Profile of Present Accounting Students: What They Offer and

What They Expect

Nancy Nichols

Beta Alpha Psi President

James Madison University

Who are they?

The Millennials: Born after 1980 First generation of "digital natives”

They experience the world through technology Influenced by Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11,

Columbine

Those Born in 1986 The year Chernobyl melted down, the

Challenger exploded and Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, CA

They have always had a PIN number Computers have always suffered from viruses

Ctrl + Alt + Del is as easy as “ABC” We have always been mapping the human

genome Network television has always struggled to

keep up with cable Popcorn has always been cooked in a

microwave

Influences from Youth An educational system that apparently does not emphasize basic

tools in the same way it did when baby boomers were in school

A more scheduled childhood Participated in activities that offered rewards without

achieving excellence

More connectivity through technology Strong belief that work can be done any time, any

place and that people are connected 24/7 Greatly increased expectations of a much quicker turn

around of requests

A vastly increased array of products, services and experiences

Baby Boomers as Parents

Boomers explained things to their children, (actions, consequences, options, etc.).

They allowed their children to have input into family decisions, educational options and discipline issues.

Millennials have become “master negotiators” who are capable of rational thought and decision-making skills at young ages.

Fathers spent more time with children. Millennials get along with their parents and share

their parents’ values.

7 Core Traits SPECIAL: have been told they are special all their lives SHELTERED: kept from harm's way and have highly

structured lives CONFIDENT: see special; they expect good news and

believe in themselves CONVENTIONAL: accept social rules TEAM-ORIENTED: they like to work together and keep

in contact with peers ACHIEVING: see special, confident and team-oriented;

they expect to accomplish a lot PRESSURED: much is expected from them

Impact on View of Work

Comfortable with technology Expect stimulation and dislike mundane work

Mass media has left an impression that work should be fun, be exciting and immediately pay high salaries. Their expectations of achievement and career

success are often not realistic.

They are used to structure and like to have clear defined rules and policies.

Impact on View of Work

They respect authority and will generally conform to the rules. A Millennial will protest to authority about a

rule they don't like, but accept when the reasons are explained.

Millennials are confident and achievement-oriented. They may not be sure how to do something,

but are confident they can learn.

What They Bring Community service orientation Technologically savvy Confident and hard-working

Optimistic Have a “can-do” attitude

Flexibility/persistence in face of change Work well in teams and groups High skill level in social networking activities Strong desire for long-term relationship with an employer

Expect to work more than 40 hours/week

What They Want

To work for a “good” company A “good” company has achieved balance

across all three areas Employees Community Environment

Work-life balance, flexible schedules and philanthropic work

Millennial Expectations Work that matters

Why is the work/product/service important? How do unit goals support company goals? Create opportunities to solve problems

Nothing makes Millennials unhappier than doing tasks with traditional methods that can be done better and more efficiently with the right technology or more sophisticated methods

Encourage and reward innovation

Millennial Expectations

Balance assignments with flexibility Millennials need clearly defined goals and strong

leadership Require them to take 100% responsibility for their

work Help them become time management experts Allow them to take risks and try new approaches

Millennial Expectations

Reward accomplishments with increased responsibility Be sensitive to how much you expect

Get to know them - on both a personal level and in terms of their capabilities Ask them about their goals, objectives, plans Have regular one-on-one meetings

Millennial Expectations

Provide training and learning opportunities Define the skills they will need to advance Set well defined career paths Employ just-in-time training methods Training should be experiential, engaged and

multi-media Help them find ways to apply learning as soon as

possible

Millennial Expectations

Establish mentoring relationships Create a network of mentors who can and will

help the Millennials find their way through the organization

Millennial Expectations

Facilitate flexible scheduling Build flexible schedules that recognize the relative

importance of tasks Set standards for time off

establish lead time for asking off process for finding a replacement

If a “warm body” is all that is needed, allow staff to develop schedule and share duties

Beta Alpha Psi Experiences

Most Popular Topics Transition From School to Work The First Year Experience Etiquette Dress for Success Qualities of Effective Leadership

Beta Alpha Psi Experiences

Frequent Questions Resume drafting Interview questions

How to ask questions about work/life balance without leaving the impression that I’m not willing to work hard

Certification requirements Appropriate dress How to choose between job offers

Wrap-Up Millennials can add value – in significant

amounts They have many of the same concerns The profession needs them!

© Ray Chambers, 2005 ACUP 2005