Study shows sharp differences between millennial communication professionals and their managers
Millennials are often criticized for the different values, qualities and skills they bring to work, according to a new study of millennial communication professionals (MCPs) by the University of Georgia, The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and the Institute for Public Relations. Although the new study confirms the generational differences of millennials, it concludes that some differences like millennials’ strong values for diversity, transparency and social responsibility, will help advance and enrich the profession.
Juan Meng, associate professor of public relations at the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and a Plank scholar, was the co-principal investigator, along with Bruce K. Berger, research director of The Plank Center.
The study also reveals a talent management ecosystem organizations can use to attract, engage, develop, retain and gain from top millennial talent.
“Millennials get trained and then they move on,” said Meng of a typical pattern seen among younger workers in the communications industry. “They could be really engaged for the first year, then their engagement level drops sharply and they move on. We want to see the possible talent management system to identify those effective approaches to help the organizations successfully recruit millennials, develop their leadership skills and retain them as employees for an extended period of time.”
A survey of 420 MCPs and 420 professionals who manage them (MGRs) revealed sharp differences in perceptions about millennials’ workplace values and attributes, engagement, leadership capabilities, and recruiting and retention drivers.
Among the biggest differences of opinions are the following:
• More than 80% of MCPs said they’re ambitious and passionate about work, but only half of their managers agreed. MCPs rated themselves much higher than MGRs did in work centrality (ambition, passion for work and professionalism), rewards and recognition, risk-taking and work-life-social values.
| Workplace values and attributes | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
MCPs |
MGRs |
|
Ambitious about making progress and gaining new opportunities |
83.3% |
51.7% |
|
Passionate about work |
82.7% |
47.6% |
|
Willing to take risks at work |
50.1% |
41.6% |
|
Value diversity of people at work |
73.9% |
62.9% |
|
Supportive of social causes and socially responsible companies |
63.9% |
58.3% |
• Almost three quarters (70.9%) of MCPs said they are ready to lead. They rated their capabilities much higher than did MGRs for their communication knowledge, vision, team leadership skills, ethical orientation, strategic decision-making and relationship-building skills, and readiness to lead.
| Leadership Capabilities | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
MCPs |
MGRs |
|
Demonstrate a strong ethical orientation and professional values |
76.9% |
47.6% |
|
Ready to be an excellent leader in communication |
70.9% |
49.0% |
• MGRs rated their own engagement in the job (83.1%) and the organization (74.4%) significantly higher than MCPs rated their work (72.8%) and organizational (59.3%) engagement. However, MCPs with less than one year on the job were as highly engaged as MGRS; the level dropped sharply for those with 1-3 years of experience before returning to year-one levels after seven years.
“Millennial communicators come to the job excited and enthusiastic,” said Berger. “But those qualities soon fade for some who leave the organization due to poor cultural fit, supervisory issues or better opportunities.”
• Two-thirds of MCPs said job decisions were driven most by reputation (68.1%), culture (67.2%), and location (67.4%), among nine drivers. More than 60% said key retention drivers were culture (63.8%), work-life-social approaches (62.4%), and development opportunities (61.6%), among 14 factors. MGRs’ perceptions of recruitment and retention drivers for MCPs were significantly lower for most factors.
| Recruitment | ||
|---|---|---|
|
I was attracted to the organization because it… |
MCPs |
MGRs |
|
Had a fine reputation |
68.1% |
57.1% |
|
Is a very socially-responsible organization |
57.9% |
50.9% |
|
Offered opportunities for growth and development |
62.4% |
55.2% |
|
Has a very open and positive culture |
67.1% |
60.9% |
|
Is a great location (geographically) |
67.4% |
58.3% |
| Retention | ||
|---|---|---|
|
To retain employees, my organization… |
MCPs |
MGRs |
|
Supports a work-life-social approach |
62.4% |
55.7% |
|
Has a very open and positive culture |
63.8% |
61.2% |
|
Engages in socially-responsible programs |
55.2% |
53.8% |
|
Provides growth and development opportunities |
61.6% |
62.1% |
Particularly, MCPs said meaningful career planning, more mentoring and equal pay for men and women would increase retention rates.
Bringing the Positive Differences to Life with a Talent Management Ecosystem
According to the study, the generational differences are real, but so are some bright hopes and qualities within them. “MCPs see the world differently—from context to connectivity to crisis—but they are digital natives with great passion for leadership and strong values for transparency, social responsibility, diversity and community—all touchstones for our profession today. We can draw from these skills and values to enhance practice and build a brighter future,” Berger said.
To fulfil the goal of the talent management ecosystem, “the key is to contextualize and personalize actions in each process,” said Meng. “Organizations lean heavily on context, but the combination of the two is far more powerful.”
The full report can be found here: http://plankcenter.ua.edu/resources/research/millennial-communication-professionals-in-the-workplace/
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Author: Sarah Freeman, freemans@uga.edu
Contact: Juan Meng, jmeng@uga.edu