2009 and Beyond - The Millennials are Coming
posted by agammy
You may have noticed that the demographic profile of the U.S. is changing - if it hasn’t affected your business yet, give it a little more time - it will. Today’s workers are aging, but “Millennials” (individuals born between 1978 and 1990 or thereafter) are entering the workforce in droves. According to October’s Corporate Training and Development Advisor, these younger workers will remain a catalyst for growth within the corporate training market, as long as coaches and trainers can adapt to keep their practice relevant to the next generation.
Being a Millennial myself, I agree that my workforce experience will be VERY different than the experience of my parents, partly because the corporate climate has changed over the years, and partly because I expect my corporation to do more for ME. Self-actualization and creative/personal fulfillment at work are extremely important to me, and I expect to change jobs/careers several times over the course of my life in order to find it.
According to Career Systems International, Millennials are probably the first generation in the workforce to embrace diversity and demand social responsibility in the workplace, so some of the old staples, like diversity training, will not be as relevant. I agree with this statement, and think it’s safe to say that coaches will need to focus more on training that develops a heightened sense of self-awareness, and provides unique and individual feedback as a means for improved performance (which is great news for MBTI® Tool practitioners!) I found this great Chart (produced by Career Systems International) that gives some statistics about the next gen of workers, and their key issues in the work place. I thought I would share it with all of you - I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
Millennials at a Glance
|
Currently in workforce |
32 Million |
|
In the pipeline |
46 million |
|
Amount that express doubt that their managers know what matters most to them in a job |
72% |
|
Amount that plan to stay with their current organization for the next one to two years |
51% |
|
When it comes to thinking about your career, what are the toughest issues to address? |
|
|
“Knowing what I do best and what’s important to me” |
40% |
|
“Knowing how I’m viewed by others in the workplace” |
9% |
|
“Understanding how workplace changes can affect me” |
7% |
|
“Zoning in on the ‘right’ career goals” |
23% |
|
“Getting the support resources I need to make it” |
21% |
Source: Career Systems International (Based on a Facebook.com survey of 2,000 Millennials)
