Young People Love their Jobs
Most of the headlines regarding millennials are depressingly negative. From their obsessions with foods trends to their total disregard for the diamond market, millennials have been accused of ruining everything and not caring about anything. But, a recent survey indicates that millennials are far outshining their older peers in one particular place: workplace happiness. On the whole millennials seem to enjoy their jobs significantly more than does any other age demographic.
Robert Half released its 2017 survey on workplace happiness recently and much to the surprise of many condescending baby boomers, only about eight percent of millennials (working adults between ages 18 and 34) reported being actively unhappy at work. On the other hand, sixteen percent ages 35 through 49 reported being unhappy, and seventeen percent of workers over fifty reported unhappiness at work.
The survey posited that as citizens spend more time in the workplace, their own views about working life and their meaningful contribution to their businesses become jaded and increasingly negative, but that young workers are eager to be included and learn. Business experts are encouraging managers and C-suite executives to step back and make sure that they’re offering the right inclusion, incentives, and environment to keep costly negativity from creeping into the minds of their aging employees.
Previous studies have found that happy employees are about twelve percent more productive than their unhappy counterparts and that they’re more likely to settle for complacency than to strive for excellence in their everyday work. To that end, bosses need to ensure that their employees are actively engaged in their work and feel excited to help forward the company to both its short and long term goals.
Happiness isn’t just making sure there are snacks available, although that certainly tends to help things. Workplace happiness is tied more closely to metrics like appropriate work-life balance, regular constructive feedback, alignment with the company’s mission, and challenging but attainable regular tasks. Whereas the old order of the workplace dictated working your way up to recognition, today’s young people are looking for places that allow them to offer input and get helpful feedback that will allow them to grow.
Baby boomers tend to think that what millennials want is ping pong tables and gimmicks, but the truth of the matter is, young people want to be productive and enriched. To them, jobs should be a mutually beneficial, where they are invested in and in turn invest their knowledge and enthusiasm into their company. Young people are happy in their jobs, and to keep them that way throughout their entire careers, they need encouragement and openness.
