What millennials expect from work in 2017

Small businesses have an advantage in encouraging open, regular communication with millennial generation which could extend their tenure.

The ManpowerGroup, whose job is to find work for 3.4 million people, about half of whom are millennials, has surveyed the careers and working environments of 19,000 millennials.

Millennials are positive about their careers

Does this positivity stem from their generational attributes of being innovative, digitally diverse and entrepreneurial, allowing them to explore any avenue to reach success in the event of unemployment, or are millennials naive about what it means to survive in the workplace?

The research shows that two-thirds are hopeful about their current employment prospects and 62 per cent are optimistic that if they lost their main source of income they could find equally good if not better work within three months.

Millennials are an extremely hard-working generation, already working harder than any of the generations before them. With an awareness of the value of growing their skills, strengthening relationships, and exploring opportunities, most millennials don’t mind putting in extra hours. 73 per cent work more than 40 hours a week, and nearly a quarter over 50 hours.

With regard to what millennials think it will take them to reach the next rung on the career ladder:

  • 46 per cent – skills & qualifications
  • 45 per cent – performing in current job
  • 35 per cent – more experience through new roles or projects
  • 28 per cent – good connections
  • 23 per cent – opportunities
  • 17 per cent – thriving relationships with a managers and mentors.

Since millennials spend so much time dedicated to their jobs already, 84 per cent expect significant breaks during their working lives, supporting the idea that career waves are the new career ladder in earlier generations. And most millennials realise they’ll work longer than previous generations:

  • 27 per cent expect to work until over 70 years old
  • 12 per cent say they’ll work until the day they die.

With such a specific outlook on their career’s pace, millennials seem to be planning for the long haul, aiming to find work that offers long-term, stable employment.

When it comes to what the “right” amount of time is to remain in one role before moving to another or being promoted, two-thirds said less than two years and a quarter said less than 12 months

Overall, what millennials want in the workplace can be summarised in three points:

  • 92 per cent value money and remuneration
  • 87 per cent consider security and stability in the role
  • 86 per cent weigh up holidays/time off.

On top of pay, security, and time off:

  • 80 per cent want to work with great people
  • 79 per cent want the option of flexible working.

But not all millennials are the same – males and females differ in what they want out of life and the workplace. Women plan to make more time to care for others like children, older relatives, their partners, and even to volunteer, while men mostly chose priorities that focus on themselves. Both genders, however, aim to prioritise me-time and time off for holidays, plan to take significant breaks to travel or just relax and plan to take time off to help a partner in their job.

Instead of remaining in one job for the rest of their lives, millennials see the need to gain continuous new skills to highlight their employability:

  • 93 per cent value lifelong learning, and will even use their personal time and fork out cash from their own pockets on further training
  • 80 per cent consider learning a new skill a top factor when choosing a new job
  • 22 per cent are even willing to take an extended break from work to gain new skills and qualifications.

What the future holds

With millennials redefining how we view job security, businesses can learn from their move toward career security – ensuring millennials, and all other employees, get what they seek from the working journey, not their current job title.

John Williams, Head of Marketing, Instant Offices