Webinar Series

Best Practices for Educating, Training, Attracting, and Retaining Millennials

February 15, 2017
THE CHALLENGES OF THE 

MILLENNIAL GENERATION AND 

BEYOND IN THE WORKFORCE

Jill A. Brown, 

Associate Professor of Management

Harold S. Geneen Research Professor

Bentley University
WHO ARE THE MILLENNIALS?

§ The U.S.’s largest living generation (U.S. Census Bureau 2016)

§ Projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028* (Pew Research, 2016)

§ Over half of the population in India (PwC, 2015)

§ Millennials (formerly Gen Y) 

 ̈ U.S.: 69.2 million people between the ages of 18-35 (b. 1981-1998) 

• Projected to peak in 2036 at 81.1 million. 

• The most diverse adult generation

• 57% non-Hispanic whites, 21% Hispanic, 13% black, 6% Asian. 

• Only 28% are married (Silent Generation at same age—64% were married)

 ̈ Global: 75% of the global workforce by 2025

*Note: Some controversy about the years that constitute 

“Millennials” (Washington Post 4/26/16)
BREAKOUT BY BIRTHS
THE GENERATIONS

§ Contrasts with:

 ̈ Generation X (ages 36-51, b.1965-1980)

• Low birth rates 

• Popularized in the book by Douglas Coupland, “Generation X: Tales 

for an Accelerated Culture”

 ̈ Baby Boomer (ages 52-70, b.1946-1964) 

• Peaked at 78.8 million in 1999 in U.S

• 74.9 million in U.S. in 2015

• Will dwindle to 16.6 million by midcentury

 ̈ Silent Generation(ages 71 and older, b.1928-1945) 

• “Silent” because of their image as conformist 

and civic-minded
CHALLENGES IN INTERPRETING 

MILLENNIAL DATA

§ Stereotypes: 

 ̈ Confidence and Idealism ~ Arrogance and Egotism

§ Homophily: 

 ̈ Tendency of individuals to bond with similar others

§ The (False) Assumption of Homogeneity

§ Age Distinctions – Absolute points are debatable

§ The Influence of Culture

§ BIG Q: Are there really

differences??
CHARACTERISTICS OF 

MILLENNIALS- General Facts

§ Religion: They are not as religious as prior generations

§ Trust : They lack trust in the labor market, with government, in 

marriage and other aspects of life

§ Media: They have (recent) negative views of the media 

§ Industry: They have more positive views of banks, large corporations 

and small businesses than older generations

§ Labor: They are much more likely than older generations to view 

labor unions positively

§ Optimism: Most believe they are better off than their parents’

generations, but Millennials in Western Europe are less 

optimistic about their futures.
Q	&	A	
MILLENNIAL 

OPINIONS REGARDING WORK 

(True Across Multiple Surveys)

§ Millennials have a different concept of the mentor/mentee 

relationship

 ̈ Millennials look for just a few critical people to help them reach their goals quickly

§ Most Millennials do not identify with the term “millennials”

 ̈ Just 40% of adults 18-34 consider themselves part of this generation; another 33% 

consider themselves part of the older cohort, Gen X.

§ Millennials are significantly more critical of their generation 

than older age cohorts are of theirs.

 ̈ 59% of Millennials describe the members of their generation as self-absorbed, 49% 

say they are wasteful and 43% describe themselves as greedy.

§ Millennials are highly brand-focused

 ̈ Brand messaging can help with recruiting
MILLENNIAL 

OPINIONS REGARDING WORK 

(True Across Multiple Surveys)

§ Most Millennials are willing to compromise to get work- they still feel the 

effects of economic crises

 ̈ Graduates in US, UK, Ireland and Hong Kong, were most willing to make compromises—

Japan, Turkey, South Africa and Belgium least willing (PwC, 2015)

§ Corporate reputation is important to Millennials. 

 ̈ In Ireland, 30% would avoid working in Financial Services and 26% of Chinese respondents 

shun insurance. 

 ̈ Half of Millennials questioned said they would avoid working in certain industry sectors (oil, 

gas)

 ̈ Almost half of respondents from Africa would not work in the government and public 

services.

§ Opportunities for progression are important to Millennials 

 ̈ Japanese, Swiss, French and Brazilian graduates are the most dissatisfied with career 

progression.

§ Millennials see outdated traditional working practices

 ̈ 69% feel rigid hierarchies and outdated management styles. 

 ̈ 46% believe managers do not understand the way they use tech at work.
“Debatable” millennial characteristics, 

expectations

(Depending On The Study....)

§ Loyalty- (debatable)

 ̈ One side: Millennials are “loyalty-lite” (PwC, Deloitte)

 ̈ Another side: They are more loyal than we think (Bentley)

§ Compromise- (debatable)

 ̈ One side: 72% felt they made some sort of tradeoff to get a job (PwC, 2015)

 ̈ Another side: Millennials are choosy but will compromise salary for promise of work/life 

balance and flexibility (Deloitte)

§ Work/life balance (almost all agree)

 ̈ May be more important than financial reward in retaining employees (PwC, Deloitte, Bentley)

 ̈ Millennials favor personal development and flex working hours over cash bonuses

 ̈ Millennials feel their employers fail at work/life balance promises

§ Diversity- (almost all agree)

 ̈ Millennials feel that companies do not walk the talk about diversity.

§ Technology- (debatable)

 ̈ Millennials prefer to communicate electronically at work rather than face-to-face (PwC, 

Deloitte)

 ̈ However, they prefer face-to-face feedback (Bloomberg)

 ̈ They feel technology is a source of intergenerational conflict (PwC, 2015)

 ̈ 59% said that an employer’s provision of state-of-the-art tech was important to them when 

considering a job (PwC, 2015)
“Debatable” millennial characteristics, 

expectations 

(Depending On The Study....)

§ Career Progression (most agree)

 ̈ Millennials have career progression as top priority over salary in why they chose their 

employer.

 ̈ 66% of Millennials surveyed are interested in starting their own business; only 13% said 

they would like to be CEO or President.

§ Corporate Social Responsibility (most agree)

 ̈ Waning in importance for Millennials in 2011, back on again in 2016.

 ̈ Millennials believe that business can have a positive impact on society and success is more 

than just financial performance (Deloitte, 2016)

§ Overseas (most agree)

 ̈ Millennials have a strong appetite for working overseas. 

 ̈ Good—but bad in that they want to go to developed countries like US, UK and Australia; 

only 11% willing to work in India, 22% in Hong Kong, but only 2% in mainland China.

§ Salary (debatable)

 ̈ 79% expect a yearly salary increase (Bentley, 2016)

§ Work Ethic (most agree)

 ̈ 35% of Millennials say people their age are unprepared for their first job because of poor 

work ethic
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR 

EMPLOYERS? Things To Consider

§ Millennials have an affinity for technology and the digital world

§ They expect instant access to information

§ They place more emphasis on their personal needs than on those of 

the organization

§ They are uncomfortable with rigid corporate structures and 

information silos

§ They expect rapid progression and continual (not constant) 

feedback

§ They are ambitious and have a desire to keep learning

§ They care “less about IQ, more about EQ”(PwC, 2015) - because IQ 

knowledge is available at fingertips....

§ Corporate reputation is important to them.

§ Millennials are not “anti-profit” but they believe in long-term view 

(Deloitte, 2016)
MILLENNIAL 

WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS

§ Millennials expect a workplace technology ecosystem- including 

networks, IM, video-on-demand, blogs, wikis. 

§ Millennials expect training programs that are a mix of classroom 

interaction, self-directed study, coaching and learning. 

§ Millennials expect to be rewarded by results...

§ Millennials like the prospect of customizing their benefits

§ Millennials cite healthcare benefits as a key factor in deciding 

jobs

§ Millennials will use resource groups

§ Millennials would like flex working hours 

 ̈ They believe they are more productive with flex hours.
FORTUNE MAGAZINE: 

100 Best Workplaces For 

Millennials..2nd Annual Survey

§ Employee based feedback of more than 600 organizations that have 

been certified a Great Place to Work– 58 workplace quality questions

§ http://fortune.com/best-workplaces-millennials/

§ Top public companies: Ultimate Software, Workday, Salesforce, First 

American Equipment Finance, Kimpton Hotels, Workiva, Mercedes 

Benz

§ Focus on:

 ̈ Sincerity of managers’ support for people’s personal and professional lives

 ̈ How transparent communication is

 ̈ People’s ability to be themselves at work and to invest in lives outside of work

 ̈ The meaning they get from their jobs
Are they that complicated?

Reflective of bias....

§ Yes- they are difficult

 ̈ Millennials have a sense of 

entitlement

 ̈ They overshare on social media

 ̈ Their frankness verges on 

insubordination

 ̈ They are narcissistic (Time, 2013)

 ̈ They blur personal and 

professional boundaries

 ̈ They are “job hoppers”

§ No- they are no more difficult 

than most workers

 ̈ It is a company culture story. 

Workers want a fulfilling work life

 ̈ Millennials are no different than 

other young workers, who have 

“growing pains”

 ̈ Workers have been pushing for 

workplace flexibility since the 

“70’s

 ̈ Millennials are looking for 

transparency, fairness and trust. 

They will go elsewhere if they do 

not find it.
THE GREAT GENERATIONAL 

DIVIDE: BBs vs Millennials

§ Clichés?? Or unconscious bias? Or attitudinal bias? Or discrimination?

(Note: these are different)

3 MAJOR POINTS OF TENSION

 ̈ Experienced Baby Boomers thinking about retirement 

vs. Millennials who are tech-savvy and collaborative and mobile

 ̈ Hard working Baby Boomers who work independently 

vs. Millennials who want higher starting salaries, flex work schedules, companyprovided technology, quick feedback and promotions

 ̈ Face-to-face Baby Boomers 

vs. Millennials who text, IM and use social media

Truth: Most Millennials are happy to work alongside older generations (76%)...but 

38% feel older senior management cannot relate to younger workers and 34% feel 

their personal drive could be intimidating to older workers (PWC. 2015)
Q	&	A	
What millennials really want 

from federal service

Nicole Ogrysko

@nogryskoWFED
Millennials in the federal workforce

(Office of Personnel Management Full Time Permanent Age 

Distributions, Sept. 2015)
Are millennials leaving gov’t in droves?

2010-2015: percentage of federal workforce 

under age 30 fell from 9.1% to 6.6%

Picture is more complicated, federal hiring 

dropped in recent years. Executive Branch hiring 

new hires fell from about 108,500 to nearly 

77,000 from 2011-2013

Federal retirement “tsunami” has yet to 

materialize
Student debt affects career choices

• More burdened by student debt than any 

other generation

• 42% of millennials between ages 18-29 say 

they or someone in their household has 

student debt (Harvard Kennedy School)

• Typically enter labor market later

• Debt affects their financial and career choices
“I’m told a lot about retirement, and retirement 

is definitely something that’s important, but I 

have things I need to pay for now. Being able to 

have a pay jump from doing a degree to being 

able to pay for loans is a big thing for me. Having 

loan forgiveness is a big thing. The major 

concerns of someone who’s a boomer are not 

the same thing as someone who’s a millennial, 

and I don’t think the older generation 

understands that.”
What millennials like about 

federal service

• Agency missions

• Workplace flexibilities (telework)

• Work-life balance

• Pay, benefits, retirement

• Potential to move to other agencies
Work-life balance

“Job stability and job satisfaction are key. I want 

to do good work, work for and with good 

people and then go home at the end of the day. 

Federal service currently provides all of this.”
What millennials dislike about 

federal service

• Few opportunities for promotion

• Limited training opportunities

• Culture of complacency 

• Government bureaucracy and politics

• Millennial stereotypes 

• Too little student loan repayment funding

(9,610 people participated in the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program in 

2015, received an average of $7,238) (OPM)
Culture of complacency

“Old-timers are convinced that the status quo is 

appropriate, particularly in an election year. 

Young federal workers, though hired at junior 

grades, often do the same job (or produce 

better results) than higher-graded, more 

seasoned employees. Same or better product for 

less pay, with a defined career ladder that only 

promotes a year at a time? Why would a 

younger employee stay around for that?”
I envision a career for myself in 

government...
I envision a career for myself at my 

agency...
Engagement

“The idea of working 30-plus years for a 

pension, which I’ve paid a substantial amount 

into, does not motivate me. At the end of my 

career, I don’t want to feel like my biggest legacy 

in a cleaned-out cubicle.”
Are you perceived differently 

because of your age?

(From a 2016 Federal News Radio survey of about 900 current and former federal 

employees and managers)
Millennial stereotypes

“I continually get talked down to because of my 

age, regardless of my experience. People assume 

that because I fit in the category created of 

‘millennial,’ that I’m lazy, immature and 

unintelligent, when in fact I’ve worked very hard 

to prove the opposite of all of these factors. My 

relative newness to the government may show 

I’m a little ‘green,’ but I have valuable and 

insightful things to add to my agency because of 

my supposed outsider status.”
Not about age, but place in life

“This generation isn’t much different than 

previous ones. In 10 years, we’ll prioritize family. 

In 20 years, we’ll worry about saving for 

retirement. And in 30-40 years, we’ll complain 

about the new generation entering the 

workforce, while stymieing their career paths by 

never retiring.”
Q	&	A	
MANAGING 

INTERGENERATIONAL TENSIONS: 

TECHNIQUES

§ Reverse Mentoring-

 ̈ Based on social exchange theories –role of reciprocity in motivating others

 ̈ Older execs paired with and mentored by younger employees to exchange knowledge 

about tech, social media, latest workplace trends 

• made famous by former GE CEO Jack Welch

• Currently used by HP, Cisco

• Controversial—is it really coaching? Mentoring s/be a two-way street. 

§ Level Playing Field-

 ̈ Similar job conditions (predicts employee engagement across age groups and 

decades)

 ̈ Opportunities for development for ALL

• senior leadership training for mid-level Gen Xers

• Tech training

§ Training on intergenerational dynamics—soft skills
What Are The Problems 

Associated With “Bad” Millennial 

Management?

STYLE

-Lack of continual 

feedback system

-Unhealthy 

competition

-Formalistic 

culture

-Focus on shortterm profits

-Little attention to 

work/life balance SKILLS

-No growth opportunities

-No opportunity to 

connect with diverse 

workplace and larger 

world

-No tech ecosystem

-No e-learning , 

entrepreneurial 

opportunities and/or 

tuition reimbursement

OUTCOME

FAILURE TO 

ATTRACT AND 

RETAIN 
ATTRACTING MILLENNIALS

§ Use social media

§ Use video streaming on recruiting websites (Deloitte, Google do this)

§ Refine your interview techniques; flip the interview so it is questionbased from the interviewee

§ Promote benefits; immediate 401K opportunities offset the Millennials 

belief that they will need to find their own financial independence in 

retirement.

§ Reference opportunities for growth

§ Use gaming technology to educate prospective employees about the 

company’s values (GE)
RETAINING MILLENNIALS

§ Dump formal annual reviews and consider GE method—apps for 

continual feedback PD@GE

§ Revamp training– less Six Sigma, more connection and inspiration

§ Managers are expected to have “touchpoints” on progress towards 

goals

§ Create awareness of intentional/unintentional age discrimination

§ Creative reward strategies – Shifting away from $ (Note: Millennials intending to 

stay with their firm for at least five years are more likely than others to report a positive culture and 

focus on individual needs- Deloitte, 2016)

§ Rotational assignments and overseas assignments

§ Feedback, feedback, feedback

§ Flexibility in work schedules...but with deadlines

§ Faster development (adding more levels, grades or other “badges”)

§ Expect turnover...build it into your plans
DEVELOPING MILLENNIALS

§ Millennials are continuous learners...tuition reimbursement programs 

help. 

 ̈ Note: Only 24% of Millennials are “very satisfied” with this aspect of their jobs(Deloitte, 

2016). Average development time: 2.7 hrs/week. Desired development time: 4.5 

hrs/week!!

§ E-learning opportunities are popular (less expensive; on demand; 

employees can choose)

§ New tools to help employees navigate their careers and identify a 

wider range of job opportunities

§ Virtual alumni networks, business resource groups are popular

§ Cross-team collaborations are valued

*Loyalty is developed from open communication, inclusiveness and 

attention to the ambitions of Millennials...and all employees
CLOSING THOUGHTS

§ Surveys point to some differences between generations; interpretations 

are subject to bias and assumptions

§ Some Millennial expectations are unique to their generation; some are 

part of the expectations of all employees about a good employee 

engagement program for all generations

§ There are best practices for attracting, developing and retaining 

Millennials

§ Companies have bought into the need to deal with Millennials 

differently; rankings have done this as well 

§ Intergenerational tensions most likely exist; time to address them!
CLOSING THOUGHTS

§ Employers may need to update their overall employee engagement 

tactics

§ Employers may need to review their employee surveys, update 

website, look into new measures that are separate from sustainability 

indices

§ Employers may need to address sources of intergenerational conflicts 

and consider reverse mentoring, business resource groups, and 

training to create awareness of unintentional age discrimination

§ Employers may need to consider e-learning opportunities, new tools 

to help with career progression, the concept of a “tech ecosystem” (a 

community of digital devices) for employees that can also provide more 

flex work schedules.
SOURCES (PARTIAL LIST)

§ Bentley University, Millennial Preparedness Study, http://www.slideshare.net/BentleyU/prepared-u-project-millennials-in-the-workplace

§ Bentley University PreparedU Project on Millennial Preparedness, http://www.slideshare.net/BentleyU/prepared-u-project-on-millennialpreparedness

§ Richard Fry, Pew Research Center, “Millennials Match Baby Boomers....”, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/05/16/millennials-matchbaby-boomers-as-largest-generation-in-u-s-electorate-but-will-they-vote/

§ Richard Fry, Pew Research Center, “Millennials Overtake Baby Boomers...” http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennialsovertake-baby-boomers/

§ Jessica Brack, “Maximizing Millennials in the Workforce,” UNC Kenan-Flagler, https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/executivedevelopment/custom-programs/~/media/DF1C11C056874DDA8097271A1ED48662.ashx

§ Joel Stein,” Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation,” Time (May 20, 2013)

§ U.S. Census Bureau, “Millennials Outnumber Baby Boomers and Are Far More Diverse,” (June 25, 2015), 

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-113.html, Accessed June 26, 2016.

§ “New Survey Reveals What Millennials Really Think About Work,” (November 11,2014), http://www.bentley.edu/newsroom/latestheadlines/new-survey-reveals-what-millennials-really-think-about-work, Accessed June 26, 2016.

§ Meg Murphy, “Millennials in the Workplace: They’re Not Complicated, We Promise,” TriplePundit (May 19, 2016), 

http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/05/millennials-workplace-theyre-not-complicated-promise/, Accessed June 26, 2016.

§ “Engaging and Empowering Millennials,” PwC (December 4, 2014), https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/hr-managementservices/publications/assets/pwc-engaging-and-empowering-millennials.pdf

§ “Millennials at Work: Reshaping the Workplace,” PwC (2011), https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/services/consulting/documents/millennials-atwork.pdf, Accessed June 15, 2016.

§ “The Deloitte Millennial Survey 2016,” http://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/millennialsurvey.html, Accessed June5, 

2016.

§ Bruce N. Pfau, “What do Millennials Really Want at Work? The Same Things the Rest of Us Do,” Harvard Business Review (April 6, 2016)

§ A. Carroll, J. Brown, A. Buchholtz, “Business & Society: Ethics, Sustainability and Stakeholder Management”, Cengage 11th Ed (forthcoming 

2017)
Q	&	A	
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