What Millennials Want from Work

To look beyond the often caricatured representations of the youngest generation now entering the workplace, the authors of this book surveyed 29,000 generation Z employees in 22 countries, working in a wide selection of industries. Surprisingly, this generation is rather homogeneous, despite important cultural variations amongst these 22 countries.

The Millennials are both complex and paradoxical: ready to invest in their work, eager to have an impact on their company and beyond, these young employees are also capable of leaving the office in the middle of the afternoon because surfing conditions are exceptional; they thus easily shock managers who are working more traditional schedules. Constantly seeking to acquire new knowledge and know-how, they show little deference to the experience of their elders, which they readily consider to be outdated. They have the reputation of being resistant to making an effort, but they readily help their colleagues if it is explicitly asked of them.

Likewise, their rapport with autonomy may seem paradoxical: they demand a scope of responsibility very early on, but also ask for regular feedback. Don’t take their request for autonomy as a rejection of authority; to the contrary, they need continuous and benevolent support.

This book presents a complete and measured portrait of the Millennials and offers a goldmine of information to manage their apparent flaws and let their qualities shine through.