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.
