July 10, 2012
A recent MTV workplace survey showed that Millennials overwhelmingly agree that their jobs should reflect their lifestyle, their workplace should be social and fun, and they should have flexible hours and autonomy over the projects they’ve been assigned. They want regular feedback on their performance and recognition for their work. Who wouldn’t want all that?
Full disclosure: I fit the description and identify deeply with the survey’s findings. Some people think of my generation as lazy, good-for-nothing slackers, feeling entitled to everything and entirely lacking a work ethic. But that’s wrong: Millennials have an incredible work ethic. We want to work, we want to succeed and the want to reshape the world in our image. We are simply motivated in non-traditional ways. So, instead of giving up on the entire generation, let’s reconsider the way we work and see if we can’t identify improvements in the status quo that might bring out the best in employees, while satisfying work/life expectations of this generation.
