They are determined, tech savvy, a little self-absorbed and none of them are older than 25. Millennial and Gen Z students, age 18-24, used Adecco Staffing USA’s Way to Work study to tell us how they see the world of work. What did we learn about Generation Now?
Millennials and Gen Z are hopeful.
- 50% of respondents feel ‘determined’ or ‘optimistic’ about their job search.
- Three-quarters of students expect to find a job within 5 months of graduation.
Most Millennials don’t feel prepared.
Many Millennials and Gen Z-ers are still studying, hoping their degrees will result in gainful employment. Our survey uncovered a surprising trend. Students don’t think they are being prepared and feel less prepared for a potential career as graduation approaches.
- 74% believe that colleges are failing to adequately prepare students for jobs. The biggest gaps in career preparation include:
- Teaching applicable ‘real life’ business skills (32%)
- Providing potential internship opportunities (21%)
- Offering robust career services (18%)
- Millennials are more likely to find fault with college career prep as compared to the younger Gen Z (78% vs 68%).
An employer’s social is important to Gen Z and Y.
For Gen Z and Millennials, social profiles are barometers of company culture. Organizations that want to attract young professionals should consider that Facebook (64%) and LinkedIn (42%) are the top sites respondents use to research employers.
Passion isn’t their primary motivator.
Millennials and their Gen Z counterparts are rarely characterized as pragmatic but it turns out that their professional expectations are motivated by stability and opportunities for professional growth.
- Opportunity for growth was the number one priority for 36% of respondents.
- 69% prefer a stable job lacking passion to a passionate job lacking stability.
- Financial stability is one of the top 3 priorities for 62% of respondents.