Time appears to be eroding the job-hopping nature of millennials.
A survey of 500 U.S. workers tells us that 91 percent of millennials in the study group long for a full-time job — and 78 percent say they want stability to be a hallmark of that job.
Are they worn out from all that packing up their stuff, trying to remember their new co-workers' names and figuring out how to work the next coffee machine? The survey, released by DeVry University's Career Advisory Board, doesn't offer clues into this shift. It does, however, report that millennials in this survey are showing other characteristics of older generations. For instance:
-
Flexibility in a job isn't more important that "lucrative pay."
-
Weird new management styles, such as the "Holarctic" system that features no anointed managers, don't particularly appeal to millennials.
-
Millennials aren't any more likely than their elders to want to work somewhere that offers such perks as special onsite foods, daycare or wellness perks.
Millennials actually slightly prefer a job that requires them to go to an office more than other generations. While 22 percent of all respondents said they prefer a job where they go to the office on a daily basis, 27 percent of millennials checked yes to this question.
Recommended For You
Overall, the survey paints a picture of a workforce seeking traditional working conditions: A good solid stable job with good pay is what most said they wanted. Forget the frills, just put me in a nicely accessorized harness and remember to ask my opinion once in a while.
Among the specific findings:
-
56 percent said they prefer a job where they have the authority to make organization-impacting decisions;
-
59 percent said they prefer a job with some locational flexibility;
-
36 percent said they prefer to work in a traditional hierarchical structure reporting to a single manager;
-
When asked if they would prefer an exciting job to a predictable one, 57 percent said they preferred one with excitement;
-
Compensation was by far the most important factor when considering a new job or deciding whether to remain in a current position. Comp outscored such other factors as the employee's role in the organization, flexibility, work schedule and degree of challenge.
"Compensation is still a top consideration for job applicants," says Madeleine Slutsky, chair of the Career Advisory Board and vice president of career and student services at DeVry University. "Likewise, in order to stay competitive in the marketplace, companies should continually evaluate how they reward and compensate employees in order to retain top talent."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
