A reader asked if I might consider writing about the workplace habits of Millennials. Perhaps knowing I am a Millennial, she beat around the bush a bit before she got to her point, as she was clearly a little worried about offending me. (We are quite fragile, after all.)
She eventually gently pointed out that the Millennials she encounters in the workplace are chronically distracted by their smartphones, and that many feel entitled to copious vacation time and workplace flexibility even if they have barely put in an effort. So, she wanted to know: is she just imagining things, or is there a real axe to grind here?
Our editor/publisher can attest to the fact that I have sat through many a meeting surrounded by Baby Boomers and have thus endured a regular helping of jabs at Millennials’ expense. And while my knee-jerk reaction is to fight the power with a volley of witty retorts, sadly there is usually only time for a well-placed eye roll. (And as a Millennial from Southern California who grew up when “Clueless” and the Spice Girls were cool, let me tell you – I’ve got a well-practiced eye roll.)
Anyway, the point is, I’m used to the standard Millennial flack. We all are. So I listened to our kind-worded reader without annoyance. And I have to admit that, in some respects, she had a point.
For one, yes, we are indeed glued to our phones. I’ve had co-workers who at any given moment you might happen upon them are texting or scrolling through every social media app you can imagine. And I cannot count the number of times I have seen Facebook pages on browsers minimized as a superior approached.
In correlation, the work of those individuals was often completed quite late, and sometimes sloppily, due to the procrastination rush. Thus, our office’s general no-cell-phones-out rule.
Last year, a survey by Bank of America found that Millennials interact with their cell phones “more than anything or anyone else” on a daily basis. A 2015 Pew Research Center study found that nearly half of Millennials said they could not live without their smartphones.
In a survey conducted by Harris Poll for The Webby Awards (which honor excellence on the Internet), 40% of Millennials said they use their smartphones during work meetings. However, there was no specification as to what they were using them for. Perhaps they use them for taking notes, making recordings or referencing data. You know: work. But there’s also a chance it was to check for texts or peek at notifications. Who knows? Someone do a survey on that, please.
The study also found: “A strong majority (77%) concede that it’s hard not to look at their mobile phone when it rings or vibrates.” And: “More than half (56%) of Millennials believe they would be happier if they used their smartphone less, and more than a third (38%) of this generation reports having a relationship deteriorate due to technology or social media.” Yikes. That’s depressing.
So, LBBJ caller, I do see your point. It’s easy to see how Millennials’ smartphone addiction could likely impede our work.
But what of our workplace attitudes in general? Are we really entitled about time off and – the new, dreaded term amongst non-creative firms – “work-life balance?”
Well, Gallup has more depressing news. The polling giant found that only 29% of Millennials are actively engaged in their workplace, despite an overwhelming desire among the generation to be passionate about and engaged in their work. Why then, you might ask, should we expect flexibility in the workplace if we’re not even engaged?
Lest you jump to any conclusions, consider Gallup’s pondering: “They feel indifferent about their job and company – and indifferent and entitled are not synonymous.”
In my last column, I wrote about how many college-educated Millennials are underemployed. This is one likely culprit behind disengagement in the workplace.
A recent global survey by Deloitte of more than 7,000 Millennials found that 63% do not feel their leadership skills are being fully developed – an issue cited by 71% who intend to leave their workplace within two years. Another likely cause for indifference.
Deloitte’s study also pointed out that most Millennials do not see their employers as aligning with their core values, which include “improving the skills, income, and ‘satisfaction levels’ of employees; creating jobs; and impacting positively on users of their goods and services.” Deloitte concluded that Millennials are in alignment with their employers’ goals for profit achievement but are highly likely to seek alternate employment if financial gain is the company’s only objective.
Deloitte also confirmed that after pay and financial benefits, work-life balance is the number one thing Millennials want from a job. Three-quarters of Millennials desire opportunities to work remotely, and 51% believe doing so would boost productivity.
The obvious question is this: We know what Millennials want . . . but do we deserve it? Are we good enough or dedicated enough to ask for flexibility in the workplace? Or has our indifference made us lazy and, therefore, entitled?
Well, there isn’t much research to cite to that end. So next time, I’ll talk to some Long Beach employers and managers to see what they think, assuming they will let me. And some Millennials, of course.