We could talk about how disengaged it seems millennials are when it comes to their jobs in 2019. Like how 55% of millennials say they are not engaged in their professions. How 60% of millennials say they’re open to new job opportunities. We could talk about the fact that, somehow, companies are swinging for the fences and coming up short at offering compelling reasons for millennials to stay put.
Or, we could talk about what’s making these millennials tick about their workplace. Yes, instead of discussing why they hate their jobs, we can talk about how companies can keep millennials sticking around. Since millennials are dominating the workforce (clocking in at 35%) and are preparing to surpass Baby Boomers as the largest population, they’re your company’s greatest asset.
These individuals (aged 23-38), while seeming to leave a bad taste in the mouths of Americans (lazy, entitled, know-it-alls, complainers, impatient, apathetic, blah, blah, blah), have an intricate web of needs that if accommodated correctly, can help companies grow by seeing through the millennial lens.
1 Finding Purpose
Millennials are happiest in the workplace when they feel they have purpose. When they’re engrossed in their category and feel emotionally connected to it, millennials thrive. Otherwise, you’ll find them bored and unfulfilled. Companies lose their millennial counterparts every single day because the workplace culture has failed in allowing them to be emotionally invested in their job. One way to accomplish this is to constantly offer them challenges that will tap into their “why” or easier said, their reason for being there.
2 Character Development
Millennials can find countless ways outside of their workplace to make them happy—their dogs, their hobbies, their friends. What millennials yearn for at their job is room for growth. This continuous development helps feed their goals and aspirations. It gives them a glimpse from the top of their professional mountain. It takes them out of that stifling “box” and out into the open air where they can stretch their arms and legs. In turn, this gives them purpose. Allowing for open dialogue between employees and their superiors can help tremendously.
3 Better Guidance
Perhaps the simplest thing that millennials resonate with in the workplace is extra guidance by their superiors. When a boss just makes demands without offering a teachable moment, it stifles their spirit and affects their connection to their job. When superiors can capitalize on their ability to teach, it further fosters the relationship between them and their employees. And in that relationship lies understanding, collaboration, respect, and trustworthiness—all things that millennials hope for in a job, and all things that help tether them to it.
I Love My Job Because…
These are all things that’ll help keep not only millennials but any employee engaged. As you can tell, they’re all interconnected somehow. The more you nurture your workplace culture to be a place of inspiration, dedication, and fun, the more you’ll keep potential job-hoppers sticking around. All jobs have their challenges and every employee goes through a transformation. But, it’s a company’s hope that through all of those up’s and down’s, they’ve provided enough compelling reasons to invest in the long-haul.
The bottom line is, it should be easy for your employees to answer the question: “I love my job because...” The good news is if you’re offering them purpose, growth opportunities, and guidance, they shouldn’t have a problem finding an answer.