Millenials and Attitudes Towards Work-Life Balance

Item Type text; Electronic Thesis

Authors Philippe, Sarah Nicole

Publisher The University of Arizona.

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Download date 27/06/2021 11:35:06

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/297731

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/297731

ABSTRACT

Students who are soon to be college graduates are approaching a transitional

period in their life, filled with uncertainty and high demands. Graduating college is a

huge transitional period, going from full-time student to the real workplace. Millennials

that are soon to be graduates are custom to juggling many facets of their lives and making

time for school, work, clubs, and friends. But do these soon-to be graduates understand

the demands of the “real world” and are they taking in to consideration the conflicts that

may arise concerning work-life balance? The purpose of this study is to investigate the

attitudes of soon-to-be college graduates, part of the Millennial generation, and their

attitudes towards work-life balance. The study captures the attitudes of soon-to-be

graduates towards work-life balance in consideration with pursued industry, pursued

career path and how much students value work-life balance before entering in to the

workplace. This thesis provides understanding of these attitudes and the disconnect

between pursued industry and valuation of work-life balance. It also describes

suggestions for students and employees in order to foster practices of work-life balance in

the workplace.

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INTRODUCTION

On October 3, 1990 I was born in St. Louis, Missouri. I am a Millennial. The idea

for this research came from my own experience in college, trying to balance my

schoolwork, a job, family, my boyfriend, friends, and keep a balance of all those facets in

my life. Friends call me a “workaholic” and my family worries that I am missing out on

all the fun times I should be having at a young age. But I knew I wasn’t the only one that

was experiencing this overwhelming feeling. Many of my friends across many different

majors and life-styles were experiencing a similar dilemma. The pressure to be involved

in everything and anything was getting the best of us. Striving for success in every aspect

of our lives was stretching us thin…so it made me curious: Does my generation struggle

with balancing work and a personal life? Do Millennials take work-life balance into

consideration as they are graduating college and entering the work force? Hoping to one

day be an event planner, I know that my career will be demanding and I will spend a lot

of early mornings and late nights in the office. I thought about my peers and the

industries they are eager to enter in to. Maybe it is too early for us to be thinking about

balancing a career, a marriage and a family, but what about maintaining a career,

friendships, and personal time? I wanted to explore deeper in to the minds of college

students just like me, about to graduate (hopefully get a job) and start living in the “real

world”. Is the topic of work-life balance even on their minds yet? Or are we just focused

on getting a job, making a lot of money and working ourselves in to the ground until we

get there? That is what this thesis is trying to uncover. Do soon-to-be college graduates

(just like me) think about maintaining a balance at this stage in our lives?

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Some key terms we need to define that will be used frequently in this thesis paper

include:

Work-Life Balance (WLB): satisfaction and good functioning at work and at

home with a minimum of role conflict (Sturges, and Guest 5-20).

Millennials: The generation born between the years of 1978-2000. Also referred

to as Generation Y, Net Generation and Echo Boom Generation.

Before specifically researching the millennial generation and their attitudes about

work-life balance, it’s important to understand work-life balance practices in a general

sense. Many believe that success means possession of material things and financial gain,

but it is increasingly easy to fall into the trap of working long hours, neglecting

relationships and one’s own personal happiness. Before creating a balance between the

demands of work and life, it is important to define what success means. To ensure a

balance of work and personal life, one must be able to assess to what cost they are willing

to sacrifice for success (Holden and Renshaw). It is also important to examine and

analyze one’s success in order to have a measurement of progress. In order to become

successful and maintain a balance between work and non-work, it is vital to understand

one’s self and what one values and believes (Holden and Renshaw). The need to

understand how work-life balance might be fostered is present in the vast amount of

research showing that an increasing number of people value balance between home and

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work, especially the younger members of the workforce (“What millennial workers

want”).

In previous research, gender, life-cycle stage, generation, career stage and other

determinants have measured attitudes toward work-life balance. Some of the research and

studies about the attitudes towards work-life balance include:

Life Cycle Stage and Gender “Impact of Life-Cycle Stage and Gender on the

Ability to Balance Work and Family Responsibilities” by Higgins, Duxbury and Lee:

“The impact of gender & life-cycle stage on three components of work-family conflict

was examined using a sample of 3,616 respondents” (Higgins, Duxbury and Lee 144-

150). Two hypotheses were tested in this research: “1. Women will experience greater

work-family conflict (i.e. role overload, interference from work to family, interference

from family to work) than men. 2. Parents with younger children will experience work-

family conflict than parents with older children” (Higgins, Duxbury and Lee 144-150).

The study also analyzes the amount of time spent with house chores, childcare, leisure

activities and paid employment since these factors have an impact on role overload and

interference. Results suggested that men faced moderate levels of work-life balance

conflict in each life cycle stage whereas women has similar results in the two early life-

cycle stages but faced lower levels of work-life balance conflict in the later life- cycle

stages. These results may suggest that women are more affected by young children in the

home and experience less work-life balance as the children grow up. Men on the other

hand, may not experience a change in conflict over different life-cycle stages, but they do

experience work-life balance conflict. This thesis will explore a life-cycle stage that

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normally does not include children and spouses. Instead, it will focus on students who

have not yet entered the workforce and have no experience with the demands associated

with having a family of their own.

Career Stage “One size fits all? An exploratory analysis of the differential effects

of career stage” by Darcy, McCarthy, Hill and Grady: This analysis examines if and how

work-life balance is shaped by different experiences as they influence different career

stages (career stages defined by age categories). The research was conducted among a

sample of 729 employees in 15 organizations (Darcy, McCarthy, Hill, and Grady 111-

120). This study was particularly interesting in terms of this thesis because it examines

work-life balance at all different career stages, even those between the ages of 18 and 29.

The findings suggest that factors that influence work-life balance are different across

various career stages thereby indicating that work-life balance is a concern for employees

at all career stages and not limited to those of parents with young children. Results also

point out that perceived managerial support is important in terms of positively impacting

the work-life balance of employees. These results are significant because they indicate

that members of the Millennial generation may struggle with work-life balance conflict

even though they don’t have young children at home.

Generations “A Review of the Empirical Evidence on Generational Differences

in Work Attitudes” by Jean M. Twenge: “This article reviews the evidence for

generational differences in work values from time-lag studies (which can separate

generation from age/career stage) and cross-sectional studies (which cannot)” (Twenge,

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201-210). The report found that more of the Millennial generation (50%) and Generation

X (52%) were family centric in comparison to the Boomer generation (40%). Cennamo

and Gardner’s study found that the Millennial generation valued freedom, which they

defined as work-life balance, more than Generation X or the Boomers. Most studies

consistently found that Generation X and specifically the Millennial generation believe

that work is less central in their lives and they value leisure and seek more freedom and

work-life balance than the Boomers do (Twenge, 201-210). These results are also

significant because they illustrate that the Millennial generation values work-life balance

and is concerned about their leisure time in comparison to other generations.

GENERATIONAL TRAITS

Each generation is shaped by the events that took place during the time of their

upbringing and these events have consequently shaped their personalities and their

behaviors in the workplace. Members of each generation bring unique values to the

workforce, which is important for business and managers to understand. In today’s

workplace the generations currently most represented are the baby boomers (1946-1960),

Generation X (1960-1977) and Generation Y or what we will call the Millennials (1978-

2000). The “baby boom” took place post WWII and represents the largest generation in

American history. Baby Boomers experienced rock and roll, women’s liberation, the race

to space, and more defining world events. As a generation, they tend to be optimistic,

idealistic and driven (Glass, 98-103). Generation X was shaped by very different world

events. Generation X children were “born at a time when the divorce rate was double that

of boomers when they were children” (Glass, 98-100). “During this time, more families

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had both parents working  creating the term latch-key children. These were kids who

came home to an empty house, with a key literally on a chain” (Glass, 98-100).

Generation X children learned the importance of work-life balance at a young age when

they never saw their parents. The latest generation, the millennials, are often described

by their access to modern technology. On the other hand, millennials also grew up

witnessing terrorist attacks on America. “The term “helicopter parents” was coined in

large part due to the tendency many millennial parents have to hover around their

children, trying to oversee work and social activities” (Glass, 98-100). This generation is

described as “confident, team-oriented, and used to having structure in their lives- like

parents planning activities” (Glass, 98-103).

Considering each generation experienced or is experiencing a wide range of

defining events, it is important to understand their generational traits and styles in the

workplace. For the Baby Boomers, work and personal sacrifice, to them, equaled

financial success. The boomers often believe that younger generations do not work as

hard or as long as they do because they are not “punching the clock” every day (Glass,

98-103). This generation values hard work, statues, and extrinsic rewards, and may have

a hard time balancing work and family.

These values greatly contrast with those of Generation X who believe the most

important thing is balancing work and life. Members of this generation feel that if they

did not struggle to find a balancing between their work life and their personal life, all

they would do is work, nothing else. Unlike the boomers, Generation X member “may

have more commitment to their own careers than to their organizations and may prefer

organizations which value skills development, productivity and work-life balance rather

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than status and tenure” (Cennamo, and Gardner 891-906). They work to live, not live to

work.

Workers in the millennial group are the most confident generation because

American school systems catered to their self-esteem all the time. For example, students

are under the impression that they can be whomever they want and do whatever they

choose. Schools tell students “they could be whoever they want to be and do whatever

they want to do” (Claps). Millennials are driven mainly by individual needs and desires.

Cennamo and Gardner’s cross-sectional study in 2008 found that the millennial

generation valued freedom (which was defined as work-life balance) more than

Generation X and Baby Boomer members. After experiencing events such as the terrorist

attacks on September 11th, this generation re-evaluated their priorities in life and made

their personal lives a priority (Ng, Schweitzer, and Lyons 281-292). Another facet of

their upbringing that is rooted in the millennial generation is the fact that they are the first

digital natives in the workplace. “Perhaps the most distinctive attributes of the millennial

generation are their technology savvy and their agility in handling multiple pursuits at

once” (Claps). Their ability to surf the web while creating a document while chatting to a

friend makes them the experts in multitasking. Essentially, the millennials build off the

desires of their older siblings, Generation X, for achieving a balance between work and

life.

OCCUPATIONS AND INDUSTRIES

A limited amount of research has been done to associate work-life balance with

different industry demands, however it is noted in the publication Perspectives on Labour

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and Income that, “the labor force is aging and work-life balance is increasingly important

to workers” (Williams 15-26). The article notes that, “when work schedules are regular,

or when workers have some control over their shifts, it is much easier to reduce the

conflicts relating to family and work and…satisfaction with work-life balance varies

somewhat by type of shift” (Halpern 157-168). Today, shift work can be described as

regular night and evening work, casual and on-call jobs, irregular shifts, and rotating and

split shifts. Shift work refers to anything other than regular daytime work schedules.

Doctors, nurses and police officers are a few examples of occupations that require shift

work because of the nature of the job. Most of these jobs require services. 24 hours per

day. “The 2005 General Social Survey confirmed [that about] 45% of those working in

health occupations were shift workers, as were 66% in protective service occupations

(police, security guards). Other occupations where shift work was relatively common

were sales and services (40%) and those unique to primary industries (42%). Conversely,

less than 10% of natural and applied sciences and 12% of business, finance and

administrative jobs entailed shift work” (Williams 15-26). Certain industries are tied to

shift work as well. Some shift work industries that come to mind include the health care

industry, accommodation and transport industries “50% of full-time workers in the

accommodation and food industry worked something other than a regular day schedule”

(Williams 15-26). On the other hand, there are industries where the “vast majority of

workers worked only regular daytime schedule- for example, education, professional and

scientific services, utilities and construction” (Williams 15-26).

Work-life balance can be challenging to achieve for any full-time worker

regardless of work schedules. Day workers are most likely to be satisfied with their work-

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life balance, followed by regular evening workers because their schedules are regular and

they can plan aspects of their life around work. The group least satisfied with their work-

life balance are those with split or irregular shifts, on call or casual, or with other

irregular shifts because they have less control of their schedules (Williams 15-26). In

addition, shift workers are more likely to worry about not spending enough quality family

time than their counterparts. They also worry about balancing time with their friends and

activities. In a multivariate analysis conducted by Williams, people who worked 46 hours

or more per week were associated with being less satisfied with balancing work and life

for both men and women (Williams 15-26).“Women working 56 or more hours per week

had a 72% lower likelihood of being satisfied with their work-life balance and a 56%

lower likelihood of avoiding role overload (78% and 49% respectively for men)”

(Williams 15-26). The multivariate analysis also showed a difference between men and

women in the industry and occupation variables. For the men, trade, manufacturing, and

transportation and warehousing were associated with a lower likelihood of being satisfied

with balancing work and life; manufacturing, and education and health, were associated

with being less likely to avoid role overload (Williams 15-26). For women, there was no

effect on either measure. In regards to occupations, some occupations like social

sciences, sales and culture, trades and unique to primary industries or manufacturing

“seemed to offer some protection to both men and women with respect to role overload

compared with managerial, business, finance or scientific jobs” (Williams 15-26).

It is evident that some occupations and industries are more associated with shift

work than others, meaning that attitudes towards work-life balance may be influenced by

an individual’s job or industry they are in. A doctor, for example, who engages in shift

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work with long work hours, may be less satisfied with their work-life balance than say a

teacher, who engages in regular daytime work schedules. This thesis will explore soon-

to-be college graduate students and their attitudes towards this particular idea. Are

students aware of these kinds of issues when they consider a career path or an industry?

MILLENIALS AFTER GRADUATION

Millennials are a confident, driven and motivated generation in general, but they

are under a lot of pressure. Parents, professors, and other leaders emphasize high learning

standards and hold schools accountable for achieving these standards (Claps). Millennials

are accustomed to strong parental involvement and graduating from college is a scary

time for them. Robbins and Wilner recognize a quarter life crisis which they define as an

“identity crisis stemming from the transition from childhood to adulthood- from school to

the world beyond- comes as a jolt for which many of today’s twentysomethings simply

are not prepared” (Robbins and Wilner). Without a defined life direction and no

scheduled events, millennials feel unsettled when they enter the “real world”. In an

interview, one twentysomething said, “I am frightened of adulthood because in many

ways it seems to represent the end of fun. Not only am I not ready to stop having fun, but

I am not ready to stop having the young kind of fun” (Robbins and Wilner). Today, there

has been a growing concern that young adults are delaying their entry in to the workforce

and they are having a hard time making career-related decisions. One of the factors that

Twenge and Campbell recognize is the accuracy or inaccuracy of self-perceptions

(Twenge and Campbell 862-877). “More than half of recent high school students (51

percent) predicted that they would earn graduate or professional degrees, even though

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only 9 percent of 25- to 34-year-old high school graduates actually hold these degrees”

(862-877).

Other attitudes are rooted in the millennial generation as they enter in to the

workplace. Mentioned earlier, millennials are first and foremost looking out for their self-

interest. “Both self-esteem and narcissism are up among college student samples”

(Twenge and Campbell 862-877). In 2006, the average college student scored higher than

the majority of students in the early 1980s, more likely to agree with items such as "If I

ruled the world it would be a better place," "I think I am a special person," and "I can live

my life any way I want to” (Twenge and Campbell 862-877). They are encouraged to

look out for their best interest and that is reflected in their attitudes towards the

workplace. Recent graduates don’t want to commit to a career and stay with it because

they want to find the perfect job fit for them (Claps). In a Business Week article, they

explained that, “[Young workers] have high expectations and demand meaningful work,

constructive feedback, and positions of influence within their organizations” (Twenge

and Campbell 862-877). Young workers today, the Millennials, expect fulfillment from

their job and authenticity from their employers.

Another attitude rooted in the millennial generation as they enter in to the

workplace is social approval. Since 1980, the social desirability trait, measuring the need

for social approval, has steadied at a historically low level (Twenge and Campbell 862-

877). Young employees today dislike conformity. “Today's employees are prepared to

take greater risks and are encouraged and rewarded for thinking "out of the box" rather

than sticking with the traditional ways of doing things” (862-877). Reflecting this trend is

the more relaxed and informal dress code seen in so many organizations today. College

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students are accustomed to rolling out of bed and going to class with sweats and flip-flips

on. This informal attire has made its way to the workplace where a lot of organizations

observe “casual Fridays” in the office (862-877).

MILLENIALS AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Research characterizes the millennial generation as “valuing work-life balance,

life styles, career development and overseas travel more than other generations”

(Cennamo, Gardner 891-906). Given the higher level of education, “Millennials are more

likely to negotiate the terms under which they work, and demand work-life balance at

every stage of their careers” (Ng, Schweitzer, and Lyons 281-292). Millennials combine

the teamwork ethic of the Boomers with the work-life balance practice of Generation

X.The Work and Family Researchers Network provides statistical information about

important work-life issues that influence the millennial generation (“Work and Family”):

• “Seventy-three percent [of Gen Y workers polled] worry about balancing

professional and personal obligations”.

• “…50 percent of Gen-Y and 52 percent of Gen-X are family-centric

(focus on family life needs) compared with 41 percent of Boomers”.

• “Compared to previous generations, Gen Y expects to have, more frequent

job/career changes (15%), greater focus on personal/family life (12%),

more knowledge of advanced technology (10%), and more education

(9%)”

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After discovering that many philosophers, sociologist, and management scholars

have conducted a wide range of research on the topic of work-life balance, there seemed

to be a lack of information that specifically targeted these younger members of the

workforce- especially the young graduates and prospects of the workforce. This thesis

will build upon the research that has already been done, focusing on the millennial

generation and their desire for work-life balance. It will also build upon the small amount

of research done to analyze the attitudes towards work-life balance between different

industries and career fields. Primarily, this thesis will analyze soon-to-be graduating

college students who are not yet full-time employees. This is adding to previous research

by examining attitudes of those not yet in the workforce but about to enter it. In

conclusion, it will pose suggestions for employers and how they might accommodate the

needs of this upcoming generation. The research reported in this thesis will build upon

the research already being done about the attitudes of millennials considering work-life

balance and address the following research questions:

1. What does work-life balance mean to soon-to-be graduates?

2. Do soon-to-be college graduates, part of the millennial generation,

consider the time commitment and issues associated with work-life

balance as they choose a career field?

3. Do soon-to-be college graduates consider these issues associated with

work-life balance when they choose a particular job?

4. Are attitudes about work-life balance different across industries (in which

students are prospective employees)?

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METHOD

Data for this study was collected by an online survey focusing mainly on

understanding the views of Millennials on work-life balance in relation to their

prospective career path, prospective industries, and prospective jobs. Participants were

selected randomly amongst a base pool of 65 participants. Ten students amongst different

majors participated in the survey and then they sent the survey out to five new

participants. Questions included: “How important is WLB when choosing an industry or

career to pursue?” and “How much do you value WLB when choosing a job?” The

survey asks respondents, using a 5-point Linkert scale, the extent to which they agree or

disagree with a number of statements. High scores indicate greater agreement, and hence

strong acknowledgements for work-life balance. For a complete list of survey questions,

see Appendix. The data set included 50 undergraduate students who are graduating

between May 2013 and May 2015. 74.2% of respondents were between the age of 22 and

23 (ranging from 18 to 23, the expected age of 2013-2015 graduates). 79% of the

participants were female and 21% of the participants were male. The female demographic

was represented more in this survey because the ten selected participants sent the surveys,

predominantly, to women. For this reason, the data is heavily skewed towards women,

which will be discussed further in the limitations section of this thesis.

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Table 1: Sample profile

 

MEASURES  

Value of work-life balance was measured by two questions. First, respondents

were asked how much they value work-life balance in their lives. A second questions

asked what work-life balance meant to them personally.

Industry attitudes towards work-life balance were measured by a question asking

respondents to measure how much they valued work-life balance when choosing an

industry or career field to pursue.

Attitudes towards work-life balance concerning occupation were measured by

two questions asking respondents to measure how much they valued work-life balance

when accepting a job offer and to measure how much they valued work-life balance when

making decisions about after-college plans.

Each of these measures was analyzed in consideration of the respondent’s gender,

major, minor, career choice and industry choice.

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RESULTS

74% of respondents indicated that they highly value work-life balance in their life

and 18% of respondents indicated that they somewhat value work-life balance in their

life. 70% of respondents indicated that work-life balance was extremely important when

choosing an industry or career path to pursue and 20% indicated that work-life balance

was somewhat important. These results are parallel to studies done by The Work and

Family Researchers Network that says that, “Seventy-three percent [of Gen Y workers

polled] worry about balancing professional and personal obligations” (“Work and

Family”). When accepting a job offer, 44% of respondents said they always consider

work-life balance and 44% said that they sometimes consider work-life balance in

making a decision about a potential job offer. When respondents were asked if they

consider work-life balance when making decisions about after-college plans, 34% said

they always consider work-life balance and 42% said they somewhat consider work-life

balance when making those decisions. 20% of respondents said that they moderately

consider work-life balance when making decisions about after-college.

Focusing on gender, there was no significant difference between respondents.

Both men and women somewhat or highly valued work-life balance, on average, when

making decisions about after college plans, industry and career to pursue. Both men and

women value work-life balance in their life the same (mean for women = 4.6 and mean

for men = 4.9, mode = 5 for both men and women based on Likert scale). When choosing

an industry to pursue, most men and women highly consider work-life balance (mean for

women = 4.5, mean for men = 4.8, mode for men and women = 5 on Likert scale). As

student’s start accepting job offers, men and women somewhat to highly consider work-

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life balance on average (mean for women = 4.2, mean for men = 4.5, mode for women =

4, mode for men = 5 on Likert scale). Similarly, men and women both highly consider

work-life balance when choosing a career to pursue (mean for women= 4.0, mean for

men = 4.2, mode for men and women = 5 on Likert scale).

Focusing on industry, the two most common responses were education and health

care. Other industries sampled included: accounting, advertising, behavior, business,

entertainment, environmental, fashion, film, law, non-profit, public relations, retail,

science, social work, software and tourism, Responses relative to all industries were very

similar with no significant difference. Respondents wishing to pursue the education or

health care industry most often indicated that they highly considered work-life balance

when choosing a career or industry to pursue and highly valued work-life balance in their

life (mode for education= 5, mode for health care = 5 on Likert scale).

Although this current study lacks the power to statistically demonstrate attitudes

towards work-life balance based on gender, industry or other factors, the observed means

seem to be similar across the board. There is no significant difference in analyzing

gender, industry, or career in which respondents hope to pursue.

LIMITATIONS

A few limitations impacted the results of this analysis, most of them being

administrative issues. One of the major limitations was cost and limited access to

appropriate survey tools. The survey was conducted through a basic survey tool, Survey

Monkey, with no capabilities to export results. This impacted the survey because there

was a limited amount of questions that could be asked using this survey tool and

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respondents could only access the survey online without any in-person interaction with

the monitor. A second limitation was the gender break out. There was an overwhelming

amount of female respondents (78%). This may be due to the fact that respondents had

control over who they would ask to participate in the survey after taking it. The gender

distribution was not monitored. In future studies, with more resources and capabilities, a

larger sample size would be attainable and results may vary slightly. For the purposes of

this thesis, the survey demonstrates soon-to-be graduates’ attitudes towards work-life

balance in a very general manner, using the mean of responses according to gender,

industry and career respondent’s wish to pursue.

CONCLUSION

Do soon-to-be college graduates anticipate the work-life balance conflicts that

may arise dependent upon what industry they are pursuing? Based on this survey there

seems to be a disconnect. Millennials make it clear that work-life balance is something

they value in their life. They strive to balance work, family, friends, social activities and

all the other components that they feel are important to them individually. On the other

hand, we can assume that different industries require specific time commitments and

measure success differently. Simply, it is understood that certain industries require

demand more hours or time away from home to be successful. This is where there is a

disconnect that is evident in this survey. Respondents that are likely to enter a demanding

industry that requires irregular shift work, like health care or law, do not value work-life

balance any differently than respondents entering less demanding industries that require

regular shift work, like education. The results seem to suggest that soon-to-be graduates

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are not realistic about the work-life balance conflicts that may arise based off what

industry they wish to pursue. 74% of the respondents indicated that work-life balance is

extremely important in their life and 70% said that work-life balance is extremely

important in choosing an industry or career to pursue, but there is no difference in

attitudes towards work-life balance between student’s entering different industries after

college. For future research, it is important to provide reliable data about time

commitments demanded between industries and what conflicts associated with work-life

balance are typical between different industries. This information should be disseminated

to millennial students so they can make more informed decision about pursuing a specific

industry. With this type of information, millennial students may think harder about the

field of study they choose to pursue in their undergraduate collegiate experience. A more

comprehensive understanding about the demands of specific industries may also lead

millennial students to consider work-life balance earlier on during their time spent in

college. This type of proactive thinking could help students be more realistic about

professional decisions in their future.

Results also indicate that, in general, students are considering work-life balance

before they even enter the workplace. Previous research suggests that the Millennial

generation strongly values work-life balance, but there was a lack of information

surrounding the students not yet a part of the workforce yet. This survey provides

information that adds to previous ideas of Millennials valuing work-life balance and also

suggests that students in this generation are thinking about the issues that surround work-

life balance before they graduate from college. This suggests that millennial students

demand work-life balance even in a time of their life that is very volatile and unsure. For

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them, it is important to maintain a work-life balance in the sense that they are balancing

relationships, friends, social outings, jobs, school, and all the other factors that are

important to college students. These factors may change as they enter the workplace, but

it’s important that they are thinking about work-life balance at such an early stage before

their careers even begin. One respondent defined their personal work-life balance as

“managing your time well between work, school, and your social life.” Another

respondent said, “It is important to have a healthy balance between work and other

aspects of your life (family, friends, hobbies, relaxation, etc.) and another said, “Focusing

and getting as much done during my time at work so that when I go home I can focus on

myself, my family, and my friends and not have to worry about work during my free

time”. It is evident that soon-to-be graduates expect to maintain a balance in their lives

before they enter the workplace and in their first job.

IMPLICATIONS FOR MILLENNIAL STUDENTS

The disconnect between industries and realistic attitudes towards work-life

balance of Millennial students is concerning for students in that they are not making

informed decisions when entering the workplace. Students need to consider the demands

of their potential industry early on when they are choosing a major, prospecting jobs and

making decisions about their future. It is important for millennial students to ask a series

of questions when prospecting job positions in order to gauge an organization’s

commitment to foster work-life balance. Questions could include, but are not limited to:

What are typical job hours for this job function? How much travel is involved with this

job function? How many hours per week can I expect to put in? Students should also be

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realistic about industry demands and work-life balance conflicts when choosing an

industry to pursue. If work-life balance is something that a student sees as extremely

valuable, the student should contemplate whether or not the industry they wish to pursue

fosters that type of lifestyle. Without these types of proactive planning, students may

enter into an industry that does not meet their work-life balance needs. In this case,

millennial students may experience discomfort in their job; they may not perform to the

best of their ability or they may decide to resign early on.

IMPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYERS AND MANAGERS

Managers and employers should be mindful of soon-to-be graduates’ attitudes

towards work-life balance before they enter the workplace and as they join an

organization. Considering the disconnect between pursuing a specific industry and being

realistic about work-life balance conflicts associated with certain industries, employers

need to provide millennial students with an optimal amount of information about the job

function. During recruitment and career fairs, employers should provide students with a

realistic job preview and a sample schedule of the shift work required for specific job

functions. Students should know what to expect before they accept a job offer. Before

entering the workplace or even through the duration of employment, managers should

provide career counseling in order to better assist employees or students with work-life

balance conflicts. Considering the Millennial generation’s attention and desire for work-

life balance, it is also important for employers to consider these attitudes in the

workplace. Employers can offer more flexible work hours and allow for employees to

work from home in certain circumstances. In a general sense, employers should be

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conscious that millennial students value work-life balance when making plans after

graduation, so it is important to include work-life balance practice during the recruitment

process because students are looking for that amenity.

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APPENDIX

List of Survey Questions

Table 2: Value of work-life balance

Table 3: Industry attitudes towards work-life balance

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Table 4: Attitudes towards work-life balance concerning occupation

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Relation. 43.2 144-150. Web. 6 Apr. 2013. Holden, Robert, and Ben Renshaw. Balancing Work & Life. 1st. New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 2002. Print. Ng, Eddy, Linda Schweitzer, and Sean Lyons. "New Generation, Great Expectations: A Field Study of the Millennial Generation.." 25.2 (2010): 281-292. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. Robbins, Alexandra, and Wilner, Abby. “Quarterlife Crises: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties.” (2001). Web. 19 Apri. 2013. Sturges, Jane , and David Guest. "Working to live or living to work? Work/life balance early in the career."Human Resource Management Journal. 14. (2004): 5-20. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. Twenge, Jean. "A review of the empirical evidence on generational differences in work attitudes.." Journal of Business and Psychology. 25.2 (2010): 201-210. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Twenge, Jean, and Campbell, Stacy. “Generational differences in psychological traits and their impact on the workplace.” Journal of Managerial Psychology. 23.8. (2008): 862-877. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.

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“What millennial workers want: How to attract and retain gen y employees.” Yahoo! HotJobs & Robert Half International. (2007). Web. 5 April 2013. Williams, Cara. "Work-life balance of shift workers."Perspectives on Labour and Income. 20.3 (2008): 15-26. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Work and Family Researchers Network. U Penn. Web. 6 Apr 2013. .

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