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The Millennial Compass Truths about the 30-and-Under Millennial Generation in the Workplace

The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

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Truths about the 30-and-Under Millennial Generation in the Workplace.In February 2014, MSLGROUP teamed with Dr. Carina Paine Schofield, Research Fellow, and Sue Honoré, Research Consultant, of Ashridge Business School* in the UK, to conduct global research on the Millennial generation’s attitudes and expectations in the workplace.The study, called The Millennial Compass, reveals workplace dynamics that employers must be aware of as they build their teams, especially across international borders. Some results – including what is most importantto today’s younger workers, what they want in their relationships with managers and their expectations of career progression – are startling. Importantly, The Millennial Compass compares responses across geographies to provide valuable insights to global organizations.

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Page 1: The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

The Millennial CompassTruths about the 30-and-Under Millennial Generation in the Workplace

Page 2: The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

Foreword 4

Chapter1:Millennials 5

Who Are They and What Matters to Them? 6

Chapter2:FiveTruthsAboutMillennialsandWork 7

Truth #1: Millennials are Ambitious and Believe Their Work Ethic is Strong 8

Truth #2: Millennials Are On Their Way Up – and Out 10

Truth #3: Millennials Consider International Experience a Low Priority 12

Truth #4: Millennials See the Boss as a Friend 15

Truth #5: Millennials with Younger Bosses Feel More Engaged 18

Chapter3:ClosingThoughts 20

The MSLGROUP Perspective 21

Methodology 22

About This Report

In February 2014, MSLGROUP teamed with Dr. Carina Paine Schofield,

Research Fellow, and Sue Honoré, Research Consultant, of Ashridge

Business School* in the UK, to conduct global research on the Millennial

generation’s attitudes and expectations in the workplace.

The study, called The Millennial Compass, reveals workplace dynamics that

employers must be aware of as they build their teams, especially across

international borders. Some results – including what is most important

to today’s younger workers, what they want in their relationships with

managers and their expectations of career progression – are startling.

Importantly, The Millennial Compass compares responses across

geographies to provide valuable insights to global organizations.

*Established in 1959, Ashridge is a leading business school for working professionals, with an international reputation for

leadership development. It is in the 1% of business schools globally to be accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the

European Foundation for Management Development Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Association to Advance

Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) the UK, European and American accreditation bodies. www.ashridge.org.uk

Table of Contents

Page 3: The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

For nearly a quarter century, the Millennial generation has been written about and discussed at length in management books, blogs, articles and conferences. Much of the publicity focused on character traits that, frankly, tend to cast them in a negative light. Consequently, organizations around the world are keen to learn more about Millennials and understand their apparent high expectations of work and low loyalty to their employers.

Although there are widely varying views on who actually belongs to the Millennial generation (we define them as people born between 1984 and 1996), one thing is clear: Millennials grew up in a world vastly different from that of previous generations. Theirs is a global village where social media and the Web erase geographic boundaries, resulting in a group of people who undoubtedly share perceptions, attitudes and beliefs. “Historically, younger generations have always stirred new ideas into the corporate world, causing some expected ‘irritation’ for older generations,” says Erica Dhawan, a writer, speaker and consultant on next generation leadership. “Yet this time it’s not an attitude problem, it’s a transition in business where globalization and technology have radically changed the game.”

Now that Millennials have been working for 10 years or so, it’s interesting to see the trends that have emerged. Among other things, The Millennial Compass shows they are focused on achieving through personal networks and technology, having a good work-life balance and getting high levels of support from their managers. They don’t want to be tied to an organization, a timetable or a hierarchy, and they’d rather avoid the stress they see their senior leaders shouldering. They may lack some of their predecessors’ relationship, communication and analysis skills, but they’re confident in their abilities to run business in a new way.

The Millennial Compass also reveals how common these trends are – or aren’t –around the world. Does a 25-year-old working for a company in Beijing feel the same way about work as his or her counterpart in London, São Paulo or Atlanta? The article identifies which traits can indeed be considered universal and which ones vary with geography, politics and economic factors.

I thInk the biggest challenge facing businesses is the need for older managers to accept new ways of working. It’s not just about technology, it’s about a hunger to change things.

- JAMES, London, UK

Chapter 1:

Millennials

Foreword

54

Brian Burgess Global Co-Director, Employee Practice

Jason Frank Global Co-Director, Employee Practice

Page 4: The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

As with other generation groups, Millennials are known by many different names (Gen Y and Generation Next, for example). There is limited consensus on who actually belongs to this generation, but for our research purposes, we describe them as people aged 30 years and younger, born between 1984 and 1996.

It’s not hard to imagine how the Millennial mindset would be dramatically different from that of generations who came before them. They grew up amid globalization, light-speed changes in technology and communication, and unprecedented shifts in business, political and cultural norms. The Millennial Compass study found what’s important to them in their working lives varies somewhat by country, but several key findings emerged.

Millennials: the Big Picture They’re ambitious and not necessarily loyal to an organization. They want to move on, up and out quickly.

They want managers who respect and trust them, provide coaching and mentoring and are trusting and trustworthy.

They need lots of support and positive feedback. They look to a manager who is a friend or a peer. They seek bosses who share their knowledge and experience, and they respect experience over job titles or positions.

They don’t believe they need a good boss in order to be successful. They admire managers with higher levels of social self-awareness, self-confidence, cultural alignment to the organization and feedback-giving compared to their own personal capabilities.

Work-life balance is important to them, and they believe they have a strong work ethic.

Millennials in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries see international assignments and experience as far more important than Millennials in the Western world.

Who Are They and What Matters to Them?

What’s Important in Millennials’ WorkIng lives

1Sum of “important” and “very important” responses

Chapter 2:

Five Truths

about

Millennials

and Work

7

Sense of achievement in work 94 94 84 82 88 90

Good work-life balance 93 93 83 85 89 92

Feel valued/treated with respect 90 94 87 86 90 93

Pleasant physical environment 92 92 82 76 86 92

Job security 95 87 83 87 84 89

Good manager/leaders 88 88 86 79 88 89

Career advancement 94 87 80 78 81 91

Opportunity to be creative/innovative 91 88 71 54 76 90

Job status 89 81 74 73 77 91

Location 83 77 81 73 84 83

Independence in work 90 84 78 71 81 88

Influence in organization 84 85 63 54 64 85

Have new ideas implemented 87 83 70 65 71 87

Working in a multi-cultural environment 77 71 52 45 55 70

International experience 70 61 49 40 44 67

%IMPORTANT1

INDIA CHINA UK FRANCE USA BRAZIL

6

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the ambition to Move upThe Millennial generation is often cited as demanding work-life balance, which for them means working to live versus living to work, as the previous two generations were raised to do. Even so, the majority of Millennials surveyed in all countries describe themselves as more ambitious than not.

Millennials in India are the most ambitious for promotion, with 37% believing they should be in a management position within one year of graduating. The highest proportion of Millennials in Brazil, the USA and the UK also believe this, at 24%, 23% and 21% respectively. China peaks at two years and France lags behind with only a cumulative total of 43% expecting to be managers within three years. Overall, more than 40% of this generation expect to be in a management position within two years.

Not only do Millennials from India expect rapid promotion soon after graduating, 25% of them expect to be in a senior management position or running their own business within two years. Those in other countries also show leadership ambition, with 28% in Brazil and 22% in the USA expecting a senior role in two years. In the UK and France, the horizon is closer to five years.

Truth #1 Millennials are Ambitious and Believe Their Work Ethic is Strong

redeFining a strong Work ethicContrary to what managers may think, Millennials say they have a strong work ethic rather than a relaxed attitude toward work, especially in the USA (34%). The reason for the disconnect? A 2009 Ashridge Business School study showed the two groups see the world of work through very different lenses. Millennials view themselves as working hard, doing their best to achieve and, compared to their peers, doing more than their fair share. They also believe they have the right to a good work-life balance and have no problem demanding it.

i’m a classic People pleaser. I want to keep gettIng raises and move up and It will likely never be fast enough.

- STEPH, Washington DC, USA

there absolutely has to Be a clear-cut line Between work and personal life. If there Isn’t, it hamPers your creatIvity full stoP.

- RASHI, Mumbai, India

Managers, on the other hand, see Millennials expecting a lot of time and attention, but vanishing when the pressure is on to achieve team goals that conflict with personal goals. Not surprisingly, managers think Millennials have a very relaxed attitude about work, which echoes the earlier work-life balance requirement. It’s also no surprise that the Millennial generation admires managers who have a similar work ethic to their own. Perhaps “strong work ethic” is being redefined for today’s world.

truth #1 headlines More than 40% of Millennials expect to be in a management position within two years of graduation.

Millennials view themselves as working hard, doing their best to achieve and, compared to their peers, doing more than their fair share.

Managers think Millennials have a very relaxed attitude about work, often vanishing when the pressure is on.

Perhaps “strong work ethic” is being redefined for today’s world.

ImplIcations for organizations Companies should clearly communicate steps and requirements for career advancement. They should provide career development planning to help Millennials move along their career paths at a pace appropriate for them and the organization. Managers must set expectations early and give Millennials continual feedback on performance. They should visibly encourage and reward Millennials who champion organizational goals and culture. Open, honest and frequent communication between managers and Millennials is key to building relationships and abolishing stereotypes. Companies should consider multigenerational communication training for work groups where breakdowns are severe. Work ethic cannot be mandated. Organizations must create and/or maintain a rich culture where values, beliefs and expectations are reflected in every aspect of the work environment.

I thInk the most imPortant thIng I brIng to the company is my work ethic – it’s Born of passion. It’s not just, you’re a work horse and you’ll get the job done no matter the hours and just be miserable. I thInk it’s Important to have a genuine passion for What you’re doing.

- PETE, Atlanta, USA

Millennials’ attitudes about Work (%)

Have a strong work ethic 21 17 22 11 34 24

Have a relaxed attitude to work 14 12 8 12 10 20

INDIA CHINA UK FRANCE USA BRAZIL

98

Page 6: The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

goodBye, loyaltyLoyalty doesn’t appear to be a particularly strong work value for the Millennial generation. On average, 30% of those surveyed worldwide intend to leave their organizations in the next year. Nearly half say they plan to depart after two years, leaving only 57% still working for the organizations they’re with today.

The steepest drop in retention of Millennials is in the UK and Brazil, followed by France, India and the USA. In fact, 19% of Millennials in France and 20% of those in Brazil intend to leave their organizations as soon as possible. These numbers indicate Millennials are anything but corporate minded and have little loyalty to employers.

Millennials’ Intention to stay with their employers over the next 10 years

Surprisingly, Millennials are quite conservative in estimating the number of fields they will work in over their lifetime. An average of 55% worldwide say they will work in only two or three different fields, and 27% predict four to six. The numbers are consistent across countries, so this is a global view.

Truth #2 Millennials Are On Their Way Up – and Out

I exPect to be a senior consultant soon and hope to continue to progress regularly and manage a small team later. But I need to work on my relationships with colleagues and knowledge sharing attitude.

- ISOBELLE, Paris, France

11

truth #2 headlines Thirty percent of Millennials worldwide intend to leave their organizations in the next year.

Millennials are anything but corporate minded and have little loyalty to employers.

An average of 55% of Millennials say they will work in only two or three different fields in their lifetime.

ImplIcations for organizations Organizations must have robust human resources strategies to retain key personnel, develop bench strength and recruit new talent, especially in business-critical areas. Managers at all levels must be prepared to minimize vulnerabilities created by turnover. All companies should have a strong employee brand and ongoing employee engagement programs highlighting benefits important to Millennials. Working in a small number of fields allows Millennials to develop deep expertise in specific areas, which can benefit organizations who tap those resources.

Millennials’ Intention to leaVe their employer (%)

To Leave Their Employer in the Next Two Years 43 28 51 44 40 51

INDIA CHINA UK FRANCE USA BRAZIL

Now

YEARS

%

1& under

2& under

3& under

4& under

5& under

5 to 9& under

10& under

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

India China UK France USA Brazil

10

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Millennials worldwide say they expect to be in senior management positions and/or running their own companies within a few years of graduating. Having grown up in a global economy, they must know the importance of international business experience and mobility to reach these goals. And yet, out of 15 work-life factors ranked by The Millennial Compass survey respondents, international experience was the least important and working in a multi-cultural environment was second least important.

a closer look by countryAlthough 60% of Chinese Millennials surveyed have lived/worked abroad, only 34% from India had, and all other countries had even lower international experience (UK 30%, USA 18%, France 18% and Brazil 10%).

Sixty-five percent of Millennials in India, 47% in China and 37% in Brazil plan to get international work experience in the next five years. Those in the USA and the UK appear more insular. Only 18% of respondents in the USA have foreign work in their plans, and 55% of USA and 42% of UK respondents have no plans to work abroad in the next five years. For Millennials in India, the lure of foreign work is career progression (33%) and money (28%); in China, it is personal development (45%). Millennials from other countries who intend to take foreign assignments say they would do it for cultural experience (USA 41%, UK 37%) or personal development (Brazil 35%, France 28%).

Where they’ll WorkWhen questioned about where they would consider working, those from China, the UK, France and Brazil said North America was their first choice (Brazil 65%, others 51-55%). Americans (62%) and those from India (55%) selected the UK as the top destination. Australia and continental Europe also scored high. The Middle East, India, Africa, China and Central/South America were universally unpopular, all scoring below 30%. All in all, Millennials are prepared to move to the Western world for work, but show little interest in other destinations.

the Impact on International BusinessResearch clearly shows Millennials’ have a strong desire for work-life balance, and they seem to be closer to their immediate families and friends than ever before. Even though they travel virtually in and out of their comfort zones all the time, they’re less eager to make a physical move. These trends could impact the future of international business as well as the Millennial generation themselves who may miss key career opportunities.

Truth #3 Millennials Consider International Experience a Low Priority

do I thInk it’s Increasingly imPortant to haVe overseas exPerience? yes and no. I thInk the place I get hung up on is the actual, physical overseas part of it. In such an interconnected world, I don’t necessarily think you need to literally travel across the ocean to get oVerseas experience.

- PETE, Atlanta, USA

I guess I wouldn’t Mind Working overseas if It didn’t last too long. three years would be best for me but I guess I could stay longer.

- JEAN, Paris, France

13

International and MultI-cultural experiences are least Important to Millennial (%)

70 6 77 6

61 13 71 6

49 20 52 14

40 29 45 17

44 20 55 12

67 9 70 8

IMPORTANT2 UNIMPORTANT3 IMPORTANT UNIMPORTANT

Internationalexperience Workinginamulti-culturalenvironment

INDIA

CHINA

UK

FRANCE

USA

BRAZIL

2 Sum of “important” and “very important” responses3 Sum of “fairly unimportant” and “completely unimportant” responses

Millennials’ Intentions to Work abroad, and Why (%)

Planning to work abroad in next 5 years (%) 65 47 29 28 18 37

Main reason(s)

INDIA CHINA UK FRANCE USA BRAZIL

Career Money

Personal develop-

ment and Ex-

perience culture

Expe-rience culture

Personal develop-

ment and Ex-

perience culture

Expe-rience culture

Personal develop-

ment

12

Page 8: The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

truth #3 headlines Millennials rank international experience and working in a multi-cultural environment as the least important work-life factors.

Millennials are prepared to move to the Western world for work, but show little interest in other destinations.

Even though Millennials travel virtually in and out of their comfort zones all the time, they’re less eager to make a physical move. Sixty-five percent of Millennials in India, 47% in China and 37% in Brazil plan to get international work experience in the next five years; those in the USA and the UK are more insular.

ImplIcations for organizations Organizations should promote international rotations and long-term assignments in external recruiting and career development planning. They should emphasize personal and professional rewards and benefits that appeal to Millennials, such as rapid advancement and the opportunity to change the world of work. Companies with facilities in unpopular locations should assess how vital it is to have Millennials on those teams. If they are essential to the business, barriers and negative perceptions can be offset with extra incentives; positive information about the destination, lifestyle and work opportunities; and the company’s commitment to help employees deal with undesirable conditions. To attract Millennials to international assignments, organizations must offer support such as home leave, job assistance for spouses/partners and cultural assimilation. Global companies can prioritize recruiting efforts in countries where Millennials are more open to working abroad.

Millennials’ perceptions of their relationship with the boss are fascinating. When asked about the role their manager currently plays, most survey respondents chose, “friend.” This answer ranked first in the USA, the UK and Brazil; second in China and third in India. In France, Millennials see their boss as a peer.

Whether they think of the boss as a friend, peer, coach or mentor, it’s obvious Millennials do not want a hierarchical relationship with them. The role of director/allocator of work appears only in China’s description of what Millennials ideally want from their manager, and then in third place.

Overall, less than a third (31%) of Millennials feel the role their manager currently plays fits their image of an ideal manager. Similar to the mismatch in definitions of a strong work ethic, there are obvious differences between Millennials’ and managers’ perceptions of the role the manager plays or should play.

Truth #4 Millennials See the Boss as a Friend

the closeness I have with my boss is not exactly ‘frIendship.’ It’s More like relying on her. she gets Me a lot oF jobs and she gets me inVolved In the job I do.

- RAIN, Beijing, China

Millennials’ current and Ideal relationships With their Boss

Coach/mentor Knowledge source/expert

Friend

Director/allocator of work Friend

Coach/Mentor

Friend Coach/Mentor

Director/allocator of work

Peer Director/allocator of work Knowledge source/expert

Friend Knowledge source/expert

Coach/Mentor

Friend Peer

Coach/Mentor

Coach/mentor and Friend Knowledge source/

expert

Friend Coach/Mentor

Director/allocator of work

Coach/Mentor Friend

Knowledge source/expert

Coach/Mentor Knowledge source/expert

Peer

Coach/Mentor Knowledge source/expert

Friend

Friend Coach/Mentor

Knowledge source/expert

EXISTING IDEAL

INDIA

CHINA

UK

FRANCE

USA

BRAZIL

1514

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Power comes from knowledge, not titlesThe Millennial generation is not concerned with titles. They strongly admire those with experience, at any level, over position or power. This generation wants managers and senior colleagues to be experts willing to share their knowledge with younger employees.

More than half (51%) of Millennials in India, and 40% in the USA, see their manager as a knowledge expert, in both cases ranking it second in the way they describe their relationship with them. However, when looking at the ideal relationship with their manager, all countries see this factor as one of the top three characteristics they desire.

I see in the market there are many bosses and few leaders. We must have leaders because they make the team coMe together and motIvate them to reach the goal. It is important for coMpanies to inVest in leaders and emPower them to manage people. that makes the difference betWeen staying with and leaving a coMpany.

- BRUNO, São Paulo, Brazil

What Millennials respect (%)

Title 8 14 3 7 4 7

Experience 25 18 25 26 37 32

INDIA CHINA UK FRANCE USA BRAZIL

truth #4 headlines When asked about the role their manager currently plays, most survey respondents chose, “friend.”

Millennials do not want a hierarchical relationship with their boss.

Less than a third of Millennials feel the role their manager currently plays fits their image of an ideal manager.

Millennials want managers and senior colleagues to be experts willing to share their knowledge with younger employees.

ImplIcations for organizations Managers must learn to relate to multigenerational team members. This doesn’t mean yielding to whatever employees want; it means understanding their views of the work world and finding common ground that benefits everyone. This may require special training. A command and control management style isn’t necessary if expectations are clear, feedback is frequent and rewards are consistent. To optimize Millennials’ contributions, older managers may have to temper their top-down mentality. Younger managers may have to assume more of a coach or mentor role to establish authority and balance the “friend” dynamic. Managers should strive to understand what motivates Millennial team members – not to accommodate them, but to strengthen relationships and drive better results. Since every employee-boss relationship is different, this should be done in one-on-one conversations and performance reviews. Managers should share their knowledge and bring younger colleagues along, regardless of generational issues. Companies that want to create a Millennial-friendly culture should build internal knowledge sharing programs and platforms and include participation on managers’ performance reviews.

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Does youth motivate youth? Our research says yes. Millennials with Generation X and Millennial managers believe their skills are better utilized than those whose managers are from the Baby Boom generation.

To demonstrate this point, Millennials in India are way ahead of other countries in believing their organization harnesses their talents (75% agree). China is second at 63%. Correspondingly, Millennials in these countries have the highest percentage of young managers. In China, 78% of managers are Late Gen X (31-40 years old) or Millennials (under 30), and this figure is 75% for India. Conversely, France’s managers are 47% Early Gen X (41-50 years old) or Baby Boomers (over 50). Millennials in France had the lowest score (42%) when asked if they believe their organization harnesses their talents.

the story Behind the statIsticsGenerational labels aside, what’s really important to Millennials is what they get from their manager. Millennials want a manager who is very supportive, on their side and has their best interests at heart. They want their ideas pushed forward to leaders with whom they don’t have direct contact or influence. For the Millennial, it’s all about “me” and feeling valued.

Truth #5 Millennials with Younger Bosses Feel More Engaged

Inherently it Is easier to relate to soMeone closer to your own age. With bigger age disParitIes, it turns into a mother/daughter, father/son, father/daughter, mother/son relationshiP. i’Ve found I do not Perform well in that scenario.

- STEPH, Washington DC, USA

19There is a twist, however, to the relationship between Millennials and younger managers. Previous research has detected a bit of a love-hate dynamic caused by the closeness in age, and this is backed up by our findings. Younger managers are seen as friends, which Millennials like, but they may feel let down by the manager as he/she moves up in the organization.

I have a good relatIonshIp with my manager, but they have to understand delegation Is needed to imProVe the organIzation. But with people over 50 years old, you can feel the cultural gap.

- ISOBELLE, Paris, France

I have two bosses, one my age, one 15 years older. although I have a very Friendly relationshiP with the younger boss, I thInk on balance she needs to focus more on developing the teaM, rather than deVeloping herself.

- GEMMA, London, UK

Millennials Believe their skills are Better utilIzed by younger Managers

57 62 59 44

Generationof Millennial LateGenX EarlyGenX BabyBoomers Manager (GenY)

Age(years)of 30&under 31-40 41-50 Over50 Manager

%Agree

truth #5 headlines Millennials with Generation X and Millennial managers believe their skills are better utilized than those whose managers are from the Baby Boom generation.

What’s really important to Millennials is what they get from their manager. For them, it’s all about “me” and feeling valued.

ImplIcations for organizations Companies must recognize the potential disconnect between older managers and younger employees, and help each party appreciate the other’s value. This can be accomplished through communication training, engagement programs and mentoring programs designed to bridge the generational divide. Companies that want to maximize Millennials’ contributions and potentially gain their longer-term loyalty should devise employee engagement and other programs targeting Millennials’ specific needs. These can include personal recognition, flexible work arrangements, a great work environment and other amenities Millennials identify as important in their working life.

18

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Chapter 3:

Closing

Thoughts

21

Millennials, like every generation, present unique challenges and opportunities to organizations striving to succeed in a global economy. Many of their characteristics have been well documented, but the subtleties warrant further exploration.

We at MSLGROUP believe there are many things that can be done to close the gap between what companies need and what Millennials want. The first is to better understand how Millennials view the world and work in particular, which was the purpose of The Millennial Compass study. As we dug deeper into the results, we discovered new insights, such as the rather complex dynamics driving the Millennial-manager relationship, the impact of manager age in motivating Millennial employees and Millennials’ lack of enthusiasm for international work experience. Geographical comparisons also proved enlightening. As the study shows, differences in attitudes and perceptions from one country or culture to another can be dramatic, reminding us to never make generalizations, even in a world where the boundaries that define us become more blurred each day.

At age 30 or younger, Millennials are the future of business the world over. Companies and Millennials will do well to listen to each other’s expectations and find the common ground on which to build mutual success.

The MSLGROUP Perspective

20

Page 12: The Millennial Compass the Millennial Generation in the Workplace

MSLGROUP partnered with Ashridge Business School in the UK to conduct a quantitative research project to explore Millennials’ attitudes and beliefs about work. In February 2014, an email invitation with a link to an anonymous questionnaire was sent to an online research panel of Millennial employees aged 18 to 30 years.

The survey used closed-ended questions (multiple choice, rating scale and ranking scale) to explore topics based on relevant existing literature. These included:

Working life: what is important Managers’ behaviors: what is important and expectations Relationships between Millennials and their managers Workplace behaviors of Millennials and senior colleagues they admire Progression in the workplace and working life Work-life balance Employment engagement and intention to stay International work plans

A total of 1,293 Millennial employees from Brazil, China, France, India, the UK and the USA responded to the survey. The number of respondents was about equal for each country (215 or 216) and each group was made up of equal numbers of males and females.

Research Notes:These findings describe individual attitudes and perceptions of Millennials invited to complete the survey. Interpretation of results represents the opinions of those who participated, not the entire Millennial population. Text or table percentages that do not add up to 100% are due to multiple answers, computer rounding and/or the exclusion of neutral, don’t know or not stated responses.

Methodology

22

Brian has more than 18 years’ experience in developing programs and communications that engage internal audiences with a company’s business strategy, develop internal brand advocates and that build awareness, understanding and acceptance of change initiatives. Based in New York, Brian led the operational transformation of AstraZeneca’s sales force, the integration of Bayer HealthCare and Berlex, the development and launch of the employer brand for Ahold USA family of brands(Stop & Shop and Giant Supermarkets), the worldwide roll out of operating principles for Marsh, and the internal introduction and socialization of the Lilly Diabetes global brand narrative.

Carina joined Ashridge in 2007 as a researcher in the Public Leadership Centre, and is now a Research Fellow working on a number of applied research projects. Carina has a first degree in Applied Psychology and Computing, a post graduate diploma in Psychology and a PhD in Psychology. Prior to joining Ashridge Carina worked as a research fellow and a consultant for The Open University. Most recently she worked as a researcher at Ipsos MORI. She recently authored ‘Culture Shock: Generation Y and their managers in the work place’, a 2013 Ashridge research report.

Sue is an independent learning consultant and project manager. She has held international managerial, strategy and consultancy roles in companies including Peugeot and Intel. Her interest lie in human behaviour and adult learning. Sue’s recent research and publications include best practice in European Management Development, and whilst at Ashridge, on human interaction in an MBA programme, innovation in executive education and in 2009, on Generation Y.

Based in London, Jason has over 16 years’ blue chip experience in branding, marketing and employee communications and engagement. He is fascinated by the role employees can play in driving business performance and reputation, and believes brand and business success start from the inside out. His experience encompasses research, strategy and implementation – much of it on large, complex, international projects. He has extensive experience in employer branding, EVP development, employee engagement and recruitment and student marketing. He brings insight, multi-channel expertise and an understanding of HR, brand, marketing and internal communications functions.

Brian Burgess Global Co-Director, Employee Practice

carina Paine schoField Research Fellow, Ashridge Business School

sue honoré Consultant

Jason Frank Global Co-Director, Employee Practice

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MSLGROUP.COM

AbouttheMSLGROUPEmployeePractice

The MSLGROUP Employee Practice helps companies attract the right talent, engage employees and maximize their performance. Our services span the employee lifecycle from employer branding and recruitment, to internal communications and social engagement, to the departure experience and alumni relations. We engage employees’ hearts, hands and minds to strengthen loyalty and drive behaviors that benefit our clients’ businesses.

To learn more, please contact:

BrianBurgessGlobal Co-Director, Employee PracticeMSLGROUP+1 646 500 [email protected]

JasonFrankGlobal Co-Director, Employee PracticeMSLGROUP+44 (0)20 3219 [email protected]