What the Younger Workforce is Thinking

What are the younger members of today’s workforce thinking?

The NY Times conducted a focus group of 12 millennial Americans — arguably not a fairly representative slice of the workforce, but a slice nonetheless. What they had to say was interesting for any HR leader hoping to hire bright young talent.

A few takeaways:

👉  They’re not willing to work long hours with unsupportive managers just for the sake of a paycheck, like generations before them took for granted as the status quo

👉  With a lot of great jobs out there, in fact, they no longer believe in “paying dues”

👉  They’re variously burned out, bored, overworked, frustrated, empowered, and optimistic

In other words, they’re not necessarily thrilled with the way things are going right now, but they have hope for the future.

While these words and ideas came from a small focus group, they encapsulate a lot of what I hear in my everyday conversations with job seekers. As a hiring manager, these deserve consideration.