Millennials, or Generation Y, are defined as: The generation born in the 1980s and 1990s, comprising primarily the children of the baby boomers and typically perceived as increasingly familiar with digital and electronic technology.
Millennials often get bashed in the press, e.g. the recent statement that the reason they can’t afford their own homes is because they spend too much money on their avocado toast, but there are plenty of great things we can learn from this generation! So, today I’m going to tell you four positive work ethics you can learn from Millennials.
Education is important
This generation tend to believe that education shouldn’t stop when school finishes, with one in five admitting that they wish to take a career break in order to further their education, and almost the entire generation having a desire for lifelong learning.
Positive change
Another stereotype of Generation Y is that they are job-hoppers, with 2/3 not wanting to stay in one role for more than two years. While this may make them seem like they can’t commit or that they think of their needs more than the needs of a business (which may be true for some), it has been shown that staying in one role for more than two years can result in lower lifetime earnings, while job-hoppers gain more experiences and skills while growing their professional network.
Travelling is good for you
Generation Y are known for their love for “gap years” and “finding themselves” while they travel, and admittedly most of them consider a company’s holiday policy as an important factor when applying for jobs. However, in an article published by the Harvard Business Review it was shown that “taking more vacation results in greater success at work as well as lower stress and more happiness at work and home.”
Morals & Values
This generation tend to have a very strong grip on morality, and more than half of them state that they wouldn’t work for a company that didn’t align with their personal values. While this might make them seem “too sensitive” it actually supports the evidence that an unmotivated workforce costs a business far more than happy employees do.
Hopefully these four positive work ethics you can learn from Millennials have given you a better idea of who this generation are and how their attitudes can benefit businesses. For more insightful blogs around the topics of business and recruitment, check out the rest of my blog!