Recently, Fortune released a list of the 100 best workplaces for millennials. To come up with this list, Fortune asked millennials what they most wanted in the workplace. It turns out millennials are attracted to workplace benefits that aren’t just on paper, but are a real part of the workplace culture. Millennial employees also want to be able to trust their leaders and feel a personal connection to their work.
The articles below give additional perspectives on how millennials view the workplace and what they want from a work environment.
What Millennials Really Want at Work. Inc.: “When asked what they believed to be the most important leadership skills, 58 percent of Millennials surveyed said communication and 55 percent said relationship building. However, 39 percent said their company suffers from poor leadership, citing managers’ inability to develop others and ineffective communication as the main problems. It’s worth keeping in mind that Millennials–and their communication styles–have been shaped by the internet age. They’re used to personalized, on-demand information, and seek personal connections with bosses who explain the work and expect a mutual accountability.”
What Millennials Want in the Workplace. WorkSmart Systems: “IBM released a study which found that 35 percent of Millennials want an ethical and fair boss who readily shares and communicates information. In a different study by The Intelligence Group, 79 percent of young employees want their boss to serve more as a mentor or coach than a supervisor. Taking on the coach mentality, bosses will want to converse with their young employees in a manner that allows Millennials to speak freely and collaborate instead of being bound by the hierarchy of the professional relationship.”
Your Ping-Pong Table is Worthless – What Millennials Actually Want. Undercover Recruiter: “Deloitte’s third annual millennial survey found that 78% of millennials are influenced by how innovative a company is when deciding if they want to work there. It’s not enough just to say that your company is innovative; prove it. Create a culture of innovation, and talented millennials will be more inclined to want to work for you.”
Millennials Value Efficiency, Especially When it Comes to Job Locations. Ploymint: “Location has become a huge factor when it comes to applying for jobs. Millennials applying for jobs are no longer solely looking at the company, they are looking at the location of the offices as well. We do not want to take two trains and a bus for a two-hour commute to work. That’s legitimately a waste of time to us. We want to be able to enjoy our commute, whether that’s driving twenty minutes, sitting on one train, or walking. We want to spend less time commuting to our jobs, and more time enjoying our lives.”
How are you building your workplace to appeal to millennial employees? I’d love to know — please share in the comments!
Lindsey Pollak is a New York Times best-selling author and a nationally recognized millennial expert who helps employers recruit, train, manage and market to the millennial generation. Her speeches and training sessions inspire multigenerational collaboration and foster lasting organizational success. Contact Lindsey to learn how she can help your organization understand and connect with millennials.
