Editor’s note: In a previous post, I introduced you to the Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement survey, which is conducted annually by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The survey is used as a tool to identify factors that influence overall employee satisfaction and engagement in the workplace, and it’s results provide insight to employee preferences and highlight key areas for businesses to consider as they develop and enhance initiatives for organizational improvement. The survey assesses 43 aspects of satisfaction and 37 aspects of engagement that are both categorized into eight areas, and I am dedicating a blog entry to each area. For this blog, we are focusing on Millennials.
As a bonus to the regularly included findings, the Society for Human Resource Management’s Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement survey included a report about Millennials in this year’s information. Because Millennials have been making their way into the job force over the last five years, SHRM decided it would be a good topic to address, as it now has tangible information on the up-and-coming generation.
“The Millennial generation is frequently generalized as entitled, lazy and self-centered,” reads the report. “Given these stereotypes, it would not be surprising to see these young workers as less satisfied with their jobs. This research, however, found no statistically significant differences in job satisfaction between generations.” According to the statistics, 88 percent of of all employees were satisfied with their job this year, and 86 percent of Millennials indicated the same. Similar percentages were reported for Generation X–88 percent–and Baby Boomers–90 percent. SHRM said that dominant traits of Millennials are often misinterpreted by their older-generation peers and managers.
In the work place, the ambition and idealistic outlook of Millennials are frequently mistaken for arrogance and egotism. According to SHRM, because Millennials are already equipped with a knowledge of new technological advancements when entering a job, they are achieving milestones more quickly than their generational counterparts and, therefore, less willing to stay put for extensive periods of time without promotion. “Arguably a bit impatient, Millennials are, in reality, eager to contribute and want to be involved, but their attitude is repeatedly frowned upon,” reads the study. “For example, as found in this research, younger workers want opportunities for development and self- improvement, even if that means searching for employment outside their current organization. Despite their determination, typically seen as a positive attribute, society misconstrues these shorter tenures as job-hopping, with the implication that Millennials lack a sense of loyalty to their employer.”
SHRM reports that some organizations have developed initiatives and programs to mitigate potential problems with these younger members of their staff. But instead of addressing the correct issues, the programs backfire and create tension as a result of issues that are falsely attributed to generational differences. “Many conflicts may be more a product of various life stages, career stages or job levels,” reads the report. “For instance, employees with children may place a higher value on family-friendly benefits . . . (while) Millennials place more importance on job-specic training, career development opportunities and career advancement opportunities contributing to their job satisfaction.”
The research into this subject also concluded that these shifts in workplace demographics coincide with a unique time period in the professional world where maintaining a business-as-usual is anything but usual and becoming increasingly more difficult. “Some believe that the demand for a 24/7 environment is a Millennial characteristic, but isn’t that a universal attitude? Largely on account of access to and speed of the Internet and other evolving technology, we are able to attain vast amounts of information and resources in mere moments. Organizations must adjust to the changing business landscape, externally and internally,” reads the report.
SHRM also suggests that organizations must strive to be adaptable within their workplace by transitioning to continuous feedback instead of relying on a formal performance review process and also by offering flexible work arrangements to avoid business interruptions. “The need to dispose of rigid procedures is a refection of the changing business world rather than the integration of the growing number of Millennial workers,” reads the report.
This information gives you a lot to think about for the next time you find yourself interviewing a job candidate who falls in the Millennial generation. While there are some proven negatives, be sure to keep an open mind when thinking about all of the positives this generational group can bring to your dental practice. While I don’t agree with putting a Millennial specific plan in place, I do think it would be a good idea to share this information with your staff in order to quell the misunderstandings and misinformation about the Millennial worker. I also agree with the employer keeping their organization adaptable to the shifts within the business world, especially when it comes to implementing continuous feedback throughout the year.
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