WHAT DO MILLENNIALS WANT AT WORK?

The literature of study of the generational group ‘millennials’ has only expanded ever since the American
theorists William Strauss and Neil Howe coined the term in 1987 to denote the demographic cohort of
people born between the years 1982 and 2000. However, years of psychological, corporate, and business-
oriented forays into the study of millennials have rendered the terminology delimiting with overused
characteristic traits and expressions. To answer the question what millennials want at their workplaces
requires one to look at the age as a diverse group at the intersection of socio-economic status, gender, and
even sexual orientation.

Engaging the millennial workforce requires gauging their expectations while putting their age and its
rapid strides in technological, social, cultural, and educational developments in purview. The rapidity of
change in the last two decades has been unprecedented with an increase in social awareness and
volunteerism. Therefore, adaptability and a heightened sense of social consciousness is the essence of the
millennial workforce. They expect the organisations that they work with to reflect the same in their
Corporate Social Responsibility policies and work cultures.

Besides having a proclivity for social interaction and cohesiveness at the workplace, what the millennial
workforce thrives on are the learning opportunities they get with every project that is handed over to
them. The social media has not only transformed business models across various industries and
corporations, but has also allowed the millennials to forge dynamic and collaborative career paths, and
therefore, has shifted the focus of their work from job-centric to learning-centric. Growing up with
educational programmes that focused on instilling a spirit of competitiveness, the millennials must be
involved in the decision-making process and provided with the space to come up with creative solutions.
Corporations need to devise policies to switch from a system of micro-management to mentorship, and
further design a holistic framework for a frequent feedback system that offers a well-rounded assessment
of the work done. Incorporation of such policies would go a long way in improving the productivity of the
millennial workforce and ensuring that the workforce is achieving their higher goals in tandem with their
professional goals.

The millennial workforce prioritises financial security and work-life balance, just like the generation
preceding them. However, the notion of work-life balance as perceived by corporations needs a serious
revision. The encapsulation of an employee as oscillating between work and family or other traditional
variable is minimising and smoothens over the non-traditional forms of living. Due to a concentration of
major corporations in a few metropolitan cities with high real estate prices, a majority of the millennial
workforce lives away from their families. The idea of a family as depicted in most corporate policies does
not truly represent independent living or other forms that assume non-traditional roles and functions like
LGBTQ families. The millennial workforce is aware of the inevitability of the work-life spillover, and
unlike their predecessors, believes not in the absolute separation but the emulsifying of the two entities.
The millennials feel at ease working with organisations that understand the changing dynamics between
work and life, and take concerted steps like counselling and soft skills training sessions for their
workforce.

Additionally, the workforce in today’s time is expected to work for at least 15 hours a day in certain
occupations, excluding the time spent in commute and lunch breaks. The imbalance of work to life takes a
toll on the physical and mental health, and the quality of work of an employee. The domain of work today
is not restricted to the confines of a cubicle. The traditional workspaces have outgrown themselves into
virtual spaces, giving way for more flexibility in terms of time devoted to work and life. Corporations can
invest in telecommunication, time and attendance, and project management software for its remote
employees leading to a motivated and stress-free workforce.

The millennials are a varied group of individuals with career aspirations and goals that may or may not be
characteristic of their generation, and therefore, what they want at work is not a straitjacketed solution.
They are conscious of their socio-economic and cultural identities and want to work with an organisation
that makes safe workspaces for its diverse workforce. They are life-centric and learning-centric, which
makes their process of work as one that is driven by passion, innovation, and creativity. Their satisfaction
with a job is adjudged not only by the financial security and career growth it ensures, but also by the
mentorship, support, and guidance that they receive to grow professionally and personally. They take well
to organisations that are aware of their social responsibilities and have a proper soft skills management in
place to cater to the needs of their employees. The millennials want a workplace with a futuristic outlook
and preparedness for change as the Generation Z transits into the workforce in years to come.