There is a very significant shift happening in the workplace, and it’s geared towards that infamous generation – the millennials.
Millennials are typically those born between the early 1980s and the year 2000. Although it’s probably unfair to claim that all millennials share the same set of characteristics, it is truthful that the millennial generation were the first to grow up with internet access, and therefore are generally more naturally versed in technology and modern communication methods than their older relatives.
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Older millennials have been in the workplace for well over 10 years now, but given that many began their careers at the beginning of a major economic crash, they may only just be reaching higher levels of responsibility, and may have experienced long term unemployment, the exploitation of unpaid internships or underpaid entry roles in many industries. This has obviously helped shaped their view of the workplace, and has informed the younger millennials coming into the workplace behind them.
So how exactly do they view the modern workplace?
The Condeco Modern Workplace Report 2018 found that millennials are more likely to move from job to job, looking for the best opportunity rather than staying loyal to one organisation. This makes sense given the precarious financial situation that many of them entered as adults. This creates competition within industries, with businesses looking to compete in attracting the best millennial talent.
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Millennials are driving workplace design in particular, as business leaders make changes to their workspaces in order to stay competitive and engage the interest of the millennial generation.
“We have worked on making our workspaces more comfortable and more sexy, as employees are increasingly concerned with how it looks. This is driven by millennials,” ~ an executive at a German fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company told the The Modern Workplace 2018 Report.
Industries that involve more creativity are under even more pressure to provide impressive surroundings for millennial employees, and according to Condeco’s research, the expected ‘Google-isation’ of workspaces has created an unrealistic expectation for many millennials.
Overall, millennials do have high expectations for the workplace – but these expectations are largely a good thing. With millennials looking for flexibility, a greater sense of purpose at work and an engaging experience, workplaces that do keep up with millennial demands may find that the results are positive for everyone, no matter what generation they are part of.