If you are not quite sure who millennials are, let’s spell it out for you. Millennials are individuals born between 1981 and 1996. From growing up in progressive times with access to the digital world from a young age to bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic on their career journey, the life experiences of millennials have been panoramic.
Growing up under intense exposure to the digital world, millennials are a lot different from previous generations. They are tech-savvy individuals who have the ability to take the world, both physical and virtual, by storm. These confident and opinionated individuals are willing to make personal and professional decisions based on their experience and are not necessarily swayed by their older counterparts. Many psychological experts say that millennials at work believe in doing their job well and earning due recognition. They form a sizable portion of the workforce and cannot be neglected. For millennials, factors other than salary play a vital role when it comes to choosing a workplace.
What millennials prioritize at a workplace:
- Employers who care
If employees of a company aren’t healthy, either physically or mentally, it takes a huge toll on the organization. Nowadays, most employers evaluate the overall health of employees based on how people feel about working with them. Young people are more likely to work with organizations where they are not treated as machines. The outbreak of COVID-19 has reiterated the importance of employee wellbeing. Many organizations across the world chose to work from home to ensure the safety of their employees during the pandemic. Millennials who lost jobs during this time are keen on seeking out employers who care.
- Open-minded team leads
Millennials at work want to work for leaders who believe in ethics and are open-minded. These two qualities can be a deal maker or breaker. Among all virtues, ethical behaviour stands out on top. Millennials look up to leaders who are flexible, understanding, and non-judgmental. They are so confident in their abilities that they would rather have an inspirational leader to look up to, rather than someone that is simply bossy. They want to be treated as equals and look forward to constructive feedback. This cool generation is only up for cool team leads.
- Obvious gender equality
Millennials in the workplace are aware of their rights and do not shy away from demanding them. Gone are the days when employees would be okay with gender-biased behaviour. People now prefer to carefully go through employee reviews before joining a company, as word of mouth matters. Organizations that promote gender equality in terms of remuneration, responsibilities, and safety of employees are favoured by millennials. Employees in such offices tend to build healthy professional relationships and feel equally respected.
- Value placed on fresh perspectives and ideas
Companies that welcome people on the basis of talent and skill regardless of cultural and financial background win the hearts of millennials. Young professionals bring fresh ways of dealing with things and new ideas for the betterment of a company. While many organizations welcome the opinions and ideas of their employees, some may be dismissive at the outset. For millennials, this can be a major dampener. In workplaces where fresh ideas are not heard, the motivation to work is impacted. Being ambition-driven and strong-willed, millennials do not enjoy working where they don’t feel involved and encouraged. Workplaces that reward efficient and smart work garner respect from this generation.
- A flexible work environment
Working from home during most of the pandemic, millennials have realized the significance of a flexible work environment. During the COVID-19 crisis, the lines between work and personal life blurred and people pushed themselves too much to save their jobs. The entire experience has brought about a paradigm shift in their perspective of how a workplace should be. Most millennials seek out flexi-work arrangements. Provisions like working remotely, flexible shifts, reduced working hours, and incentives for overtime are some of the facilities that young professionals look forward to at a workplace.
Millennials have the power to revolutionize the future of a nation. They have what it takes to rise to their full potential and reach pinnacles of success. Doing interesting work and doing it well enough to get paid deservingly is what most millennials strive for. They are the harbingers of change. If you are a millennial, know that we are proud of you!
Millennials understand the value of freedom, and those who are parents encourage their children to seek out career pathways of their choice. As forward-looking individuals, they gently push children to follow their dreams. They believe in giving the best to their children and are ready to reach out to career counsellors to help navigate a career pathway for them. A tool that’s gaining popularity among millennials is LaunchMyCareer, a career success platform that provides age-appropriate career guidance to students from grade 5 onwards. Get in touch with LaunchMyCareer today.
