February 2016
Millennials require more time and support from their line managers than other workplace generations, new research has revealed.
HR software company Cascade HR surveyed 1,000 UK employers up and down the country about employee needs and demands and found that millennials - those born between 1980 and 2000 and who are sometimes called Gen Y - required significant guidance (63 per cent) in comparison to baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Gen X (born between 1965 and 1979) and Gen Z (born after 2000).
48 per cent of managers said their millennial employees needed 'regular progress meetings' to improve motivation, although 89 per cent said this generation were also the most career-driven.
In addition, the survey found that millennials were the most motivated by reward and praise in comparison to other workforce generations, whilst over half of the employers surveyed admitted they were also the most 'difficult' generation to retain in the workforce due to high expectations.
Jon Bryant, Online Benefits & Communications Director at Aon Employee Benefits said: "Aon's own research conducted in September 2015 found that generation Y employees preferred quick 'thank yous' and instant messages as a method for interacting with management. And when it came to retention, they expected to stay on average for three years with their current employer, compared to five years for generation X and seven years for baby boomers."
The Cascade HR study also showed that generation X were seen as the most 'self-sufficient' whilst 39 per cent of managers believed they also had the 'biggest desire' for a healthy work-life balance.
However, Bryant warned not to make generalisations based on the research findings:
"Whilst there are generational differences when it comes to attitudes and workplace preference, we need to be careful as broad generalisations can be misleading. Not all workers and workforces will display the same characteristics," he added.
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