The 2016 Deloitte
Millennial Survey
Winning over the next
generation of leaders

IntroductionM

illennials, in general, express little loyalty
to their current employers and many areplanning near-term exits. This “loyalty
challenge” is driven by a variety of factors.
Millennials feel underutilized and believe they’re not being
developed as leaders. They continue to express positive
views of businesses’ role in society; they have softened
their negative perceptions of corporate motivation andethics, and cite a strong alignment of values. However,Millennials feel that most businesses have no ambition
beyond profit, and there are distinct differences in what
they believe the purpose of business should be andwhat they perceive it to currently be. Millennials often
put their personal values ahead of organizational goals,
and several have shunned assignments (and potential
employers) that conflict with their beliefs.

1

These findings are drawn from Deloitte’s fifth global
Millennial Survey, which this year focused on Millennials’
values and ambitions, drivers of job satisfaction, and theirincreasing representation on senior management teams.
Millennials represent an increasing share of the workforce(evidenced by a recent analysis from Deloitte University
Press1 that showed Millennials “have recently inched past
the other generations to corner the largest share of the
US labor market”), and a growing number now occupy
senior positions. They are no longer leaders of tomorrow,
but increasingly, leaders of today—as such, their views
on how business does and should conduct itself are ofmore than academic interest. We see that Millennials aretaking their values with them into the boardroom. As theMillennial generation gets older, a larger proportion are
also becoming parents; the opinions of Millennial moms
and dads are also covered in the current study.

Dr. Patricia Buckley, Dr. Peter Viechnicki, and Akrur Baruahttp, “A New Understanding of Millennials: Generational Differences Reexamined”

2

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

As with previous surveys in the series, we collected
the views of nearly 7,700 Millennials representing
29 countries around the globe. All participants wereborn after 1982, have obtained a college or university
degree, are employed fulltime, and predominantly workin large (100+ employees), private sector organizations(see note on methodology).

This summary explores the factors that
underlie the loyalty challenge and offers
suggestions, based on respondent
responses, that could help earn thatloyalty back.

Research scope

EMERGING MARKETSInterviews achieved: 4,300
Argentina | 300
Brazil | 300
Chile | 300
China | 300
Colombia | 300
India | 300
Indonesia | 300
Mexico | 300
Malaysia, Thailand andSingapore (MTS) | 300
Peru | 200
The Philippines | 300
Russia | 300
South Africa | 200
South Korea | 300
Turkey | 300

DEVELOPED MARKETSInterviews achieved: 3,392

3

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Australia | 300
Belgium | 200
Canada | 300
France | 300
Germany | 300
Italy | 300
Japan | 300
Spain | 300
Switzerland | 192
The Netherlands | 300
UK | 300
US | 300

Part one

Many Millennials have one foot out the doorDuring the next year, if given the choice, one in
Figure 1: Two in three Millennials expect to leave by 2020
four Millennials would quit his or her current
Percentage who expect to leave in the next…
employer to join a new organization or to do≤ 6 months
something different. That figure increases to
6 months to 1 year
expect to stay
44 percent when the time frame is expanded to two years.
> 1 to 2 years
By the end of 2020, two of every three respondents hope
> 2 to 5 years
to have moved on, while only 16 percent of Millennials
8%
see themselves with their current employers a decade> 5 to 10 years
from now. This remarkable absence of loyalty represents> 10 years
5%
a serious challenge to any business employing a large
Would never leave
11%
number of Millennials, especially those in markets—likeDon’t know
the United States—where Millennials now represent thelargest segment of the workforce.

27%

66%

expect to leave
13%

12%

11%
19%
22%

4

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Q. If you had a choice, how long would you stay with your current employer before leaving to join a new organization or do something different?

In each of the 29 countries where Millennials weresurveyed, a majority believe they will have left theirorganizations before 2020 has passed. The percentages
range from the low 50s in Belgium (51 percent), Spain(52 percent), and Japan (52 percent) to more than threequarters in Peru (82 percent), South Africa (76 percent),and India (76 percent). In general, the intention tomove on is greater in emerging (69 percent) rather thanmature economies (61 percent). Regionally, Latin America(71 percent) has the highest figure and Western Europe(60 percent) the lowest. Meanwhile, within the regions,
we see outliers that suggest this is not merely a functionof the current economic climate. For instance, in the UK,
71 percent indicate an expectation of moving on.

Figure 2: Millennials in emerging markets are the least loyal to their current organizations
Percentage who expect to leave in the next five years
Emerging markets
Peru

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Latin America

Canada

82%

71%

61%

South Africa

Emerging markets

Developed markets

India

Argentina

Russia

76%

69%

61%

76%

67%

61%

Colombia

75%

China

65%

Western Europe

60%South Korea

74%

The Philippines

64%

Japan

52%

Chile

United States

Spain

71%

64%

52%

United Kingdom

Indonesia

Belgium

71%
5

Developed markets

62%

51%

See country classification here.
Q. If you had a choice, how long would you stay with your current employer before leaving to join a new organization or do something different?

When looking at demographic subgroups, we find that
Millennials who are parents show somewhat more loyalty
than those without children; 32 percent of the former
intend to remain with their current employers for five years
or more, compared to 24 percent of the latter. This is astatistically significant difference. That said, twice as
many (64 percent) Millennial parents expect to leave theircurrent employer before 2021 as to stay beyond thisdate. Women (67 percent) are slightly more likely to leave
within the next five years than men (64 percent).
Even those Millennials in senior positions express theintention to leave their organizations relatively soon. In thiscurrent survey, approximately one in five respondents areeither the head of a department or division (12 percent) or
have a position within his or her senior management teamor board (7 percent). Clearly, Millennials no longer havethe potential to shape the fortunes of their organizations;many are already in positions to do so. However, while
they occupy such influential positions and have presumably
enjoyed satisfactory career trajectories, a majority

6

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey(57 percent) believe they will leave their current businesses
before year-end 2020. While this naturally represents gains
for new employers, this is a significant amount of seniortalent (and investment) to be walking out the door.

Lack of loyalty may be a sign of neglect
While many Millennials have already attained senior
positions, much remains to be done. More than six in ten
Millennials (63 percent) say their “leadership skills are notbeing fully developed.” In some markets, such as Brazil andthe southeastern Asia nations of Malaysia, Singapore, andThailand, the figure exceeds 70 percent. Unfortunately,
little progress is being made in this area. In the 2013 survey,
49 percent of respondents thought their organizations
were doing all they could to develop their leadership skills.
Meanwhile, last year we observed that “regardless ofgender or geography, only 28 percent of Millennials feelthat their current organizations are making ‘full use’ of theskills they currently have to offer.”

Last year, when asked to rate the skills and attributes on
which businesses place the most value (and are preparedto pay the highest salaries), Millennials pointed to“leadership” as being the most prized. This was mentionedby 39 percent, but only 24 percent thought this was astrong personal trait of theirs upon graduation (a gap of
15 percentage points). Millennials fully appreciate thatleadership skills are important to business and recognize
that, in this respect, their development may be far fromcomplete. But, based on the current results, Millennials
believe businesses are not doing enough to bridge the gap
to ensure a new generation of business leaders is created.

Of great significance in the current survey results is thefinding that 71 percent of those likely to leave in the next
two years are unhappy with how their leadership skills
are being developed—fully 17 points higher than among
those intending to stay beyond 2020. As Figure 3 shows,the most loyal employees are more likely to agree that:

It is encouraging to report relatively small genderdifferences in consideration for senior roles. However, theabsolute figures are disappointing—50 percent of maleand 48 percent of female respondents say they are “being
overlooked for potential leadership positions.”

While consideration (or a lack of it) may be equal, thereality is that Millennial men (21 percent) are significantly
more likely than women (16 percent) to say they lead
• Younger employees are actively encouraged to aim fora department or are members of the senior management
leadership roles.
team. Could this reflect continuing gender bias or
Meanwhile, the least loyal employees are significantly more situations in which women feel less encouraged in seeking
senior roles?
likely to say that:• My leadership skills are not being fully developed.

Stay more than 5 years

52%

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

54%

68%
57%

52%
42%

For example, in 2015 we reported a significant gender gapof six points between the proportion of men (27 percent)and women (21 percent) who rated their leadership skills
as strong.
“There is a lot of
support for thosewishing to take onleadership roles”(Average = 59%)

7

Leave within 2 years

71%

68%

• There is a lot of support/training available to thosewishing to take on leadership roles; and• I’m being overlooked for potential leadership positions;andFigure 3: Supporting leadership ambitions builds
loyalty (yes really!)
Percentage agreeing with each statement“My leadership skills
are not being fully
developed”(Average = 63%)

“Younger employees
are actively
encouraged to aim
for leadership roles”(Average = 58%)

“I feel that I’m being
overlooked forpotential leadership
positions”(Average = 49%)

Q. “Thinking about the support your organization offers you in regards to taking onleadership positions, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Part two

Shared goals, different focus—the “sustainability gap”

M

illennials continue to express positive views
Figure 4: Millennials believe businesses to be more ethical and society-focused than a year ago,of business, and their opinions regarding
but remain wary of motivations
businesses’ motivations and ethics showed
Percentage who said businesses…
stark improvement in this survey. However,Focus on their own
Behave in an
Leaders are
Have no ambition
much skepticism remains, driven by the majority held belief
agenda rather thanethical mannercommitted to
beyond wanting tothat businesses have no ambition beyond profit. Almost
considering thehelping to improve
make moneynine in ten (87 percent) believe that “the success of awider societysocietybusiness should be measured in terms of more than justits financial performance.” This is a widely held belief;
only in Germany (22 percent) and South Korea (30 percent)do more than a fifth of Millennials say business successshould be measured in purely financial terms.

64%

58%

2015 = 75%

2015 = 52%

57%
2015 = 53%

Business has a positive impact on society
Millennials continue to hold business in high regard: threequarters (73 percent) maintain that it has a positive impact
upon wider society. This figure is unchanged since 2013
(when we first asked the question) and shows that, despite
a downturn in certain local and regional economies,
Millennials remain upbeat about businesses’ potential to
do good. This positive evaluation is, perhaps naturally,

8

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Agree

DisagreeQ. Thinking about businesses around the world, would you agree or disagree that, on balance, the following statements describe their current behavior?

54%most evident among those in senior positions (83 percent),
but also peaks among Millennial parents (81 percent), the“super-connected Millennials” (87 percent), and “active
citizens” (76 percent). These latter two groups represent
those making significantly more use of social media or
who volunteer, campaign, donate, or more actively engage
with social, environmental, or political affairs. As such, it isencouraging that such Millennials are pro-business rather
than anti-business.
Millennials in our survey also believe businesses are
behaving in an increasingly responsible manner. On balance,
Millennials still believe that businesses focus on their own
agendas—but compared to 2015, they are significantly lesslikely to say this. Meanwhile, they are more likely than lastyear to agree that businesses “behave in an ethical manner”(58 percent versus 52 percent) and that “their leaders arecommitted to helping improve society” (57 percent versus
53 percent). There is still much to be done, though, as amajority (54 percent) believe businesses around the world
have “no ambition beyond making money.”

9

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Not impressed by the “buzz” around a business

However, at 27 percent, the “buzz” around a businessranks 14th of the 15th attributes measured (and only
Millennials judge the performance of a business on what
13th among those most engaged with social media).
it does and how it treats people. For example, among
those saying business “means more than a healthy balance Millennials’ views of what businesses should strive tosheet,” more than six in ten would reference the quality of achieve have remained consistent over time. In last year’s
its products and services (63 percent) or levels of employee study, we compared purpose—what businesses should
do—versus impact—what they are doing—and foundsatisfaction (62 percent). A majority (55 percent) focus on
customer loyalty/satisfaction. Innovation and efficiency also that Millennials consider businesses to be underperformingby 10 percentage points at improving livelihoods, andrank highly.
underperforming by 12 percentage points on social/environmental benefit. In contrast, there was a perceived
Millennials are less impressed by theoveremphasis in areas of profit generation (+10) andsheer scale of a business, its age, or thewealth creation (+13). As noted later, Millennials very muchgeneral buzz that surrounds it. Based on a believe that business success is built on a foundation of
long-term sustainability rather than pursuing short-term
stereotypical view of Millennials, the profile profit maximization.

or “positive energy” around a businessmight be thought of as being highly
important to them.

For long-term success, put employees first
In previous surveys, Millennials have told us thatbusinesses’ greatest contribution was the financial benefit
associated with job creation—but they see this as an
outcome rather than a guiding principle of businessconduct. So, to better understand their values, we asked
Millennials, “What are the most important values abusiness should follow if it is to have long-term success?”
They responded that businesses should put employees
first, and they should have a solid foundation of trust andintegrity. Customer care and high-quality, reliable products
also ranked relatively high in importance. Attention to theenvironment and social responsibility were also mentioned
by a significant number of Millennials. It’s noteworthy thatfew (5 percent) of those answering thought profit-focusedvalues would ensure long-term success.

10

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Figure 5: The values that support long-term business success are people treatment,
ethics, and customer focus

Environmental Good
impactproducts

26%

Employee satisfaction/
loyalty/fair treatment

25%
Ethics/trust/
integrity/honesty

19%

Customer care/
focus

13%
Quality/reliability

8%

7%Innovation

6%

Corporate
Efficiency/ Respectsocialadaptable/
responsibility
moveswith thetimes

Q. In general terms, what are the most important values you think a business should follow if it is to have long-term success?

Some of the most noteworthy comments were:“Ensuring employees feel comfortable—that is a successfulcompany; where people are free to perform their tasks
and duties regardless of time and space”(Female, Mexico)“Setting long-term goals that both improve the businessand treat employees with respect and integrity”(Male, Canada)“The most important values are integrity, a customer-firststrategy, and long-term goals”(Male, Singapore)“To be fully transparent and strive for fairness andequality in all aspects of their workings”(Male, UK)“Following environmentally sustainable practices
and offering employees a good work/life balance”(Female, Australia)“The most important values are honesty, reliability,
and respect.”(Female, Spain)11

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey“The key values for long-term success are social
responsibility, employee satisfaction, and a goodworking environment”(Male, Peru)“Respect for people and the environment”(Female, Brazil)“Fair competition and a harmonious social environment.
A sense of innovation is also particularly important”(Male, China)“Important values include low staff turnover, qualityof service or products, environmental protection, andemployee satisfaction”(Female, Chile)

Values guide where Millennials work, what
assignments they will accept
Millennials want to contribute to the positive impact
they believe business has on society, but in so doing,
they wish to stay true to their personal values. Seven inten (70 percent) Millennials believe their personal values
are shared by the organizations they work for. This rises

to 80 percent among the most senior Millennials and82 percent for those intending to stay for at least anotherfive years. This is a strong indication that Millennials
choose employers whose values reflect their own—aconcept reinforced by the finding that, globally, 56 percent
of Millennials have “ruled out ever working for a particularorganization because of its values or standard of conduct.”This strong degree of alignment with their employers
does not mean Millennials are a benign workforce. Almost
half (49 percent) have “chosen not to undertake a task
at work because it went against their personal values or
ethics.” This increases to 61 percent among those in senior
positions. Geographically, the level of “refusal” ranges
from 20 percent in Japan to 71 percent in Colombia, andis generally high in Latin America. So, while they may
judge the impact of business to be positive, and thinkbusiness behaves in an ethical manner, most Millennials
have no problem standing their ground when asked to dosomething that conflicts with their personal values.

When asked to state the level of influence different factors
have on their decision making at work, “my personalvalues/morals” ranked first. Over half (55 percent) said thishad a very high degree of influence, with “personal goals
and ambitions and career progression” (51 percent) ranking
second. “Meeting the organization’s formal targets orobjectives” ranked only fifth of the seven factors measured.

Figure 6: Personal values have the greatest influence on Millennials’ decision making
Percentage who said factor is “very influential” when making decisions at work
Senior Millennials: heads of department and above
Junior Millennials: graduates and junior positions
64%

Your personal values/morals

49%
60%

Impact on clients, customers

This emphasis on personal values
continues into the boardroom; the rankorder of priorities does not change forsenior Millennials. As such, we can expect
Millennial leaders to base their decisions
as much on personal values as on theachievement of specific targets or goals.

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

58%Your personal goals and ambitions/career progression
Being true to the organization’s values
or overall sense of purpose
Meeting the organization’s formal targets
or objectives, e.g., profit or revenue targets
Avoiding trouble/minimizing personal risk

Impact on colleagues

12

45%

Q. How much influence do the following factors have when you are making decisions at work?

46%
57%
38%
56%
36%
51%
36%
50%
34%

Aligned values, but mismatched purposes
This year’s survey results suggest Millennials don’t see theirorganizations as reflecting the core values they believe tolie behind long-term success—resulting in a significant gap
between where Millennials believe emphasis should beplaced and what they perceive to be the case.
There are five key areas where Millennials believe
businesses’ sense of purpose should be far greater thanis currently the case. Shown in the top-left quadrant of
Figure 7, these areas include: improving the skills, income,and “satisfaction levels” of employees; creating jobs; andimpacting positively on users of their goods and services.
Diametrically opposed is the emphasis on profit andbusiness expansion.
These sentiments are consistent with the results from lastyear’s survey. Then, we identified a “leadership gap”—
differences between the priorities Millennials would haveif they led their organizations and where they believed
their senior leadership teams to be focused. As is the13

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Figure 7: Millennials would prioritize the sense of purpose around people rather
than growth or profit maximization
High Millennial
priority

Low employer
priority• Providing a good income to ouremployees• Being the best possible place to work
• Improving the skills of our workforce• Providing services/goods that make apositive difference to people’s lives• Generating and supporting jobs

• Being as efficient as possible• Ensuring the long-term future of
our company/organization• Continuous improvement/increasing
knowledge in our area of activity• Making the best possible products/being
the best business in our area of activity• Making a positive contribution to local
communities/society• Collaborating with other organizations
to create new ideas/better solutions• Improving/protecting the environment• Making money/maximizing profit• Growing the business/becoming bigger
e.g., entering new international markets• Being well-known/increasing our public
profile• Creating wealth/contributing toeconomic growth

Low Millennial
priority
Q. Thinking about your place of work, how strong is the sense of purpose around the following objectives?
Q. And for you personally, where would you like the strongest sense of purpose to be in your organization?

High employer
priority

case this year, the earlier research told us that Millennials
would place far greater emphasis than current leaders
on “employee wellbeing” and “employee growth anddevelopment.” They would be less focused on “personal
income/reward” or “short-term financial goals.”
Millennials who enter the boardroom and those in senior
positions have a desire to rebalance business priorities
by putting people before profit. Similar to those in morejunior roles, members of senior management teams would
personally like to see a greater sense of purpose around“being the best possible place to work” and “providing agood income to employees.” They are more aligned thanjunior employees regarding “maximizing profit,” “being
the best in their organization’s area of activity,” and“expansion”—but this doesn’t detract from the sense that
Millennials’ “people-first” values will remain with them as
they take on greater levels of responsibility.

14

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Taken together, the preceding findings paint a clear pictureof what Millennials believe the foundations of businesssuccess to be. This generation evaluates such success inways that go beyond a focus on financial performance,increasing the focus on activities and behaviors that
support long-term sustainability. The potential for a“profits-first” approach to alienate Millennials is highlighted
by its relationship to a range of variables in our dataset.
We see, for example, that where Millennials feel theirorganizations put “financial performance before everythingelse,” only 20 percent intend to stay for more than five
years (compared to the average of 27 percent). Significant
differences are also seen with overall levels of employee
satisfaction (42 percent in the “profits-first” business versus
an average of 53 percent) and value alignment (61 percent
versus 70 percent).

As we observed in 2015, Millennials recognize, absolutely,that financial success is one of the elements thatcharacterize a “leading organization,” but on its own
is insufficient. Profit is combined with three other of
the “Four Ps”: people (employees and in wider society);products; and purpose, which, in combination, provide aplatform for long-term success.
Millennials are not naive, though. While they certainly
wish to see a greater focus on the needs of the individual,
whether employees or those who use their products andservices, they simultaneously demonstrate an appreciationof business fundamentals. This generation is acutely awareof the impact of the Great Recession and closely attuned
to changing economic conditions (see Economic Outlook
section). They, therefore, recognize the importance ofensuring the long-term success of a business and its ability
to support and create jobs.

We see this demonstrated by Millennials’ alignment with
their senior leadership teams with respect to the priority
given to increasing efficiency, ensuring organizations’ longterm futures, continuous improvement, and a desire to be
the best businesses in their specific area of activity. Again,
this reflects last year’s study where we found Millennials
sharing their leaders’ sense of priority over:• Investing in growth/driving business initiatives;• Dealing fairly with suppliers;• Developing new/innovative products and services;• Making positive impact on customers; and• Ensuring the long-term future of the organization.
Millennials are, thus, in broad alignment with senior
executives on initiatives that support long-term success,suggesting that they value approaches that directly impact
individuals via jobs, income, skills, or quality products.
As reported above, Millennials are not anti-profit andrecognize money making as a vital component of businesssuccess. They would simply advise against placing too
much emphasis on short-term profit maximization.

15

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Figure 8: Being held accountable doesn’t reduce loyalty or satisfaction

Percentage who will
stay more than 5 years

Percentage reporting
high level of satisfaction

27%

53%
28%
32%
62%
54%

All

People are held accountable
for their actions and performance

Q. Which of the following words or phrases match the “culture” within your current organization?

Focus on getting detail rightWe further observe Millennials’ appreciation of businessfundamentals in data taken from questions on businessculture and their recognition of the need for accountability
and attention to detail. While Millennials wouldn’t
wish to work in a highly regimented and controlledenvironment, they understand the need for people to beheld accountable for their actions and performance. Levelsof job satisfaction are as equally high as elsewhere, where
this is a feature of an organization’s culture, while loyalty issimilarly unaffected by holding people to account.
Where holding people to account is a characteristic of anorganization, respondents are just as likely (54 percent) as
the survey average (53 percent) to say there are high levelsof job satisfaction. It is also the case that holding people
to account for their actions does not appear to diminish
loyalty. Where such accountability is evident (28 percent),
Millennials are just as likely as average (27 percent) to staywith an organization for five years or more.

16

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Personal goals are fairly traditional
Perhaps just as surprising as the finding that Millennials
aren’t particularly influenced by the buzz around individual
businesses or employers, survey respondents also indicate
little desire to be famous, have a high profile on social
media, or accumulate great wealth.
Instead, in broad terms, Millennials’ personal goals are more
traditional. They seek a good work/life balance, they want
to own their own homes, they desire a partner for life, andthey strive for financial security that allows them to saveenough money for a comfortable retirement. The ambition
to make positive contributions to their organizations’ successand/or to the world in general also rates highly.

Part three

Bridge the gaps, retain the talentT

he link between Millennials’ loyalty and their
feelings about business are not a coincidence.
Thus, those organizations that “do the rightthing” may be less likely to lose their Millennial
employees. Our survey provides some ideas as to how
this “brain drain” can be arrested, with three key actions
suggesting themselves:• Identify, understand, and align with Millennials’ values;• Satisfy the demands Millennials have of employers; and• Support Millennials’ ambitions and professional
development.
We have observed that loyalty to an employer is driven byunderstanding and support of Millennials’ career and life
ambitions, as well as providing opportunities to progressand become leaders. Having a mentor is incredibly
powerful in this regard.

17

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Encourage mentorship

Figure 9: Millennials with a mentor are receiving
good advice and feel somebody is interested in
In a recent LinkedIn article, Deloitte Global CEO,
Punit Renjen, said: “There is really no secret (to success) and their professional development
there surely are no shortcuts. In my case, it was a pretty
simple equation: hard work + some lucky breaks + great
mentors.” The last of these, the positive impact of thementor, is clearly highlighted by our findings. Among those
who have somebody acting as their mentor, more thannine in ten describe the quality of advice (94 percent) andthe level of interest shown in their development (91 percent)as “good.” Among those with mentors, 83 percent aresatisfied with this aspect of their working lives.
Where it exists, mentoring is having a positive impact andsix in ten (61 percent) Millennials are currently benefitingfrom having somebody to turn to for advice, or who helps
develop their leadership skills. Again, this varies by market
and appears more prevalent in emerging (67 percent)rather than mature (52 percent) economies. Mentorshiplevels are particularly low in Australia, Germany, Canada,
The Netherlands, and France, where only a minority ofI have a mentor
My mentor provides good advice
My mentor is interested in my personal development
I am satisfied (with mentoring)

91%

83%

94%
My mentor
provides good
advice61%

Q. Overall, how would you rate your mentor, in terms of the quality of advice they give/the level of interest they show in your personal development (% Good)?. Q. How satisfied
are you with mentoring received from senior colleagues (% Satisfied)? Mentoring received
from senior colleagues (% Satisfied)respondents said they have mentors. Improving theselevels cannot not only advance the careers of Millennials,
but it will also go some way toward strengthening
loyalty. Those intending to stay with their organization
for more than five years are twice as likely to have amentor (68 percent) than not (32 percent). Among thoseintending to leave within two years, the ratio of those with
(56 percent) and those without (44 percent) a mentor ismuch lower.

Have purpose beyond profit
Corporate values that are shared with and believed byMillennials also promote loyalty—particularly whenemployers demonstrate a strong sense of company purpose
beyond financial success. As Figure 10 illustrates, Millennials
intending to stay with their organization for at least five
years are far more likely than others to report a positive
culture and focus on the needs of the individual.

Figure 10: Those likely to remain longest share their organization’s values, and are more satisfied
with its sense of purpose and support of professional development
Percent satisfied with each aspect/describes* their organization
Stay more than 5 years

88%

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

86%

Gap

83%

82%

81%

81%
74%

68%
63%

62%

25%

24%

62%
58%

Variety ofexperiences

61%
56%

25%

59%

25%
20%

18%

Sense ofpurpose18

86%

Leave within 2 years

20%
15%

Use madeof skills

Professional
development

Q. How satisfied are you with the following aspects of your current working life?

Valuesaligned*Mentoringreceived

Personal
recognition

Cross-teamcollaboration*

Provide developmental opportunities

Create the “perfect” job, environment

While correlation is obviously not the same as causation,
it is likely no coincidence that where Millennials are mostsatisfied with their learning opportunities and professional
development programs they are also likely to stay longer.
It is, therefore, disappointing that less than a quarter(24 percent) of Millennials are “very satisfied” with this
aspect of their working lives. This figure is significantly
higher if:

It has been widely reported that Millennials are generally
impatient for promotion, dependent on praise, shocked
by criticism, and—in the minds of older generations—notprepared to make the effort required for career success.
To help address such criticisms, we used our latest survey
to discover, in an objective and statistically robust manner,
what Millennials most want from a job.

• An employee’s values are aligned with his or herorganization’s (30 percent versus 10 percent where they
are not);

Using a trade-off technique, we presented respondents
with 14 factors they might consider when choosing
whether to work for an organization. These were presented
in groups of four, with each respondent asked to selectwhich of the quartet would represent his or her strongest
and weakest reasons for selecting a job. Random groupsof four were presented until, in effect, each of the 14
factors had been traded off against all others. This provides
a more objective measure than simply asking people toplace 14 items in order of preference. The results are
revealing.

• An employee intends to remain for more than five years(36 percent versus 17 percent for those staying lessthan two);• There is a high level of cross-team collaboration(30 percent versus 12 percent where there is not); and• An employee feels in control of his or her career(28 percent versus 11 percent among those who do not).

19

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Pay and financial benefits drive
Millennials’ choice of organization
more than anything else.
This single factor accounts for more than a fifth(22 percent) of the combined level of influence of the
14 factors measured. This was found to be true in eachof the 29 markets covered, so it would appear to bea universal truth of Millennial recruitment. However,organizations cannot afford (in all senses) to engage in a
bidding war for Millennial talent. There is a limit to what
an organization can pay and, while compensation may
be the strongest single driver of employer choice, it does
not work in isolation. If a candidate is choosing between
organizations offering similar financial incentives, otherfactors come into play. Understanding these factors
as a package will help employers attract and retain
Millennial talent.

As Figure 11 illustrates, when salary or other financial
benefits are removed from the equation, work/lifebalance and opportunities to progress or take onleadership roles stand out. Those factors are followedby flexible working arrangements, deriving a sense of
meaning, and training programs that support professional
development. An employer that can offer these is likely to
be more successful than its rivals in securing the talents of
the Millennial generation.

Figure 11: In most markets, work/life balance comes before career progression
when evaluating job opportunities
Relative degree of importance (excluding salary)
Good work/life balance

16.8

Opportunities to progress/be leaders

13.4

Flexibility i.e., remote working, flexible hours

11.0

Sense of meaning from my work

9.3

Professional development training programs

On the other hand, they will find it hard to become an
employer of choice if they attempt to differentiate primarily
by means of their growth records, market leadership, useof technology or, least influential of all, the reputation of
their senior executives. That said, should a leadership teambring its organization into disrepute, it is highly likely—
given Millennials’ values—that this will drive candidates
away. This would be especially true of super-connected
Millennials, who place a relatively large emphasis on
the behavior of business leaders when measuringcorporate success.

20

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

8.3

The impact it has on society

6.8

The quality of its products/services

6.4

Strong sense of purpose

6.2

Opportunities for international travel

5.9

Fast growing/dynamic

4.4

A leading company that people admire

4.3

Invests in and uses the latest technology

4.1

The reputation of its leaders

3.1

Q. For each of the following groups of four, please indicate what would be the strongest reason for choosing to work for an organization and what would be the weakest.

This broad pattern of preference is observed across all
markets, although some variation is seen. The opportunity
for career progression is the number one priority (after
salary) in Argentina, Peru, Mexico, India, Colombia,
South Africa, and China. By contrast, it is only thesixth strongest driver in Japan and fourth strongest inSouth Korea and Belgium.
Analysis of demographic groups shows a generally large
degree of consistency between genders and also between
parents and nonparents. However, there are some subtle
variations in how the different elements combine to makeup the perfect job. All four groups (men, women, parents,
and nonparents) rate salary as their most influential
factor when choosing whether to work for a particularorganization. Removing this from the equation sees work/
life balance emerge as the top priority for each group; but,it carries more weight among women and also, perhaps
surprisingly, nonparents.

21

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Women are as equally likely as men to rate opportunities
for career progression and leadership roles as a major
factor; the genders are also aligned on the value of
professional development support, impact on wider
society, and opportunities to travel. Where differences do
appear, and this is in degree of influence rather than rankorder, women place greater emphasis on flexible working
opportunities and the ability to derive a sense of meaningfrom their work. Men, meanwhile, prioritize a numberof external factors linked to an organization’s reputation.
These are not top-ranked factors but, perhaps mindful ofwhat others would think if they worked for a particularorganization, men would be more likely to consider thefollowing when deciding who to work for:• Investment/use of technology;• Being fast-growing/dynamic;• Quality of products/services;• Being a leading company that people admire; and• The reputation of its leaders.

Flexible working: Striking a balanceWriting on LinkedIn, Adam Henderson ofMillennial Mindset asked, “If you can’t
trust your employees to work flexibly,
why hire them in the first place?” He
continued, “A flexible approach to work also helps
businesses retain their best talent as they are giving theiremployees an option to do great work, but in a way thatfits their lifestyles, providing a win-win scenario for all.”Our survey explored the issue of flexible working in somedetail and found that while most (70 percent) were able
to access email and relevant applications from mobile
devices—and also, within limits, work flexible hours(67 percent)—only a minority (43 percent) were allowed
to work from home or other locations where theyfelt most productive. In just five markets (South Korea,
Indonesia, India, The Netherlands, Belgium) could amajority work from home if they wished. The opportunity
to enjoy this flexibility and level of trust is also relatively
high among: senior executives (56 percent); organizations
with high employee satisfaction (51 percent);

22

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Surveyorganizations actively supporting leadership roles(50 percent); parents (49 percent); men (47 percent); andthose intending to stay more than five years (46 percent).
The current level of flexibility is not consistent with
Millennials’ desires. Fully 88 percent wish they could,
within certain limits, have greater opportunity to startand finish work at the times they choose. Meanwhile,
77 percent wish to have greater mobile connectivity, suchas via tablets and smartphones. But, the greatest gap
between current supply and demand surrounds the issueof remote working—fully 75 percent would like to startto, or more frequently, work from home or other locations
where they feel more productive. This is nearly double theproportion that currently do so (43 percent).
Such measures would most likely increase levels ofsatisfaction and, in Millennials’ opinions, boost productivity.
Of course, they have a vested interest in saying so, but
a majority (51 percent) expect productivity to increase if
people in their organizations could work from home orplaces other than the main location.

Figure 12: Millennials would like more opportunities towork remotely—and think it will boost productivity
Percentage who said...
Currently offered
Would like to start/do more
Positive impact on productivity

75%“Work from homeor other locations
where you feel
you can be mostproductive”

51%

43%

Q. Which of the following are you able to do in your current job? / Which of the following
would you like to start or do to a greater extent than is currently possible at your current
organization? / What impact would it have on productivity if people in your organization weremore able to do the following?

Our survey points to additional organizational traits andFigure 13: Strong sense of purpose, inclusiveness, and open communications are higher where
behaviors that promote a sense of positivity among
employees intend to stay longer
Millennials. They are more likely to report high levels of Percentage of Millennials who said that...
satisfaction where there is a creative, inclusive working
Stay more than 5 years
Leave within 2 years
culture (76 percent) rather than a more authoritarian,
rules-based approach (49 percent). More specifically,47%
in organizations with high levels of employee satisfaction,
44%
43%
40%
Millennials have a much greater tendency to report:
38%• Open and free-flowing communication (47 percent
versus 26 percent where employee satisfaction is low);• A culture of mutual support and tolerance (42 percent
versus 25 percent);

38%

26%

• A strong sense of purpose beyond financial success(40 percent versus 22 percent);

36%

31%

34%

40%

29%

27%

24%

22%

35%

33%
30%
29%

27%

31%

31%

20%

20%

Focus oncurrent tasks
with little timeto learn
new things

Profit/financial
performancecomes before
everything else

30%

20%

• The active encouragement of ideas among all employees(38 percent versus 21 percent);• A strong commitment to equality and inclusiveness(36 percent versus 17 percent); and• Support and understanding of the ambitions of younger
employees (34 percent versus 15 percent).

23

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Strong senseof purpose
beyondfinancial success

Strongcommitment toequality andinclusivenessOpen andfree-flowing
communication

Culture of mutual
support andtolerance

Idea generation Understandand support
is actively
the ambitions
encouragedof its younger
among allemployees
employees,
regardless of age

A lot ofimportance isplaced on
getting details
right

Q. Which of the following words or phrases match the culture within your current organization?

People’s time
People are held As long as we getand performanceaccountable forthe job done
is closely
their actions
we are freemonitored
and performance
to work as
we wishVerydriven by
deadlinesIn turn, where these characteristics are evident within
an organization, we observe stronger levels of loyalty.
Figure 13 serves to underline the suggestions offeredby the survey as a whole—open communication,
inclusiveness, and attention to the ambitions ofMillennials really do foster loyalty. In this particularcase, having a strong sense of purpose beyond financial
success is also a key driver of loyalty.

In the Millennials’ ideal workweek, there
would be significantly more time devoted
to the discussion of new ideas and ways ofworking, on coaching and mentoring, andon the development of their leadershipskills.

Figure 14: Ideal versus current number of hours spent on specific tasks
Number of hours currently/ideally spent on each task in a typical week
Ideal for a typical week (Hours)

4.6
Discussing new ideas/
ways of working

3.3

4.1

4.5
Development ofleadership skills

Emails

3.6

Receiving coaching/mentoring

2.4

2.7
4.8
Actual for a typical week (Hours)

24

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Q. In a five-day workweek, how much of your time is typically spent on the following activities? / And what would be ideal amount of time you spend each week on each of these activities?

They would like to increase the time devoted to leadershipskills development from 2.7 to 4.5 hours a week—anincrease of two-thirds. To accommodate this, Millennials
see an opportunity to decrease the hours spent on email
and instant messaging.

try to do “the right thing.” We, therefore, see Millennials
expressing a greater sense of control if they work inorganizations that support their ambitions, align with theirvalues, feature a collaborative and trust-based working
culture, and have a strong sense of purpose.

Figure 15: Three-quarters of Millennials are
confident and feel in control of their career paths
Percentage in control of their career paths
I have total control
I have a large degree, but not complete control
It is mainly influenced by others or events outside my control

Finally, Millennials want to feel in control of theircareers. Most survey respondents expressed satisfactionin this area—almost three in ten (29 percent) say they
have “total control” over their career paths. Adding the48 percent who said they “have a large degree, but notcomplete control,” more than three-quarters (77 percent)of Millennials feel their career paths are in their own hands
and not influenced by others or outside events.
Millennial parents (82 percent) feel more in control thanthose without children, as are those most engaged withsocial media (87 percent). Meanwhile, this sense of control
is greater in more holistic organizations that generally

Those who feel in control appear to be alittle more loyal.
So, rather than hastening their exits, empowering
Millennials might help retain them. As we have seen, this isamong the greatest talent challenges currently facing theworld’s employers, so is certainly to be encouraged.

It is totally controlled by others or outside events
Don’t know

3% 3%
29%

18%
Control77%
No control

21%

48%
25

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Q. How much control do you feel that you have over your career path?

Millennials’ economic outlook:
Storms ahead for emerging markets

M

illennials provide a useful barometer of
economic confidence and their current viewsof future performance are both striking andconcerning.

They are likely to be particularly sensitive to economic
conditions. Although our respondents are all employedfull time and generally working in large organizations,they are a generation whose careers were at a relatively
early stage when the Great Recession hit. Meanwhile, they
will be more aware than most of the high levels of youth
unemployment that persist. The average level for OECD
countries is 15 percent and accounts for more than one infive 15-24 year olds in Spain (53 percent), South Africa(51 percent), France (23 percent), and Belgium (23 percent).
Our latest results show that, globally, Millennials onbalance remain optimistic, but at the lowest level we have
yet recorded. Across all 29 markets, 41 percent expect theoverall economic situation in their countries to improve
during the next 12 months while 30 percent foresee26

The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

Figure 16: Economic confidence: Levels of optimism
Change in Economic Optimism Index (2016 versus 2015)30%

Negative but improving
Argentina | France | Japan (no change)

25%

Positive and improving
Belgium | Germany | Italy | Spain | Switzerland | The
Netherlands | The Philippines | Turkey | UK (no change) | US

15%

rea
o
K
AL uth
e
ia
l
T
i
Ch
So
TO
Ind

5%

0%

ets
k
r
ma
ica
r
a
f
g
i
a
i
h A nada ssia
mb stral ergin u
a
il
t
S
o
n
z
l
i
u
r
Bra
Co
Ru
MT
Au
Ch
Ca
So
Pe
Em

s
s
s
y
y
a
e
n
d
ly
in
ts
ine rlan man gdom Japa
Ita entin Spa lgium ranc State urke rland arke
p
e
r
T
F
ip
g
Be
Ge
ed
the ed m Phil witz
Kin
Ar
t
i
e
d
S
n
N
e
U
ite
e
op
Th
T h ev e l
Un
D

-15%

-25%

Positive but declining
Brazil | China | Colombia | India | Indonesia | Peru

-35%

Negative and declining
Australia | Canada | Chile | Malaysia/Singapore/Thailand| Mexico | Russia | South Africa | South Korea-45%

MTS: Malaysia/Thailand/Singapore
Q. Taking everything into account, do you expect the overall economic situation in (NAME OF COUNTRY) to improve, worsen, or stay the same over the next 12 months?

o
esi
c
n
i
x
o
Me
Ind

a

Stay connected

www.deloitte.com/MillennialSurvey#MillennialSurvey
deterioration; this gives a net optimism score of +11, which
is six points below that seen in 2015. While disappointing
in itself to observe such a drop, this figure masks somequite dramatic regional and local changes. For example,
while China’s Millennials, on balance, are still positive, theiroptimism score (+43) is 18 points below that recorded lastyear. Still greater drops are seen in Brazil (down 20 points
to + 29) and Russia (down 30 to -23), while the greatest
declines are recorded in Indonesia (down 41 to +28),
Mexico (down 39 to -27), and Malaysia/Thailand/Singapore(down 32 to -6).
Optimism tends to be growing in mature economies (+4),
but is declining in emerging markets (-14). The greatest
upswing in optimism is seen in Italy (up 27 to +14) andseven of the ten largest improvements are in developed
markets.

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The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey