Millennials – also known as members of generation Y – are becoming more engaged at work, despite having the image of being self-interested and lazy, according to an Aon Hewitt (NYSE:AON) study released November 7.
The longer they are in the workplace, the study found, the more their engagement increased. A 2007 study found that 63% of millennials felt engagement with their jobs; in 2013, that number increased to 69%.
“What these results suggest is that after more experience in the workforce, and living through a global economic crisis and ensuing recession, millennials’ attitudes and expectations towards their employers have become more realistic,” said Neil Crawford, the leader of the study.
“We also see evidence that Canadian employers are figuring out more effective ways to engage millennials through clear and positive communication, effective recognition practices and sound management.”
Engagement was evaluated based on specific criteria, including speaking positively about their employers, feeling committed to staying in their current jobs and feeling motivated by their organizations’ leaders and culture.
An October study by Intuit Canada found that millennials were highly entrepreneurial, with twice as many respondents in generation Y saying they were interested in starting a business than in the general Canadian population.
Other findings of the Aon Hewitt report include:
- 77% of millennials said their jobs were a good fit for their abilities and experience, up from 45% in 2007;
- 71% responded that their senior leaders make them feel positive about the future of their organizations, up from 57% in 2007; and
- 75% felt their managers recognized their efforts and results, up from 63% in 2007.
