Young workers want acknowledgement, not money

[pete6032]

What kind of trends do you like?

Flexible work hours, telecommuting, casual dress code.

 

[Chaotic42]

Flexible work hours, telecommuting, casual dress code.

Oh, yeah, those are all definitely great, especially the first two.

 

[destrekor]

I call bullshit on this. There are news articles daily about millennials being underpaid, unable to buy a house, having to expect to work 40-60 years and never fully retire, etc. but yet they think these kids want a pat on the back instead of cash?

Sure, I'll take the acknowledgement, but it better come with a cash bonus otherwise you can stick that 'Thank you' where the sun doesn't shine.

Go read this, replace exposure with acknowledgement so the concept is the same : http://theoatmeal.com/comics/exposure

Well it's not a sentiment that is 100% spot on for every single employee. Plenty of McD's employees just want more money, they don't care what the boss thinks of them or even care if they do a good job in the first place. lol

This concept is mostly restricted to those who are able to live comfortably (enough) off the income they are currently receiving. For them, it becomes "do I feel valued, like a member of the team, and maybe even like what I do?" But those aren't even concerns for someone who is barely scraping by or the like.

Once they are comfortable, you'll still have some hard workers who just want to climb the ladder and make as much money as possible, enjoyable work conditions be damned. These just want more money all the time, don't care if they like the job or the work environment, so long as they can do the job and get paid well. These you just can't please. The rest though, we all want raises, of course we do, more money always makes life a little easier. But plenty are not simply chasing more money for the sake of more money, they want to not feel like work is constantly draining them of life. They may not care so much if they thoroughly enjoy the job and want to do that very thing for the rest of their life, but they at least want a good working environment. And praise is a good part of such a working environment. But I think everyone will have a limit: if they keep getting praised for a few years and receive no raise, that's probably not going to fly and they might voice concerns. Good companies might take this as an opportunity to retain a quality employee and ensure they aren't looking elsewhere. Everyone will after some time, except for the ones with zero ambition.

 

[Brainonska511]

As a person in his late 20s, I want both money and recognition (among other factors, like vacation, work/life balance issues, etc...). I want to do something that is intellectually interesting and be recognized for the work I do, both through monetary compensation and the company verbally recognizing that the work I'm doing isn't just busy work.

 

[destrekor]

What kind of trends do you like?

Flexible work hours, telecommuting, casual dress code.

Basically those, but also just more of a total shift in mindset. More transparency within the ranks, accepting and following up on ideas from anyone within the business, encouraging everyone in the business to think about how to constantly improve and not follow the old stagnant corporation scheme. Rapid evolution and adaptation. Casual work environment in every respect. More employee benefits, especially more PTO, and more employee-employer gatherings and events and lunches and etc etc etc. Basically, everything that's not the stagnant corporate workplace where you just feel like a drone or cog in the machine.

 

[Chaotic42]

Basically those, but also just more of a total shift in mindset. More transparency within the ranks, accepting and following up on ideas from anyone within the business, encouraging everyone in the business to think about how to constantly improve and not follow the old stagnant corporation scheme. Rapid evolution and adaptation. Casual work environment in every respect. More employee benefits, especially more PTO, and more employee-employer gatherings and events and lunches and etc etc etc. Basically, everything that's not the stagnant corporate workplace where you just feel like a drone or cog in the machine.

I'm fine with all of those, but I have zero desire for forced socialization with my coworkers. I get along really well with almost all of them, but if I'm going to be at work, I want to be working. My company is pretty good with all of the things you've mentioned, and they're trying to get better. The forced work gatherings though? I'm out. I've got an open door policy and not a day goes by where we aren't discussing what the analysts need and how we can make their lives easier. I don't really want to hang out with them outside of that context.

 

[brianmanahan]

i wish office jobs were performance-managed like the blue collar jobs everyone else in my family has had. no reviews, no evaluations, no one on ones. just doing your job.

 

[pete6032]

I see guys in their mid 60s downtown that go to work in a suit and tie every day and get in early and stay late and they never really look happy or healthy. The little perks add a lot of value. It's nice to be able to have flex time to go to the gym over lunch or to have a shower and changing room in the building so you can bike into work, etc.

 

[OverVolt]

I see guys in their mid 60s downtown that go to work in a suit and tie every day and get in early and stay late and they never really look happy or healthy. The little perks add a lot of value. It's nice to be able to have flex time to go to the gym over lunch or to have a shower and changing room in the building so you can bike into work, etc.

You know who else doesn't look healthy? Homeless bums.

 

[Brainonska511]

You know who else doesn't look healthy? Homeless bums.

Yes, because the choice is work yourself to death or be a homeless bum. There is no in-between.

 

[destrekor]

I'm fine with all of those, but I have zero desire for forced socialization with my coworkers. I get along really well with almost all of them, but if I'm going to be at work, I want to be working. My company is pretty good with all of the things you've mentioned, and they're trying to get better. The forced work gatherings though? I'm out. I've got an open door policy and not a day goes by where we aren't discussing what the analysts need and how we can make their lives easier. I don't really want to hang out with them outside of that context.

It all depends on context and company size. We had large catered lunches where we just hung out, and had a golf outing, at that office interior design company I had worked at. It just felt right, didn't feel forced.

Company outings are a very iffy thing. It can work or it can feel forced. It won't likely work too well if the whole place is software development and IT - these are not gathering-type people, the stereotypes still hold. I like it, but I know if it was all IT, it wouldn't be very good or fun.

And forced socializing in general? No, not at all what I'm thinking. Everything, in the ideal workplace, should simply be relaxed and allow things to happen. Forcing goes against the entire nature of this environment ideal.

But one other place I worked at, with all IT types, we had time to play board games. Even the boss, a VP, got in on them. Most of the work that needed to be done was done early in the morning and later in the afternoon, so we had time in the afternoon to screw around like that.

 

[Red Squirrel]

People want to be paid enough so they can actually move out and buy a house and live a normal stable life like everyone else. Funny thing is most people now seem to call that "being entitled". Heck, I've seen some people call wanting to be able to find a job, being entitled. It's at a point where people are expected to leave everything behind and move just to find work. Kinda sad really.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Oh? we're not just lucky to have jobs? you're so entitled.../s

These things are told to us enough times that younger workers will actually believe it for a time.

 

[purbeast0]

i wish office jobs were performance-managed like the blue collar jobs everyone else in my family has had. no reviews, no evaluations, no one on ones. just doing your job.

My company doesn't have reviews. If you do well, they let you know. If you do bad (which I haven't), I'm assuming they would let you know too.

It's a lot nicer not having to wait 12 months to discuss what you did good/bad and try to remember things from a year ago to discuss. I really like it.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Flexible work hours, telecommuting, casual dress code.

Known in HR as flextime and it has its benefits but cash reigns supreme to me.

 

[Majes]

I'm technically a millennial but my personality is a little different. I've been working at the same school for 10 years now and they run all sorts of different motivation things throughout the year. Yesterday I made the mistake of helping my AP with some excel charts she needed for a presentation. Late in the afternoon she interrupted my class to say thank you, give me a little contest entry ticket and have all the students cheer for me. Yay for acknowledgement! It was awful.

Would much rather get left alone and make more money than have people tell me what I already know about how hard I work.

 

[dullard]

While I'm a couple years outside the millennial generation, I certainly feel similarly on this issue.

I make enough that a raise here or there will make absolutely no difference to my life. I've reached the point of diminishing returns from more salary. If I made minimum wage (and I did in my youth), yes money meant more than recognition. But now, I'd rather have recognition over more money. Although, the two are not independent, those who get lots of acknowledgements also tend to get the promotions.

I'd much rather give up my next few raises if that meant that the company recognized my talents, trusted my decisions, and valued my input. Having projects go right from the start so that I don't have to scramble working late hours at the end of the project is far more valuable than a few more shares of stock.

How many of you have had a great idea, had it shot down, and then a year later someone outside your group mentioned the same thing and had your employer thinks it is the best idea ever? If you can relate to that, you should be wanting more acknowledgement too.

 

[dullard]

When it comes to millennials, that point of diminishing returns for money is just at a different setpoint. Someone who is in their 50s/60s now probably had dreams for a big house, fancy car, and large family. All take lots of money. Someone who is in their 20s now can be happy with a $200 smart phone.

 

[highland145]

When it comes to millennials, that point of diminishing returns for money is just at a different setpoint. Someone who is in their 50s/60s now probably had dreams for a big house, fancy car, and large family. All take lots of money. Someone who is in their 20s now can be happy with a $200 smart phone.

Way back, I remember saying that if I just had $5K in the bank, I'll be set. That will barely cover the CT I was billed for earlier this year.

 

[Ns1]

Someone who is in their 20s now can be happy with a $200 smart phone.

I can assure you that a $200 smart phone would not have kept me happy in my 20's.