12 Simple Things Most Millennials Want from a New Job

Nowadays, millennials tend to be shown in a negative way. They are usually portrayed as a needy generation.

However, when you look into it, millennials simply ask for opportunities to show their potential and that they can be trusted.

These twelve things are what most millennials are looking for when they are applying for a new job. 

1. Corporate learning

One of the most important factors that millennials are looking for in a job is corporate learning.

In other words, millennials want a job that will allow them to truly immerse themselves in all aspects of a business.

They seek an opportunity to learn quickly and make a positive impact as early as possible.

As a matter of fact, the number one thing millennials want from their job is a position that would allow them to make an impact on their organization.

They strive to accomplish more and therefore want to be given opportunities to learn and develop. 

2. Purpose

Speaking of impact, millennials tend to hold businesses to a very high standard when it comes to their positive impact on society and the community they live in.

They are not only interested in the impact that can potentially have within the company they work in, but also their impact outside of the workspace.

Around 80 percent of millennials say they would be even more motivated for work if they felt like their job had a positive impact on society.

This is why it is very important for employers to show their employees their work value and impact that their work has. That is what will keep millennials engaged and motivated the most.

And since everyone is saying that millennials are a generation to save the world, they want to have jobs that will give them the opportunity to do so. 

3. Culture

A positive work environment has many benefits for the overall success of the company. It creates a sense of community, makes transparency, and most importantly encourages collaboration among your employees.

It can also positively affect the productivity of the employees. Millennials, more than any generation before them, want to be involved in building and maintaining a pleasant and joyful working culture.

It can be anything you can think of; planned company outgoings, frequent feedbacks, company meetings, rearranging the office space.

No matter what you do, find a way to involve your millennial employees. It’s honestly a very beneficial thing both for employees and the business itself. 

4. Flexibility

Another important factor millennials are looking for in a job is flexibility. Now, what exactly does flexibility at work mean?

Well, millennials are known for constantly being connected to their work, no matter where they are. They don’t necessarily need to be physically at work to work.

Millennials, among everything else, are work very well with clear instructions and concrete targets.

So it is generally suggested to managers to focus more on whether or not the task is done well and on time, instead of focusing on where or how the task is completed.

After all, if an employee is more motivated, engaged, and delivering high-quality work, what difference does it make whether they are at a coffee shop, at home in their pajamas, or in another part of the country?

Many modern-day developing organizations attracting talented and hard-working Millennials are encouraging flexibility for this exact reason. 

5. (REAL) Responsibilities

What Millennials want, maybe even more than anything else is to be entrusted with real responsibilities by their employer. They know exactly how to recognize their place on the totem pole.

However, as they begin to work they strive to be empowered and encouraged to speak up. They want to be given a chance to manage up and take the lead on important and challenging tasks.

That doesn’t mean that Millennials don’t need guidance or help along the way.

It is always helpful to have someone who is more experienced give you useful advice and opinion, but having a manager who believes in your skills, abilities, and potential can make a huge impact on the employee’s success and overall productivity. 

6. Strong manager and employee relationships

This point kind of has to do a little bit with one of the previously mentioned ones. Millennials not only want to have a pleasant workspace atmosphere, but they also want to have a boss they can trust.

They need an employer they feel comfortable talking to. Millennials need someone who is willing to be invested and interested in their professional and personal development.

It is also a very important factor for employee engagement. As a matter of fact, around 70 percent of the variance in employee engagement is due to the quality of the respondents’ bosses.

So, if you want to create a welcoming yet productive atmosphere among your employees, you need to show them you trust them with any task you give them.

Communication is the key to do so. 

7. Innovation

Productivity is an often mentioned factor of every successful company. But what actually stimulates and encourages this productivity?

Well, innovation is known for not only doing this but is also great for stimulating growth and expanding opportunities and that is exactly what Millennials are looking for in their future job.

Their biggest wish is to have a chance to develop their unique and marketable ideas. 

They want to use these opportunities to address some of the world’s greatest challenges. And if you want your company to stay competitive you need to constantly come up with new and original innovations.

You need to challenge the norms and push the boundaries in order to make progress. By encouraging your employees to push their ideas forward you’ll be able to improve.

Millennials not only want to be a part of this progress and improvement, but they also want to be a driving force of the company’s success. 

8. Room to fail

However, innovative ideas also come with the possibility of testing them and making a few mistakes along the way. That is what it is all about.

You can’t know if something is working without testing it. And if it fails, you’ll know what to change and improve. That’s just how growth happens. You need to learn from your own mistakes.

That is why Millennials want to work for a company that will encourage them to take risks and try as many things as possible. 

The best outcome would be a success, and the worst outcome is that they will learn from the failure and improve the idea. The problem with failure is that nobody celebrates it.

That is why it seems like an enemy most of the time, when in reality, as long as we don’t make the same mistake twice, failure is a natural part of any type of learning process.

A good boss would, therefore, be someone who encourages failure and guides their employees through the process of learning from mistakes. 

9. Volunteer opportunities

Volunteering opportunities are also something young Millennials seek in a job.

They are not only great for the personal growth of employees but are also a great way for the company to show their dedication to their mission and employees.

Volunteering is great for boosting engagement levels as well. It will encourage people to collaborate and it will also build a strong team.

And what more productive reason would there be to get out of the office than to help make a positive impact on the world.

More than anything else, Millennials see volunteering as a way for them to make that positive impact on society they all strive so much to achieve.

By giving them an opportunity to work on some passion projects even outside the office, you’ll show them that you care about their goals and aspirations. 

10. Millennials want retirement investment options

Millennials are well aware of the importance of real-life investing and its benefits as well.

Only a small number of Millennials (around 10 percent) would actually stay at the same job and keep their current lifestyle if they knew they would have enough money in order to retire.

Asking for concrete retirement options from their employer is a reasonable request. It is a basic desire of workers of all generations, a desire to have their future secured.

And since Millennials have lived through the recession of 2007 and 2008, they might be even more sensitive about making sure they have a plan and a saving for their retirement. 

Even though it can be very challenging to save money for retirement as soon as you leave college, not doing so and putting off contributing and investing for retirement is a huge mistake.

Young investors, more than anyone, should aim to save as much as they can that will match their employer, plus and an additional portion of their yearly compensation. 

11. A cozy hangout corner

Encouraging your employees to take regular breaks to walk around and stretch out is very desirable. Not only is it good for their physical health, but it’s also very beneficial for their mental health.

Having a chance to walk around or even relax for a little bit, on a comfy sofa can help reduce your employees’ stress and anxiety levels which will in return improve their productivity and creativity.

Millennials, in particular, are very conscious of their health and what they can do to clear their mental clarity and reduce stress.

Creating a cozy hangout corner for your employees to enjoy during short breaks will definitely help create a pleasant atmosphere that boosts creativity and friendship.

Try to make it appear warm and welcoming. Consider equipping it with lazy bags, some high-quality coffee machines they can use for their coffee breaks and maybe even some books or magazines they can read. 

12. Ability to prioritize family

Lastly, this one is for the Millennials who are starting families. They are in the stage of their lives when they have to adjust priorities according to their family.

Also, this is a stage where Millennials’ parents are also starting to need help from them. The thing with Millennials is that they see investing success as a way to care for their family.

That is why being able to work while also taking care of their family is what Millennials often look for in a job. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Millennials seem to have some different outlooks and viewpoints on their careers than some other previous generations.

However, all their needs still simply boil down to asking for some of the most basic things any employee would ask for from their boss.