Millennials leave their employers more often, and in greater numbers, than older employees, according to new research.

The poll of 233 HR professionals from a range of industries found that 30 percent of respondents said they’d lost 15 percent or more of their Generation Y workforce in the past year.

The research was carried out by Boston-based Millennial Branding and Beyond.com.

Dan Schawbel, founder of Milennial Branding, said that 18-30 year olds approach work in a way that organisations are not familiar with and therefore unprepared for.

He said that organisations are used to “generations of workers who get a job and stay there for life," rather than the “job-hopper” mentality of younger staff.

He identified job meaning, flexible working and progression opportunities as key requirements of Generation Y workers.

"If they don't see a path up, they see a path out,” he added.

There’s a lot written about the mentality of Generation Y workers but the key question is whether the driving force behind their values is truly a different mentality or whether it’s their age itself.

Speaking to HRE Online, PwC principal Sayed Sadjady said that “in the earlier stages [of a career], employees traditionally switch jobs at a higher frequency than more experienced workers, and the frequency of change will continue for a period, as they try out different roles and organizations until they find the right one for them."

Sadjady did note, however, that this expected phenomenon has accelerated throughout the latest recession.