I am so tired of seeing the term “Millenial” being tossed around. All of the fodder around this generational label is tiring, and old. And, it’s totally ill-defined, and off base. Does anyone even know what age range “Millenial” applies to? I’ve been trying to figure this out with a survey I created back in March.
Go to news.google.com and type in “millenials.” The headlines, I’m sure you know, are far past ridiculous. Here are some of the most absurd:
- “Millennials Think Eating Cereal Is Way Too Difficult”
- “Crime in Your Neighborhood: More millenials fall for scams”
- “Will Millennials Just Uber Their Life?”
- “How Will Millennials Pay for Sex?”
- “Stop spoiling sniveling, self-important millennials”
At this point, who the f*** wants to be called a millenial? Most likely, no one. But at the same time, all of us born from 1980 on are being deposited into, according to the media, the most vile of generation labels.
Did you know that Millenials are described as anywhere from 1980–2004?
Most people I meet born in the 1980s have no idea that the Millenial term was coined 15+ years ago to describe them. The way the media has co-opted the term, Millenial has less to do with an age range or generation, and more to do with an individual’s lifestyle, and their relationship to technology.
The term “Millenial” has become an insult. Marketing organizations and content machines are straining to figure out how to access this demographic, but they’ll continue to miss out on opportunities if they do not start to narrow down their segmentations, and chuck this word altogether. Bustle is trying to distinguish Older Millenials from Younger Millenials, but they are not working off much information to draw that distinction. I believe it’s time we use data to figure out this generation/label/name clusterf**.
This age group cares more about work
The nature of work is changing, and how we value work varies across generations and age groups varies widely. While marketers struggle to sell to this age group, senior managers are struggling to create work environments that foster their younger employees. In that struggle, older generations bemoan the differing, seemingly more fickle, work values from those younger than them. They hope that “Millenials” will just “grow up and settle down.”
Millenials are not going to “grow up and settle down,” and there is the research to prove it.
Researchers out of Canada surveyed almost 1000 participants, born 1980–1994, to see how their work values compared across different career stages. Older “Millenials” farther into their careers shared the same work values as Younger “Millenials” that were just starting out. Compared to similar surveys of older generations, this is distinctly different. In the conclusion, the author writes:
“Our findings indicate that it seems unwise for employers to hope that Millennials will settle down and outgrow their values as they get older.”
Get real insights on this misinterpreted age group
Reading that paper gave me a eureka moment that spurred into action: I created the TABASCO Work Values Survey to track generational labels and the evolution of work values at a larger scale, and across generations. The initial findings have been illuminating.
- Of 81 participants born between 1980–1994, only 43% consider themselves “Millenials”
- 31% say Generation Y, 11% say Generation X & 8% said Oregon Trail (a facetious term coined for those of that rode the wave of the biggest technology changes)
Where do you stand? Take the survey to add your thoughts.
The survey also is a great way to challenge yourself on what you, personally, value at work. Early data from the survey shows that respondents aged 22–36 prioritize learning, opportunities to do interesting, exciting and engaging work, and advancement in their careers. For the most part they’re “just-okay” or “happy” with their jobs, and they really want to be challenged. Do you feel the same way?
Maybe it’s time you put your career issues in perspective, and in a format that you can digest. Maybe it’s time you learned that others feel the same way as you.
“I would have given my job a 5 a month ago; in true startup form, things have changes radically in the last month.” — anonymous participant
If you feel strongly about your career-y thing…
… and want to make an impact on what that career-y thing looks like in the future, then take this survey:” - Alisha Miranda, Technical.ly
The Work Values Survey I created is an ongoing, open survey meant to capture changes and trends in what we value in our jobs and careers. I want to shed light on when and why employees are happy and interested in their jobs, and when and why they are feeling overworked and unhappy. I want to bring real data to the conversation around the future of work, and what we value in our jobs.
Why should leaders care about their employees’ happiness? A happy mind comes from calm and clarity, not urgency and chaos. When people are happy, they can learn. Learning turns into new ideas, and new ideas turn into innovation. Ground breaking innovation does not come from adding a ping pong table while having unproductive employees, and the wheel was not invented in the boardroom!
What’s Next for the Work Values Survey
The Work Values Survey is a multi-year long project to collect, analyze and distribute findings on how different generations value their work, what companies can do to retain their employees, and how they can build a workplace that delivers the values their employees hold dear.
- The survey can be found here: https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/2XDXVk
- The Work Values matrix is based on the Lyons Work Value Survey (LWVS), a matrix developed based on 13 different work value measures, adding a few extra to reflect modern work environments. LWVS has been used in academic research.
- The survey went live March 2016. Results from the survey will be shared biannually.
I’m open to seeing where the data takes me, and would love support in finding innovative ways to increase the # of survey participants, and the reach.
1 ) I am actively looking for partners that share my vision that the future of work is fundamentally changing as generational values and ideals evolve. Please email me if you’re interested in getting more information.
2) If you’re interested in receiving the first infographic at the end of June, please sign-up here.
