New ways of working: Millennials want in

Posted 09/08/2016

“Thank you”. “Well done”. “Congratulations”. It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to show your appreciation for someone. Whether they went beyond the call of duty, or always deliver exactly what’s needed – making people feel valued goes a long way.

For Millennials, the need to feel appreciated runs deep. They’ve grown up in a fast-paced world of sharing, rating, and instant feedback. So they want to see their careers through the same lens. Half of Millennials would even consider leaving their job because of a lack of appreciation.

Lots of employers have already recognised this. They know that feedback and recognition is a low-cost, effective way of engaging people in their role. So they’re making changes to make sure it’s embedded into their company culture. It’s a win-win. Their employees are happier in their roles, while the employer enhances their future talent pool.

Change is afoot

But challenges lie ahead. Nowadays, most Millennials are working in a 9-to-5 role. Their boss can expect them to be in the same place, at the same time, every week. Of course there are people who work in a more flexible way, but even today they’re a minority. This is set to change.

Our research found that more than half of Millennials are open to moving into non-traditional forms of employment in the future. They’re open to freelancing, gig work, portfolio careers, and more. New ways of working will become the new norm.

The ability to harness talent in new ways will create new opportunities for employers. It will drive greater productivity, at competitive costs. But it will still be important that all workers feel engaged and appreciated. Employers will need to keep pace. They’ll need to work harder, if they are going to drive engagement across a workforce that’s split into many different employment models.

Millennials are looking for regular change, new challenges, and advancement. But they still want to know that they’re valued and appreciated. It’s the responsibility of employers to make sure this happens, no matter how they’re getting the job done.

Find out more about the preferences and motivators of Millennials in our new report: Millennial Careers: 2020 Vision.

Mark Cahill

Mark Cahill is Managing Director of ManpowerGroup in the UK, a Regional Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Northern Europe, and European leader for RPO and for TAPFIN, ManpowerGroup’s MSP and vendor neutral solution. As Managing Director, he is responsible for the UK’s conception and delivery of industry-leading workforce solutions to clients and candidates to succeed. He is also responsible for driving the company’s Managed Service Programme (MSP) and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) offerings in Europe. A 29-year veteran of ManpowerGroup, Mark was previously Chief Executive of Brook Street, and has held roles such as Financial Director and Managing Director of the ManpowerGroup-owned company. Mark also performs an advisory role influencing government and agency bodies, and regularly contributes to industry-wide discussions. In 2014 he was appointed Chairman of the CBI’s London Council, following several years of active participation.