New Study Reveals What Gen Y is “Really” Looking For in a Job
Hi All!
A new study is coming out in the Journal of Management that some employers may find surprising (or not!) regarding Millennial job seekers and employees. Here is the overview…
Much has been written and reported about the altruistic aspirations of GenY –– those born between 1982 and 1999. The notion that they value interesting, fulfilling jobs that provide them with an opportunity to “give back” has influenced how corporate America recruits and retains this younger generation of workers.
But according to a new study forthcoming in the Journal of Management, GenY (also known as GenMe or Millennials) is actually a bit more focused on “having their cake and eating it too.”
“Many times the media make it seem like GenY is the first generation to want a meaningful job, but according to our findings, that is not the case,” says Stacy Campbell, co-author of the study and professor of management at the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. “Our study found that the most important thing to Gen Y workers is finding a job that pays well and gives them more free time to do what they want outside of work.”
According to the study –– the first to provide hard, empirical data to support how work values differ among the GenMe, Generation X and Baby Boomers –– these surprising results have significant implications for companies as the Baby Boomers continue to retire and GenMe populates the work force.
To learn more about this study, click here to read a recent article in the NY Post.
Good pay and flexibility…while wanting good pay is not a big “shocker” for employers, adjusting “old school” cultures to provide flexibility, is (for many). I just had this conversation with a colleague today…employees, from all generations, are wanting to work differently. And if companies want to better engage and retain their talent, they need to start changing their workforce “ways”…now.
Bye for now,
Lisa
Twitter @GenerationsGuru
Lisa Orrell is The Generation Relations Expert, and has appeared on ABC, MSNBC and NPR (to name a few). She is a speaker, consultant, and author of the book "Millennials Incorporated" (on Amazon). Based on her expertise, Lisa is an in-demand expert who educates well-known companies (such as Cisco Systems, Paul Mitchell, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield) about effectively attracting, recruiting, managing and retaining Millennials (Generation Y). She also conducts popular seminars on how to improve generation relations within the workforce – thus improving communication, productivity and revenue. MEDIA: Contact Lisa for an interesting interview!
May 26th, 2010 at 3:48 am
Gen Y believes in a work-life balance. Vineet Nayar pioneered the concept of ‘Employees First, Customers Second’ stating that it is the only logical path to follow in the age of Gen Y influence, social media and knowledge-based industries. He talks about ‘trust through transparency’ in his book as Gen Y constantly and effortlessly pushes the envelope on constant, informal, global communication and information sharing through Social networks.
He believes that Gen Y is more collaborative. They are the change agents. These positive attributes of Gen Y can be put to good use in an organization. It has to be understood that a new generation brings a new set of characteristics. Organizations should work around these characteristics instead of condemning them.