Over the years, Millennials have acquired a unique reputation in the workforce. They are often seen as entitled, easily distracted, job-hoppers, and sometimes even lazy. That said, they’re also seen as highly-adaptable to change and innovation, motivated when it comes to defining their own sense of purpose, and of course, technologically advanced because they have grown up in a more digitized environment than anyone who came before them.
Because Millennials are our future, and they do have a lot of great things to offer, companies from all over the world have become obsessed with understanding Millennials better. This fascination has lead to a wealth of published research, sweeping HR trends, and even the rise of consulting firms claiming to specialize in the work-related behaviors of this unique generation.
But the truth is, there really isn’t a meaningful difference between Millennials and employees belonging to other generations. Aside from differences that naturally exists between employees who are in different stages of their lives, Millennials and employees of others generations want the same things at work (professional growth, proper pay, praise, work-life balance, benefits, a good manager, etc.)
So why, you might be asking, do we continue to see an overwhelming amount of evidence “proving” that Millennials are different? First, let’s address whether or not the research being proliferated across the web is even valid.
When you really dive into studies claiming to confirm huge differences between Millennials and the rest of the workforce, you would be surprised by how many of them lack even a real comparison between Millennials and control groups from other generations. In fact, when two researchers from the University of Georgia, Thomas C. Reeves and Eunjung Oh, took it upon themselves to see if these published studies were trustworthy, they summarized these findings as “gross generalizations based on weak survey research” and further, they recommended that these “speculations of profit-oriented consultants should be treated with extreme caution.” In short, if you can delineate one generation from the rest, you create a niche that then someone can claim to specialize in and ultimately profit from. Why wouldn’t these types of consultants, specialists, and researchers want to continue this narrative? It’s what sets them apart from the competition!
The second reason these myths about Millennials in the workforce continue to exist is because at the end of the day, people will publish the most attention-grabbing research they can possibly find. Publishing something that basically confirms we’re all pretty much alike doesn’t sell as well as publishing a research study that clearly states the differences between you and me.
Lastly, and probably the most concerning reason why these myths continue to circulate, is because attributing workforce challenges to a generation allows companies to avoid confronting the bigger issues at hand head on, such as workload, fair financial reward, and career development.
So how alike are Millennials with other generation employees? There are plenty of examples to cite, and you should absolutely do some of your own research! But for now, here are three examples you can take a look at:
Study #1
George Washington University and the Department of Defense
This group of researchers analyzed more than 20 published and unpublished studies relating to possible generational differences between employees.
Conclusion: Small differences among employees were most likely attributable to life stage factors as opposed to what generation they belonged to. Moreover, “targeted organizational interventions addressing generational differences may not be effective.”
Study #2
IBM’s Institute for Business Value report “Myths, Exaggerations and Uncomfortable Truths: The Real Story Behind Millennials in the Workplace”
This was a multigenerational study composed of almost 1,800 employees 12 different countries and 6 different industries.
Conclusion: Approximately the same percentage of Millennials want to make a positive impact on their organization as Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. Differences were also minimal across nine other variables studied.
Study #3
2015 National Study commissioned by CNBC
This study analyzed the importance of six traits in a potential employer: ethics, environmental practices, work-life balance, profitability, diversity and reputation for hiring the best and brightest.
Conclusion: Millennials preferences were pretty much the same as everyone else’s. And contrary to popular belief about Millennials being hard to please, Millennials reported being more satisfied with the employee development they received than the rest of the population.
Final Thoughts
Instead of wasting more time and money trying to create perks and programs specially targeted towards Millennials, perhaps companies should refocus on bolstering areas that engage all employees.
The more we discuss the specific reasons why individual groups of employees seem to be unhappy, the more we also realize that we are looking for the same things: work that challenges us to grow, appreciation for a job well done, and respect for our lives outside of work. If some of your employees aren’t receiving these things, you’re going to see a lack of engagement and higher turnover in that part of your organization. It’s that simple.
According to research in The Human Capital Edge there are four key questions all employees assess before deciding whether to join an organization:
- Is this an organization I can be proud of?
- Will I be given the tools to maximize my performance at this job?
- Will I be treated well both financially and interpersonally?
- Will this job fulfill me?
If we begin doing everything we can to ensure that the majority of employees answer “yes” to these questions, we won’t need to keep talking about what Millennials really want at work.