Contrary to the notion that Millennials are lazy and choosy in the work setting, they are actually faithful to the job once they find a company that can provide them with two basic things: a career challenge and a work-life balance. In social media, there are numerous, almost repetitive, posts from Millennials talking about their other career desires: a fulfilling job that can pay for their basic necessities such as food, lodging, and coffee. These are not extreme demands.
By now, half of the workforce is composed of Millennials. In the next six years, this number is expected to increase by 25%, making them 75% of the entire working population. Knowing what motivates them is important for the company’s general productivity. It is also a sign of a company’s ability to adapt to the changing times.
Note that having a non-traditional office set-up may attract their interest, but it will not make them stay. Millennials have their eyes on the company culture than the company set-up. According to a company survey, here is a list of what their Millennial employees (born between 1980-1994) want from a job:
Reward System
Employee incentive programs are always a hit to the Millennials. Millennials excel in job positions where a concrete reward comes with every successful goal. They look at incentives, promotions, and salary increases as the company’s appreciation towards their hard work, not mere freebies.
Praise for a job well done may be intangible, but they consider it as a reward nonetheless. Acknowledgment in the form of a good review motivates them further. Bottom line is, they want their hard work to be recognized and appreciated.
Social Stance
Millennials do not only work for themselves despite being painted as the selfish-selfie generation. Having been exposed to the political, societal, and environmental landscape of the world because of the internet, they seek for a job that has a social stance. A job for them goes beyond the 8 hours of being in the office. Questions such as “What is the purpose of this?” and “What am I contributing to the world?” are asked on a daily basis.
They want a workplace where they can have the means to help the community through the job itself or the projects that the company has. Working on projects that will bring a positive change in society gives them an extra source of motivation to succeed.
Growth
Millennials are competitive achievers. To them, being good at their jobs contributes to their self-worth. This is why they want a job that will give them the training to excel further.
They find the incessant need to learn whether the training is in the form of mentorship, peer to peer learning, or formal training. Along with this, they enjoy learning as a two-way street– a dialogue. Giving a task to a Millennial to mentor a Baby Boomer is also a good way to develop an engaging camaraderie in the workplace. Furthermore, this will assure the Millennials that your company offers a fair playing field for all its employees, regardless of age.
Millennials are constantly looking for ways to balance their lives: social priorities with their professional priorities; career goals with their life goals. Providing them with a workplace where the culture revolves around these things will surely motivate them to be productive– for themselves and for the company.
