perspectives
Debunking the Myth
WHY YOU WANT MILLENNIALS ON YOUR TEAM
Stereotypes about millennials are as abundant as the demo-graphics’
presence in today’s workforce, which will account
for three quarters of the global workforce by 2025.
Society’s most buzzed-about generation is frequently per-ceived
as one that prioritizes experiences over financial security
and one that is happy to jump between jobs without giving a lot
of thought to long-term career goals. However, new research sug-gests
that those common perceptions of the millennial generation
are highly inaccurate. A new study by American Express Canada
and Catalyst Canada supports what Amex has learned from work-ing
with this generation for years: millennials are worth investing
in and are a highly valuable part of today’s workforce.
Millennials are ambitious, possess a strong work ethic and are
invested in their careers and finances.
Many executives have weighed in on the “millennial debate,”
with a large majority of them supporting the infamous stereotypes.
Millennials as a whole are believed to be entitled, noncommit-tal
to their employers and keen to spend money on experiences
rather than saving for the future, especially when compared to
earlier generations.
However, research findings from the survey of young pro-fessionals
suggest otherwise. Millennial women are likely to
maneuver between workplaces in the early stages of their careers –
around 78 per cent had worked for multiple companies thus far in
their careers. Despite this, a majority (54 per cent) is still likely to
remain at an organization when they find one that supports their
aspirations. When it comes to investing in their future, millennial
women are more inclined to associate success with achieving their
financial goals (74 per cent) than their more experienced female
counterparts. The data demonstrates millennials’ commitment to
personal career development and a strong connection with their
current employer.
By Catherine Finley
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HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2019 ❚ 59
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