What Millennials Look for in the Workplace

They’re perhaps the most talked about generation. Born between the early 1980s and late ’90’s, millennials are market disruptors, tech savvy and probably one of your co-workers. Some people have characterized the millennial generation as “echo baby boomers,” as they’re one of the largest generations since the baby boomers.

Whether you’re looking to hire one or you work beside one, here are a few things you should know about this noteworthy generation:

They don’t like traditional work hours

The traditional 9-5 gig is not their wheelhouse — but don’t peg them for being lazy. Millenials are more likely to start the work day at 10 am, take a long lunch (or brunch) and put in a few hours on Sunday. Because this is the first generation to really enter the job market with a sound computer knowledge, they know how to take their work with them everywhere. This means millennials will likely answer a work email past 5, but they also don’t feel as obligated to be sitting at their desk by 9 am.

They crave meaningful relationships

Sitting behind a desk with no social time isn’t going to cut it for this generation. While some employers may scoff at this behavior and label millenials as too chatty, this characteristic is actually a great asset. Millenials are slowly reshaping customer service. Thank you notes (now emails) and personalized communication is becoming more of the norm. This generation will pay a little extra, and go the extra mile, to make any transaction — social or business — feel more meaningful.

They’re cultured (or they try to be)

This is the generation that is all about trying the latest restaurant or getting out on the weekends to check out a new area of town. And, they crave the same kind of cultural experience in the office. Working from new spaces, office lunches to new areas — these are just some of the things this generation craves in the workspace.

They don’t crave suburbia

The white picket fence and 2.5 kids isn’t necessarily on this generation’s checklist for a prosperous life. Urban environments are where they flock to. Creating a workspace that champions an urban, modern feel is what they’re looking for. Cubicles are out and modernity is in for this generation.