What millennials expect from their employers

I am self-employed now, but if I were to be working in an organisation, as a millennial myself, the one thing that I wish my employers won’t overlook is work-life balance. It would be a disgrace for me to be working in an environment where they don’t respect my personal time and space. I took the time to ask a few employed people about their expectations from an employer and the answers vary according to their ages, city and experience.

What is the biggest incentive that your company can offer to deter you from joining a competitor?

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“More money” is not always the answer and this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Job satisfaction seems to trump money more than anything else. This is a time and age where even a job at an MNC, which is traditionally considered as secure, is under threat thanks to automation and the political upheavals that you read about in newspapers.

Time equals money and there are no two ways about it. It is a resource that is valued highly. So when companies need to be competitive, they need to think of fresh ways to attract employees and check attrition. Someone like me would go ga-ga over the free lunches that are provided at certain organisations, while it would not tingle any emotion in someone else.

Millennials are considered to be easily distracted, entitled, misdirected, not open to feedback, etc. But there is also a mix of people who are purposeful, not easily distracted, problem solvers and demand work-life balance. This is why companies want to include millennials on their payroll because they seek for a chance to mould them into better performers.

Some of the things that millennials seek from employers:

1. Opportunity to create a positive impact in the organisation
2. Get promoted or be eligible for promotion every year
3. Work with the best organisation in the industry
4. Became an expert in the field
5. Earn enough money to start a business in the next five years
6. Skill development and growth

Let us see in detail the expectations of millennials from their employers:

To do meaningful work:

This expectation ranked high with most professionals I interviewed for this article. No matter what the salary was, millennials do not want to be at a job that makes them feel hollow at the end of the day. A sense of contribution is one of the desired aspect. Most aim to provide some sort of value that lingers even after their departure from the job. In fact, millennials who want to do meaningful work do not mind a pay cut if it is for a job that satisfies them.

Flexible working hours:

Work hour flexibility featured as one of the top sought features among millennials . Unlike baby boomers who were happy with clocking a 9am to 5pm at their respective jobs, millennials want to work at flexible hours. A couple of decades ago this would have been unheard of, but with the advent of technology work hour flexibility has become tangible and desired by most. Many millennials prefer working from home and do not mind putting in a few extra hours and according to their employer's exigencies.

The opportunity to work with smart people:

Millennials are always on the lookout for an exciting challenge and crave to work with people who are smarter than themselves, as it provides them the scope to learn. Hence it would be ideal if employers must cater an environment of sharing and discussion of ideas. There must be processes in place which provide an equal opportunity for employees to bring out the best in them.

With all said and done, millennials want jobs which will advance their careers. They also want to be in a challenging environment where they are adequately compensated in accordance with their skillset. As attrition rates peak to its highest, a few missteps here and there will leave your company bereaved of the best and young minds in the industry. So be wary of how you proceed keeping in mind that millennials will comprise majority of your workforce.