. This puts fear into the eyes of many HR/Recruiting professionals and Managers within organizations as they realize that the generation of employees replacing the Baby Boomers are the Millennial’s; approximately 31 million over the next 10 years to be exact. Yes, this may solve the problem of workforce gap but with such a large influx of Millennials into the workforce another concern arises. Apparently, we Millennial’s are so different in our mindset as it relates to job expectations, workplace culture, recruiting and values that we have the reputation of being unmanageable, high maintenance and even unmotivated. The truth is that we are neither of those things.

Although, the priority may differ, Millennial’s want what everyone else wants out of a job. The list below reflects what I value, from a Millennial’s perspective, in the workplace.
1.       to have a fun employee-centered workplace
2.       to have a clear set of job expectations
3.       to have opportunities to grow professionally
4.       to be recognized as a contributing member of the organization
5.       to have a work life balance
6.       to be challenged
7.       to be paid well
8.       to work in a positive atmosphere
9.       to be treated fairly and with respect
10.   to have a strong work culture that resonates

I agree with a quote from Karen Cates and Kimia Rahimi of the Financial Times that says “what young workers want isn’t so different from what everyone else wants. However, young workers are asking for it.” So, if differing generations ultimately want the same things then why are we being categorized as unmanageable? The answer is simple, priorities. What may be important or a motivator for other generations may not inspire and motivate Millennials. What that equates to is a generation entering the workplace that not only works differently (e.g. technology-savvy, multi-taskers, etc.) but is driven and motivated by elements that traditionally have not been as important to many seasoned professionals

Posted in Human Resources Analytics, Human Resources, Recruiting, Workforce Planning, Workforce Management