Millennials – or those born between 1980 and 1999 – are often blamed in the media for disrupting societal norms.
Recent headlines have accused this generation of ‘killing’ everything from golf to paper napkins, and their trend towards having less (or even no) children is greatly worrying economists.
However, research from Robert Walters may have found one thing that Millennials are creating more of – intergenerational conflict in the workplace.
The researchers dubbed the age group the most ‘impatient generation’ in the workplace, with over 90% wanting ‘rapid career progression.’
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Almost 70% of employers believe that this level of ambition and desire is the leading cause of conflict between generations – with a third of Generation X (born 1960 -1979) (34%) and a quarter of Baby Boomers (born 1940 -1959) (24%) and Millennials (24%) agreeing with this.
Millennials widely perceive technology to be the root cause of workplace conflicts. A third (34%) reported that older workers not understanding new technology was the chief cause of these conflicts, followed by younger workers becoming frustrated at using outdated technology (33%) whilst at work.
However, employers and employees from Generation X and Baby Boomers believe that Millennials are far more pampered than was ever the norm in the workplace – with their demands for time and a tailored approach way out of line with general expectations.
“According to our survey almost 60% of workers have experienced intergenerational conflict in the workplace,” said Chris Hickey, UK CEO at Robert Walters.
“As Millennials make up a growing part of the workforce, finding a way for members of different generations to work together effectively is an increasingly high priority.
“Making sure that managers understand what motivates workers from different generations, how they like to communicate, and identifying common sources of conflict is essential to creating a strong team of varied generations and diversity of opinions.”
The researchers suggested that Millennials expect several perks from their employer – including a good salary, options for progression, transparency, and the ability to feel fulfilment through work.
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During the recession, many Millennials struggled to find jobs that met their expectations. Three in ten (31%) reported that they had taken work in a sector that they did not wish to work in as a last resort. Now, as the economic outlook improves, many are ready to change jobs to find a new role that better suits their ambitions.
“Employers looking to retain Millennial employees should consider giving them the option to move around the business to find a position that better suits their desired career path, particularly given that 70% of Millennials consider job rotation within the business one of the most important aspects of their job,” advised Hickey.
