A trending trait of the Millennial generation seems to be “job-hoppy,” meaning they are always looking for the next best thing. According to the Harvard Business Review, “21 [percent] of Millennial workers had left their job in the last year to do something else, a number that is more than three times higher than that of non-Millennials who report doing the same thing.” What is leading this trait? Why are they constantly on the move? What do they want in a job?! It’s true that most workers aren’t exactly engaged at work, but these Millennials lead the pack. So, if we can figure out what keeps them engaged, then we can ultimately increase this generation’s employee retention rates.
There are a million articles out there on how to satisfy and manage Millennials in the workplace, so instead of relaying over information that has been published hundreds of times, we are getting original. We’ve gone straight to the source with our very own Millennials here at Team Agile to ask them what Millennials want in a job and what keeps them engaged. It doesn’t get any more authentic than this!
When asked what really motivates them to get out of bed in the morning and come to work, here’s what they said…
“To provide for my family; for purpose – to have something for myself that is outside of being a wife and a mom; to challenge myself”
“Being a Millennial can sometimes cause managers to have less respect for you than for other employees. I agree that some millennials are lazy, entitled, and not the best employees, however, we aren’t all that way! I would say that the thing I care about most at work, is being treated with respect, fairness, and being treated like an adult! It’s so refreshing to be in an environment when you are trusted to do your job – as it hasn’t always been that way for me in past positions. I can say that going forward, that would be the #1 motivator for me – to me, it’s WAY more important than how much money I make. In past positions at previous employers, I haven’t always been set up to succeed. A lot of the times, previous managers didn’t really care about how far I went in my career or giving promotions for learning new skills & acquiring new knowledge. For me, my #2 motivator is having management that truly wants me to be successful and is willing to do whatever they can to get me there! I would want leaders who truly care about you as a person and a professional and want you to be as successful as you want to be – Management who will believe in you! To me, that’s extremely important and will definitely motivate you to want to do the best you can do! Taking time off for vacation is SO important to keeping a healthy work-life balance! My #3 motivator is definitely the ability to have PTO. This was never offered to me at my previous places of employment and I truly believed that it caused me to become super stressed and burnt out. You need that time off from work to unplug & recharge – PTO = happy employees, which = more productive employees in my opinion!”
“Meeting new people and making connections every day that will build my network and help me for the future; The culture and atmosphere around Agile. As an 18-year-old Millennial, it’s not easy to get excited for an 8-4 job, but when you have great people that are all in for one goal, it really helps; The opportunity to truly be a part of something bigger than myself. I may only be an intern, but the chance to help Agile’s vision of becoming the most recommended staffing firm to work for and with in Atlanta is something to look forward to everyday.”
“Flexibility – The flexibility here at Agile is amazing. Having the ability to work from home or use flex hours to stay out of Atlanta traffic is a great privilege. After all, we are all fathers, mothers, husbands and wives first. Trust – Another big plus of Agile is the level of trust that Tricia and the leadership have for their employees. It is awesome knowing I have the freedom to make decisions, and mistakes, without worrying about being constantly reprimanded. Training/Professional growth – My final need is the ability to constantly learn new tactics, which will ultimately allow for professional growth and advancement within Agile.”
“For me, it’s all about making a difference and knowing I provided impact. I enjoy being a part of a team that appreciates the work I put it, so I would say another motivator would be recognition. A third and MAJOR motivator for me here at Agile is mentorship. My manager wants nothing but good things for me, and continues to coach me every day to achieve these things. It’s made all the difference in this job!”
“Manager’s trusting me– It is very important for me to know that my managers trust me and have confidence in me that I will get my work done no matter what. Doing things to show me they trust me is important and allows me to know they are confident in me. Career advancement– For me, career advancement is important. I want to know that I have the opportunity to work my way up and take on new challenges and roles as I prove myself and perform. It is important to make good money, but it means more than just making money for me. I want to know that the harder I work the more money I can make. I am willing to put in the extra work/extra hours knowing that I can increase how much I make. It is also the fact that I want to be able to support myself no matter what. I am very independent and having a career where I can financially support myself is important.”
“To work with people, I not only get along with but actually like and would willingly spend time with outside of the office; To be trusted and not micromanaged. It’s nice coming to work and not being constantly hounded for updates as to what I’m doing and how my numbers look; The opportunity to be taught something new every day. There are such a diverse group of experts here that happily share knowledge whenever asked. Whether it be through formal trainings or quick conversations in the break room, everyone is always available to pass along a tip or make a helpful suggestion.”
You heard it here first – this is what Millennials REALLY want in a job, and what is keeping them satisfied with their work. If your company wants to do a better job of retaining these individuals, start with something similar to this and just ask! Lay a foundation for what their interests are and what keeps them going, and go from there. Once you are able to provide these attributes, you may keep Millennials from continually searching for – and pursuing – the next best thing elsewhere.
For more information, contact us and start up a conversation, or comment below. Team Agile is always here to help!