I read an article in USA today that the millennial generation value a happy workplace over pay. I've never been a big fan of "naming" a whole generation of folk and expecting them all to act alike. I'm sure I have some things in common with my Boomer Buddies, but I'd be willing to bet we have more differences than similarities. This article stated that Millennials 25-35 years old would be willing to give up an average of $7,600 per year in pay for a better sitation at work. The two biggest things they seek are a better work/life balance and more career development. Granted, this is the generation that was raised to push a button and make things happen. I doubt whether many of them ever manually had to change a TV channel or open a garage door.
The article did give me pause, though. Our generation was raised by parents who insisted we go find the job and stick with it. Many of our parents spent 30 years at one thing. At the end, they left and went into retirement, some of them finding that they had no idea what to do with the next 30 years. There was no such thing as a second career.
Our generation tried the same thing, only some of us were derailed when we found the corporate structure really didn't care about our lives in any way other than what we could give them. Many of us, or our spouses, were shoved out the door in the name of profit and stock price. The recent downturn left many in their 50's and 60's without work and being very carefully rejected because of age to new opportunities.
The Millennial kids saw this. They witnessed the parent lose the job they had given their all to. They had seen their parents miss important things in their lives and they are now vowing not to do the same.
My hope is that this generation is successful in looking out for themselves, gaining better skills and running their lives in a way that allows them to be less dependent on an entitiy that leaves them floundering in mid life.
I think the Millennials may be on to something.
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