Are Millennial Stereotypes Really True?
Millennials get labeled with a lot of stereotypes, but are all of them fair? Quite often they are portrayed as free spirits, slackers, and job hoppers that place their needs over those of others. New research by Project Time Off shows that this may not be true. Millennials may often be workaholics that will put in extra hours to win approval.
The purpose of the Project Time Off is to encourage Americans to use their vacation time for their benefit and for the benefit of their employers. They found that 43 percent of millennials are considered a “work martyr” or unwilling to take vacation time because they fear that their work won’t get done, want to show their dedication to work, or feel guilty leaving the office for a few days. Of the other aged workers, only 29 percent are considered “work martyrs.”
The same survey done by Project Time Off found that millennials are not prone to job hopping like stereotypes suggest. The survey suggests that they are easy to keep around if the employer is successful at recognizing how they differ from older employees. Millennials “do have a desire to grab a job, hold a job, prove themselves,” according to Katie Denis, a senior director of the U.S. Travel Association who leads Project Time Off. Job-hopping between workers ages 22 to 29 has declined since the 1990s.
Millennials Are Slightly Less Engaged Than Other Generations
With all the positive stats backing up millennials, the survey and others like it do point out that they are less engaged than other generations. Only 29 percent of millennials say they are “engaged” at work, whereas 33 percent of boomers and 32 percent of Gen X respondents are “engaged.” Millennials seek a flexible job instead of the traditional corporate culture which they often feel forced into. They prefer to be measured by their performance and not the number of hours put in at the office, leading to a feeling of disengagement with the job.
Part of the reason that millennials may be more willing to stick with a job despite a lack of engagement is the fact that they have a stronger motivation to keep any job. There are greater financial burdens that they carry such as large student-loan balances and the memory of a bad economy where they struggled to get a job.
How Can You Better Engage Millennials at Work?
In order to gain a better understanding of how to engage millennials, employers need to know what makes them tick and remain motivated. Being able to recognize the generation’s longing for flexibility so that they can maintain a healthy work-life balance is a big part of what drives them forward. Millennials have grown up with technology that keeps them connected around the clock, so they know they can available if needed. This open availability is acceptable by millennials in return for more flexible hours.
Another thing that millennials desire is regular feedback so they can understand how they are doing at work and how they can improve. They also are looking for a meaningful relationship with managers. When supervisors concentrate on only productivity and forget about the part of helping millennials grow, then both the company and workers will suffer. Millennials rely heavily on the examples set by their supervisors. As author, consultant, and speaker of millennial issues Joan Snyder Kuhl states, “If they’re just working the hours to work the hours, they’re not figuring out how to develop their skills. …That’s not setting a company up for success. And I think we all have a stake in that.”
Money is not the driving force for millennials, so that greatly changes the game that most employers are accustomed to dealing with. Money is still a very important driving force, but it is no longer the number one thing. Author John Zogby found through his research that “85% want work that makes a difference and is enriching to themselves but also enriching to the world. And 71% want to work for a company or entity that encourages some form of global or community social responsibility. Each of those numbers is dramatically higher than the other age cohorts.”
Quote source: HREonline.com
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