employee engagement and the generations

a report

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This summer the San Francisco 49ers announced they are changing the structure of their meetings to cater to Millennials. The football franchise is doing it to help maximize effectiveness and performance from their team. There is plenty of science and research to support the decision.

Despite what the science and research indicates, the public outcry was focused on Millennial entitlement, lack of focus, poor work ethic, and the need to stay attached to their devices. It was the rekindling of the disparagement and discrimination that the youngest employees in our workplace have faced for nearly a decade.

But are these stereotypes true? Keep reading... we have the data from our U.S. Workforce Study to answer these questions.

The Changing Workplace

The Engagement Times

Niners Change Meeting Structure

by: Albert Brock | June 23rd, 2015

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Every six months, Modern Survey conducts a study of the U.S. Workforce and its level of employee engagement.

The 2,000 respondents in the study are 18+ years-old, employed full-time, and work for organizations with 100 or moreemployees.

This report summarizes the results for the three largest generations in the workplace:

• Millennials (born after 1980)• Generation X (born between 1965-1980)• Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964)

About the Study

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Fun in the Workplace

Where I work, we have fun together.*

For nearly three-quarters of Millennials, work hasn’t become “work” yet. They are far more likely to be having fun there.

* A +/-5% point difference is significant.

50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

72%

66%

59%

Percent Favorable

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Work/Life Balance

You can be successful in my company/organization while maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life.*

Baby Boomers are more challenged balancing work and their personal lives. Despite being in the middle of life with the stresses of families and mortgages, Gen X employees responded similar to Millennials.

* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

66%

63%

57%

Percent Favorable

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Corporate Social Responsibility

It is important to me to work for a company/organization that is socially responsible.*

Corporate Social Responsibility is not just for younger workers. Yes, it is more important for Millennials, but it turns out that the three generations are closer than conventional wisdom suggests.

* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

67%

59%

58%

Percent Favorable

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I do not follow my company’s/organization’s social media activity.*

As social becomes the way organizations communicate, many Baby Boomers are not ready to participate. Almost half of Millennials follow their organization’s social media while only one of four Baby Boomers are following their organization.

* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

51%

60%

74%

Percent Favorable

Social Media Activity

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I trust my company’s/organization’s senior management.*I trust my direct manager.*

* A +/-5% point difference is significant.

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Trust direct managerTrust senior leadership

71%

65%

64%

55%

47%

43%

Trust in Leadership

Millennials are more likely to trust both their direct managers and their senior leadership team. Part of the reason might be that newer employees receive more training and feedback from leadership.

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Employee Engagement

em·ploy·ee en·gage·ment - def: Engagement is the degree to which employees are psychologically invested in the organization and motivated to contribute to its success.

When employees are fully engaged it results in discretionary effort toward attaining organizational goals.

Is it a myth or reality that Millennials cannot be engaged or lack the work ethic and commitment of older workers?

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10%0% 20% 30% 40%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

33%22%

32%14%

24%34%

28%14%

23%36%

28%13%

Spring 2015 Engagement Levels

The most recent results from Modern Survey’s U.S. Workforce Study shows the three largest generations in the workplace with almost identical engagement levels.

Disengaged Under Engaged Moderately Engaged Fully Engaged

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10%0% 20% 30% 40%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

33%25%

26%15%

26%35%

27%12%

12%24%

26%38%

Engagement Levels– 2010 through 2015

Since 2010, however, Millennials have been the most likely employees to be “Fully Engaged.”

Disengaged Under Engaged Moderately Engaged Fully Engaged

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* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Percent Favorable

60%

55%

54%

2015 Engagement Item – Extra Effort

My company/organization inspires me to “go above and beyond” my normal job duties to help the company succeed.*

Millennials report they are more likely to go beyond their job duties to help the company succeed.

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* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Percent Favorable

59%

51%

47%

2015 Engagement Item – Willing to Refer

I often recommend my company/organization to others as a great place to work.*

Millennials are more likely to recommend their organization. With how powerful social media can be and how frequently Millennials use it, leaders must pay attention to their youngest employees’ “willingness to refer.”

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* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Percent Favorable

57%

50%

44%

2015 Engagement Item – Promising Future

There is a promising future for me at my company/ organization.*

It makes sense that younger employees feel their future is brighter. They likely see many different career paths in front of them. Few doors have been shut on their potential.

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* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Percent Favorable

70%

69%

70%

2015 Engagement Item – Pride

I take pride working for my company/organization.*

Of the five employee engagement index items, “Pride” is the one where the three generations are most balanced.

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* A +/-5% point difference is significant.50%40% 60% 70% 80%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Percent Favorable

55%

61%

65%

2015 Engagement Item – Intent to Stay

While Millennials are more favorable on three of the five engagement index items, it is “Intent to Stay” that levels the field between the three generations. Baby Boomers are slightly more likely to stay than Gen Xers and far more likely than Millennials...

I intend to be working for my company/organization for a long time.*

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* A +/-5% point difference is significant.10%0% 20% 30% 40%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Percent Agreeing

36%

30%

19%

Currently LookingIn fact, Millennials are far more likely to be actively searching for their next employer with over a third actively searching for their next opportunity. Gen Xers, at 30%, are surprisingly high too.I am currently looking for a job at a different company/ organization.*

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Stage of life matters. For younger employees a long time might be a couple of years or less. For many Baby Boomers retirement is on the horizon and despite 30% of Gen Xers looking to leave their organization, they are on average likely to stay the longest.

* A +/-5% point difference is significant.20 4 6 8

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Average # of Years

5.89

8.52

6.91

How Long Will They Stay?

How much longer do you intend to be working for your current company/organization?

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1. Confidence in Future of Company

2. Can Grow and Develop

3. Values Guide How People Behave

4. Company Treats Employees Well

5. Use Customer Feedback to Make Improvements

6. Employees Participate in Decisions

1. Confidence in Future of Company

2. Can Grow and Develop

3. Senior Management Interested in Well-Being

4. Feeling of Personal Accomplishment

5. Company Treats Employees Well

6. Total Compensation is Competitive

1. Confidence in Future of Company

2. Can Grow and Develop

3. Company Treats Employees Well

4. Feeling of Personal Accomplishment

5. Company Headed in Right Direction

6. Values Guide How People Behave

Top Drivers of Engagement

MillennialsGeneration XBaby Boomers

Many managers of Millennials often say their youngest employees are difficult to engage and are motivated by different things. This research debunks that myth. The top two drivers of engagement are exactly the same for each of the three generations.

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Summary

Millennials – Organizations are going to need to provide development opportunities in order to retain this group of employees. They will also need more frequent feedback than more tenured employees.

Generation X – Stuck in the middle and with at least 20 years left in their careers, these employees are searching for their next opportunity in remarkably high numbers. Many are looking for the employer where they can establish their legacy.

Baby Boomers – It is clear from the data that Baby Boomers largely feel forgotten or ignored. They are often highly capable performers, but are not getting recognized for their work and don’t feel they have career development opportunities that younger workers are getting. Thus, their desire to give “extra effort” has waned.

While it is interesting to look at this information and draw conclusions about groups of people, the most powerful tool for motivating and retaining employees is going to be one on one conversations with each employee about where they are in their lives as well as their careers and what they want and need from work.

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Solution

Modern Survey has developed a guide to facilitate that discussion. It is designed to help leaders discover each direct report’s engagement “preferences.” To request a copy of this guide, please go to www.modernsurvey.com/contact and ask for the “Engagement Preferences Guide.”

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About Modern Survey

Modern Survey measures workforce intensity -- that fire in your company’s belly that makes all things possible. Our human capital measurement software combines feedback, benchmarks, and data from enterprise systems to elucidate the correlation between employee performance and company success. We analyze the stuff your talent-management system can’t -- so that you know what to do next.

To learn more about our twice annual study of the U.S. Workforce, please go to www.modernsurvey.com or contact us at: ask@modernsurvey.com 612-399-3837