Work culture and millennials
It’s not all about the money—at least, not for millennials.
According to a recent study by Virgin Pulse, younger workers want jobs at a company whose mission and culture align with their personal beliefs.
Whereas past generations have placed heavy emphasis on work benefits such as salary or odds of promotion, millennials increasingly seem to care most about what kind of impacts they will be making on society through their work with a specific company.
Meaningful work
This is by no means a new finding. For the past few years, millennials have redefined what work can be, changing it from something that just pays the bills to something actually kind of enjoyable. Increasingly, the generation is shifting left, supporting liberal movements that define many of society’s current issues and controversies.
According to a 2012 Forbes article, 86 percent of millennials believe businesses will play a large role in solving those issues.
This generation wants to know what your organization stands for in improving society, what it stands for in action, as opposed to blowing smoke. Millennials want to know how they will make a positive difference in the world if they join your business, not by wearing a colorful T-shirt on a special project once a year but in their actual work.
This generation sees a growing importance in holding a job that will allow them to positively impact the world—to reach that highest level on Maslow’s pyramid. Whether this work focuses on environmentalism, diversity and inclusivity, an end to poverty or hundreds of other social issues, the new age of workers wants to know that what they do day in and day out at least partially helps a cause that reaches far beyond themselves.
Work culture
The workforce has changed, and so have the desires of that workforce. So how can businesses keep up with these changes?
Ultimately, they should aim to make some kind of positive change in their everyday actions. They should establish values and work to fulfill those in all they do, but that’s easier said than done.
Businesses can rather easily, however, foster an open, honest work culture, which is a start down the right path. It may take time to develop an overall mission for a company—one that is both feasible and valuable—but it’s easy to start out by creating an honest, open company culture that puts the needs of employees high on the list of importance.
When employees can go to work and at least enjoy the environment they’re in, they’re bound to enjoy their jobs more. When they know their needs and wants are respected, they’re happier. When they’re free to be themselves, they’re happier. When they aren’t just going in to the office, keeping quiet all day and hightailing it out of there as soon as possible, they’re happier, and so is your business.
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It’s not a small task to evolve with the changing wants and desires of millennials, but it’s easy to at least start meeting those needs with a more progressive company culture.
Millennials want to enjoy their jobs, and one of the easiest ways to help them do so is to create a fun, relaxed work culture.
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