What do millennials want from employers? Everything

Millennials have ambitious career goals and high expectations of rapid career progression and international opportunities, say recruiters Robert Walters. Photo / iStock

Millennials are wanting international career opportunities, investment in technology and rapid career progression from their jobs, with differing expectations between generations causing problems for employers according to research by recruitment company Robert Walters.

The international company surveyed 1,400 professionals and hiring managers across New Zealand and Australia to find out the habits of millennials (those born roughly between 1980 and early 1990's) and their employers as well as what motivated them.

Robert Walters Australia and New Zealand managing director James Nicholson said the results highlighted the importance for employers to understand what motivated employees.

"Millennials [are] set to make up the majority of the workforce by 2025, so it's only natural that one of the most topical issues for employers is how to attract, retain and develop Millennial professionals," Nicholson said.

"Having grown up in a largely borderless-world created by the internet and more accessible overseas travel, Millennials also have ambitious career goals and high expectations of rapid career progression and international opportunities," he said.

Millennials:
• 86pc of millennial think employers should offer international career opportunities
• 94pc of millennials said technology is extremely important
• 51pc said they would consider leaving if their employer didn't invest in technology
• 24pc of millennials see reluctance to use new technologies' as the biggest source of intergenerational conflict
• 53pc said they had experienced conflict between different generations in the workplace

The survey found 86 per cent of millennials thought employers should offer international career opportunities as part of their training and development programmes.

While 94 per cent of Millennial's said technology was extremely important, just over half (51 per cent) said they would consider leaving if their employer didn't invest in technology.

I think that intergenerational conflict has always been around in the workplace, if you go back 30 years ago and you're talking to a 50 year old that works with a 25 year old they probably have similar complaints.

Robert Walters Auckland director James Dalrymple

Robert Walters Auckland director James Dalrymple said differing expectations between generations often led to conflict in the workplace, with 79 per cent of hiring managers saying they believed this was because of the younger generations expectations of rapid career progression, however Dalrymple said this was not a new trend.

"I think that intergenerational conflict has always been around in the workplace, if you go back 30 years ago and you're talking to a 50 year old that works with a 25 year old they probably have similar complaints," Dalrymple said. "It's not a bad thing - having ambitious and driven employees that want to grow their career isn't a bad thing at all," he said. "A lot of that is down to employers to harness that, and make sure they're giving people opportunities and getting the most out of them while they are in their business."

Dalrymple said the results highlighted that intergenerational issues were common in the workplaces and it was up to employers to understand these differences and understand what motivated individual employees to help deal with this.

See the Robert Walters Millennial research here: