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The Recruitment Market & the Millennial
I've lost count of the number of people who have spoken to me in both bewilderment and frustration about their young and seemingly unimpressed workers. Entitlement, it seems, is the attitude they struggle most with because they find it difficult to motivate those who seem to believe that they are only there to do the aspects of a role that they want to do and that the employer should simply be grateful that they have chosen to work for them. So, what is it that causes this attitude of entitlement and apathetic behaviour amongst some Millennials? Many blame their upbringing. Given too much choice, freedom and living without consequence are some of the reasons I have heard. I have been shocked by the attitude of some of the parents I know towards their children who have simply paid off high levels of debt as if they were handing out some spare change for some sweets. Their children do not learn from irresponsibility's such as these, they simply take it for granted that the bank of Mum and Dad will consistently pay out. I differ slightly from some of the other parents I know. A strong sense of responsibility was installed into me from an early age and I have engrained this mentality into my own children. As an example, they are not bailed out without consequence because they have not been good with their money. In fact, they are not bailed out at all because they have a strong sense of value and respect when it comes to how they earn and spend their money. Some of the research that has been carried out on Millennials, also known as Generation Y (those born between 1980 and 2000), suggests that they are loyal, possess a strong work ethic and crave a steady career path within a supportive and team oriented environment. The research also suggests that Millennials place an emphasis on producing meaningful work, finding a creative outlet, have a preference for immediate feedback, take personal responsibility in order to make the most of what they do and are generally unsatisfied with remaining for a long period of time at the same job. Some employers are concerned that Millennials have too great an expectation from their workplaces and believe that they will switch jobs frequently in their quest to find the ideal environment. So what are the challenges for an employer in the world of recruitment? Finding a Millennial who wants to do recruitment as a career rather than an experiment is one thing, but then keeping them engaged and focused in such a competitive and turbulent environment is another. As someone who shares my work space with Millennials, the research observations seem accurate in the majority of cases. As a parent with one Millennial in full-time employment I recognise the loyalty they show to their employer, and their strong work ethic. Whilst a supportive and team oriented environment certainly seems important to them, I would question whether a steady career path is really that important to them right now given that one of their main motivations is to generate the funds needed to support their thousand mile an hour social life. The slightly older Millennials I work with are different. All have a sense of purpose and ambition, and take full responsibility for their own future. Because failure is not an option given that recruitment allows them to earn the money that they must have to fulfil realistic goals, they perceive any training or form of support as essential to their ongoing success in the industry, embrace it, and then apply suggestions immediately and with great effect. The result? Engaged, determined, tenacious and happy people working towards a common goal and doing a great job in recruitment. Why do Millennial's have such a stigma attached to them? Are they born with some of the attitudes they display, or should their parents take a more responsible approach to their upbringing?