The Millennial Makeover Part 2: What They Want in the Workplace

Young woman thinking, horizontal. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

When it comes to today’s workforce, there is no doubt that millennials are creating an atmosphere of change in the workplace.  So, who are millennials?  This group was born between 1980 and the year 2000, and reflect a generation with their own career goals, attitudes, and oh yes, their understanding of how to use technology.  For employers to take their companies to the next level, they will need to find ways to recruit and retain millennials, also known as Generation Y.

In order to attract millennials to their companies, employers need to consider what is important to them in the workplace.  This group has its own expectations coming into the workforce.  While employers don’t need to change their entire businesses just to satisfy these young workers, they can make some adjustments within reason.  So, what exactly do millennials want at work?  Here are some ideas according to one study.

Development and work/life balance – Millennials want to make sure that wherever they decide to work they have a chance to learn and grow.  They also want flexibility when it comes to their work schedule so they have time to fulfill the responsibilities in their personal lives.

More communication with technology instead of in person – Millennials are quite comfortable using technology to communicate and 41% of them say that would like to do so on the job rather than interacting in person or by phone.  While electronic communication might be suitable between the Gen Y employees, it could be problematic for mature workers who are not necessarily tech-savvy.

Career advancement – As mentioned earlier, the chance for development is important to millennials.  From that comes the expectation of moving up within a company.  Employers should be sure that potential job candidates know that career advancement is a possibility.

Employer brand with values – This factor has to do with how people view a company.  If employers want to attract and retain millennials, their brands must be strong enough to convince these candidates to work for them.  Corporate social responsibility or CSR also influences millennials.  If a company does not share the same values as this group, they could lose out to competitors who do embrace those values.

These are some of the things that appeal to millennials in the workplace.  Employers looking to hire and keep them should consider making some adjustments that can achieve those goals.  Doing so can show millennials that employers are open to change, even if they might be hesitant to it.

In the next article, we will focus on modern millennials.

Source: PwC

To read previous articles in The Millennial Makeover series, click on the links below.

The Millennial Makeover: Why This Group Matters in the Workplace