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Millenials Care About Meaning More Than Money

Millennials have different priorities in the workforce than generations that preceded them, placing greater value on personal growth and fulfillment. Global Banking and Finance Review calls these Millennials “Talentsumers.”

“A generational shift in the workforce and changing conditions have produced workers with different values, desires, and expectations than their predecessors,” Global Banking and Finance Review reports. “Today’s Talentsumers came of age in a consumer-friendly atmosphere, in which they grew to expect and insist on responsiveness to their needs in the workplace to the same level of respect and attention. These job candidates, employees, contractors, and freelancers may have enjoyed more flexibility and open communication from their parents than earlier generations, and so they project these desires on the employer who might engage a majority of their time.”

The magazine found that today’s Talentsumers prefer a work atmosphere that offers more developmental opportunities, provides feedback and coaching from managers, encourages collaboration among employees, and recognizes and rewards high performance.

The improving economy has given employees the upper hand to negotiate for a better workplace atmosphere, Global Banking and Finance Review says.

“As workers in other age groups have seen the benefits of these conditions, they, of course, want them too. So, gradually, the key people that employers pursue have become Talentsumers. We want ways to enrich our lives, and in return, we contribute to the task at hand, the overall culture, and the company’s success. Everyone wins!” the magazine reports. “Before you discount the value of accommodating workers’ new attitudes toward work, remember that we no longer have the luxury of an ’employer’s market.’ Even as far back as 2015, a survey of three hundred HR professionals by Human Capital Institute and Allegis Global Solutions showed that the candidate, not the employer, now holds the power in hiring negotiations. The candidate is now well and truly in the driver’s seat, and we had better hand them the keys.”