I’m a huge fan of Millennials, and not just because I grew 2 of my own, or their generation’s handle is so much cooler than ours. (Doesn’t Baby Boomer sound kind of dumb now that we’re signing up for Medicare?) I also think man-buns are way cuter than the long, stringy, center-parted locks our boys sported back in the day. But I digress.
This post regards a survey Microsoft conducted about what Millennials want from their jobs — the sample base was 1,000.
“Millennials will make up more than 50 percent of the workforce by 2020, so it’s crucial for companies of all sizes to consider how to attract and retain this generation.
So said David Smith, vice president of Worldwide SMB for Microsoft.
Following are their findings.
They’re collaborative. They’re not much on phone calls but 65% stated they preferred face-to-face communication with managers and 51% prefer in-person meetings with their colleagues.
They’re aware of security risks. Even while readily sharing personal information online, 81% are cautious about communicating sensitive data.
They prefer BYOD. (Had to stop and think about that one for a moment). They bring their own devices to work (58%—likely because their equipment is better than what the company provides), and 48% work on multiple devices.
Never mind calling IT. They prefer to resolve their own tech issues (29%–after all, they grew up doing that for their parents and grandparents). Also, companies need to be current. They want to work where the tech is up-to-date, said 93%.
Gee, so many of these questions have to do with technology! Oh, right, Microsoft sponsored the survey.
But then the queries took a personal turn.
They want autonomy: 80% feel in charge of their career paths, and they don’t plan to stick around. Only 17% could see themselves staying at a company for 7-9 years.
Here’s the part that speaks to me.
They want purpose. An overwhelming majority—88%—said they wanted to work for employers with strong values: they want to give back.
Many of us were idealists at that age, and just for the record: some of us still are.