Primary Research

          We created a survey to conduct primary research about millennials in the workplace. The survey consisted of seven questions that aimed to show how millennials think they are viewed by older generations versus how older generations actually see millennials. The questions also served to determine what motivational techniques are effective for millennials and non-millennials. It is important to note that there were only fifty people surveyed, which means that the conclusions drawn from the survey may not be representative of the entire Millennial generation. It is also important to note that nearly all respondents are from New England, and thus, geographical influences may have affected the outcome rather than generational characteristics.  

          The first question was, “Are you a millennial in the workplace?” 52% of respondents said no, while 48% said yes. We surveyed roughly the same number of millennials as non-millennials, which is important for comparing possible generational views. The second question was, “If yes to question one, do you feel that you are targeted or treated differently because you are a millennial? How?” 7 millennials that responded said no and 17 said yes, illustrating that there are more than twice as many millennials who feel targeted as those who do not. For those who answered yes, most of the responses included assumptions that millennials are “lazy,” “incompetent,” “unprofessional,” lacking abilities, entitled, but also technology-savvy.  

Figure 1 (Millennial Generation Continues to Grow, 2016)  

          One respondent said that they are not given enough responsibility. Oftentimes, millennials desire increased responsibilities in their jobs right away. One study claims that millennials fail to understand that “increased communication and knowledge is associated with increased responsibility” (Karen, 2010). Later in the document, the researcher states, “As Millennials themselves are promoted and are given more responsibility, they too may come to understand the importance of developing confidence in workers prior to delegating significant tasks and responsibilities” (Karen, 2010). Responsibility appears to be an earned right, which is hard to grasp for some millennials who are desperate to show their worth. 

 

Figure 2: responses to question two 

          Question three was, “If no to question one, how do you view millennials in the workplace?” 3 respondents did not have enough interactions with millennials to answer the question. 8 respondents said that they view millennials the same as anyone else or have no particular view. 4 said that they see millennials as a great addition to the company or organization, and 11 had negative views. Those who illustrated positive views of millennials said that they are technology-savvy, intelligent, and passionate about their work. However, the negative views overpowered the positive ones. Those who illustrated negative views found millennials to be lazy, entitled, unreliable, informal, spoiled, and unrealistic. These findings match with one research study that found criticisms of millennials to include “lacking in work experience, having a weaker work ethic, and being entitled” (Culiberg, 2016) 

          Question four was, “Are your coworkers primarily older than you, younger than you, the same age as you, or a mix?” The answers are shown below. This question was included to see how many people interacted with differing generations in the workplace. Those who answered with “mix” tended to have more positive views of millennials, and those who answered with “younger” tended to have more negative views. 

  

Figure 3: question 4 answers 

          Question five was, “Are you motivated more by intrinsic rewards (purpose and room to grow) or extrinsic rewards (bonuses and a high pay check)?” 56% of respondents said that they are motivated by both. 28% said that they were motivated by intrinsic rewards. 16% said that they were motivated by extrinsic rewards. There was a greater number of millennials than non-millennials that selected intrinsic rewards as effective motivators. Similarly, there was a greater number of non-millennials than millennials that selected extrinsic rewards as effective motivators. 

          Question six was, “Do you prefer to work independently or in groups to accomplish work?” 35% of respondents said they prefer to work independently. 13% said they prefer to work in groups. 52% said they prefer both. Almost all the respondents that chose groups were millennials. The last question was, “Do you prefer an open or a closed work environment?” Every respondent except one said they prefer an open work environment.  

          This survey revealed that many of our respondents view millennials as technologically skilled, lazy, entitled, and hard to work with. The survey also found that the millennial respondents were more likely to need intrinsic rewards than those respondents who were older. Lastly, millennials have more desire to work in groups than other generations. The survey aligned with many of the research findings covered throughout the rest of the blog.