Millennials struggle to overcome stereotypes to find employment.
Nexxt, a recruitment media company, announced findings from a national survey conducted among 6,000 job seekers and veteran HR professionals, finding that Millennials (Generation-Y) have a pretty serious image problem.
According to the Nexxt survey, while over 84% of Millennial job seekers (age 19-26) are optimistic about finding employment, there are substantial differences in how they view themselves and how HR Professionals perceive them in a variety of categories, including: work ethic, leadership skill, and technological expertise, among others. Most strikingly was the issue of loyalty, where only 1% of HR Professionals felt Millennials would remain faithful to their employer over the long-term. By contrast, 82% of Milliennials self-identified as loyal – underlining the chasm that exists between younger job seekers and HR Professionals that tend to be from later generations.
Some other conflicting viewpoints from the survey included:
Are Millennials Tech-Savvy?
- 86% of HR professionals said yes
- While only 35% of Millennials felt they were tech-savvy
Are Millennials Team Players?
- 60% of Millennials thought they would work well with a team
- But 22% of HR professionals believed Millennials would make good team players
Do Millennials Have Strong Interpersonal Communication Skills?
- 65% of Millennials responded that they relate well to others
- 14% of HR Professionals thought that Millennials were strong communicators
Are Millennials Hard Workers?
- 86% of Millennials identified themselves as hard workers
- 11% of HR professionals thought Millennials would work hard
Are Millennials Able to Lead?
- 40% of Millennials identified themselves as leaders
- Only 9% of HR professionals believed that age group had the ability to lead
Are Millennials Loyal to Employers?
- 82% of Millennials self-identified as being loyal to an employer
- A mere 1% of HR professionals believed Millennials to be loyal to an employer
Quotes:
“Until Millennials are able to overcome existing stereotypes, they’ll have to work extra hard just to get noticed. Younger job seekers don’t have it easy in the current economy, and they’ve been put in a hole by the generations that have gone before them. Nowadays, it’s not good enough to be good enough – Millennials need to match their vision of success with the work ethic that it will take to get there; meaning advanced education, internships and a willingness to go beyond what’s expected. With their sense of optimism and ability to innovate, I am confident that their generation will surprise us all.”
– Rich Milgram, Founder and CEO of Nexxt
“This study shows that Millennials have a long way to go in order to prove themselves to HR Professionals. Even though they are perceived as tech-savvy, those abilities may be inhibiting their interpersonal skills, which are more valuable in today’s workplace than ever before. Despite these negative perceptions, Millennials remain optimistic about job prospects and that says a lot about their drive and determination. I believe that with the right mentoring and corporate sponsorship this generation will grow into the leaders we need them to be in the future.”
– Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding, Gen Y expert and author of Promote Yourself
Nexxt is a recruitment media company that uses today’s most effective marketing tactics to reach the full spectrum of talent – from active to passive, and everything in between. Learn more about hiring with Nexxt.