Recently our research team conducted a study on what motivates millennials at work, as well as how to lessen the differences between millennials and baby boomers.
The study revealed that millennials feel less valued, less confident and not as connected to their work compared to their older colleagues. Research findings also showed that what motivates millennials may not motivate older employees. By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of workforces, which is why Dale Carnegie Training decided to focus on understanding the major factors that motivate and engage this generation of workers.
Furthermore, our study aimed to uncover the major factors that engage millennials at work, and found that this generation of workers places a significant value on a number of attributes that they find are missing from their workplace, such as:
Doing work that is varied and interesting
Honest and open communication with senior management
The ability to learn and develop beyond their current job
Key Survey Results
For Millennials, certain functional and emotional attributes were found to be above average in importance and below average in presence at work.
Functional attributes:
- The study found that millennials significantly valued doing work that varies, honest senior management, open communication between employees and senior management, and the ability to learn and develop beyond their current job, but did not find these elements to be part of their workplace.
- Millennials also found value in flexible work schedules, as well as getting help when they find it is needed.
Emotional attributes:
- Millennials said that the following emotional attributes were all of high importance but were missing from their jobs: having confidence in the leadership abilities of an immediate supervisor, having an immediate supervisor who cares about their personal life and the effects its has on their job, and being satisfied with the amount of input they themselves have in the decisions that effect their work.
- While engaged millennials found a number of functional attributes that were above average in importance and below average in presence at work, the only attribute that was above average in both importance and presence was being given help or support when needed.
The study found differences between millennials and baby boomers when questioning certain functional and emotional attributes.
Millennials did not find that their jobs provided enough work that is varied, and interesting and immediate supervisors that set good examples, compared to older employees who found these attributes to be part of their workplaces.
Study findings revealed that compared to baby boomers, millennials had a less than average level of confidence in the leadership abilities of immediate supervisors, less than average amount of pride in the contributions their company makes to the community, and a less than average feeling of being energised by going to work. Both generations said they needed better communication, more honest senior leaders, supervisors that have more of a personal interest in them, and more praise recognition for a job well done.
The study also found that both demographics said that communication, incentives/perks, and pay/compensation were considerable drivers of engagement.
So in summary start allowing millienials to feel like they are contributing to the bottom line of the business. Make sure as an organisation that you give something back to the communities you work in and develop your people like never before.
When you do those three elements well then you give yourself every chance to retaining us millenials.
