New Study From Robert Half International and Yahoo! HotJobs Provides Insight Into Millennials' Career Concerns and Priorities

    MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Baby boomers and Generation
 Y (broadly defined as those born between 1979 and 1999) may have less of a
 generation gap than one might assume. New research from Robert Half
 International and Yahoo! HotJobs reveals that Millennials share many of the
 same concerns as more tenured workers when it comes to saving for
 retirement, finding a solid healthcare plan and achieving work-life
 balance. However, Millennials aren't concerned only with the benefits their
 employers provide. They also expect a lot from their company leaders and
 look to them as partners in success and job satisfaction.
     In a just-released guide, What Millennial Workers Want: How to Attract
 and Retain Gen Y Employees, Robert Half International and Yahoo! HotJobs
 examine the professional priorities of the most senior members of
 Generation Y - those who have already started a career or will soon start
 one. More than 1,000 adults ages 21 to 28 were polled for the project.
     "The research depicts a pragmatic, future-oriented generation that
 holds many of the same values as its predecessors," said Reesa Staten,
 senior vice president and director of workplace research for Robert Half
 International. "Yet, certain distinctive qualities, such as a desire for
 very frequent feedback from their managers, are unique to this generation.
 Generation Y expects a lot of its leaders. Making sure supervisors of Gen Y
 professionals have supportive management styles can go a long way in
 attracting and retaining these workers, who will play a greater role in
 organizations as more baby boomers retire."
     Big expectations of company leaders
     Survey respondents rated working with a boss they respect and can learn
 from as the most important aspect of their work environment, ahead of
 having a nice office space, a short commute or working for a socially
 responsible company. Those surveyed also indicated that they expect more
 "face time" from their supervisors than a weekly status meeting. The
 majority of Gen Yers (60 percent) want to hear from their managers at least
 once a day.
     Redefining a successful future
     Most survey respondents appeared optimistic about the future, but this
 isn't a group whose idealism overshadows practical concerns, according to
 the study. When evaluating job opportunities, for example, the research
 shows that salary, benefits and room for professional growth are top
 concerns for this group. While 46 percent of Gen Yers consider their career
 prospects better than previous generations, many respondents feel they also
 will have to save more money for retirement and study harder than
 generations past. In fact, nearly three out of four (73 percent) Gen Yers
 surveyed said they will likely go back to school to obtain another academic
 degree or certification.
     A corner office or impressive job title doesn't equal success for Gen
 Y, the survey results suggest. In fact, respondents ranked "a more
 prestigious job title" last among seven factors that would prompt them to
 leave their current positions. Opportunities for professional growth and
 advancement rated a greater career priority, the research shows.
     Keeping their options open
     Like most employees, Gen Yers crave challenge on the job. The top
 factors that would tempt Gen Yers to look for greener pastures are added
 pay and benefits, opportunities for advancement, and more interesting work.
 Even firms that provide some of these incentives may not be able to keep
 Gen Y staff members for the long term. Four out of 10 respondents said they
 plan to stay at their job up to two years; only one in five foresees
 staying at his/her current job six years or longer.
     "Millennials never stop marketing themselves," said Tom Musbach,
 managing editor, Yahoo! HotJobs. "This means companies must constantly be
 in recruiting mode with current employees."
     Survey Methodology
     The survey was conducted in the second quarter of 2007 by an
 independent research firm. It includes a total of 1,007 web interviews of
 people 21 to 28 years old who are employed full-time or part-time, and have
 college degrees or are currently attending college. Among those surveyed,
 505 were males, and 502 were females.
     About Robert Half International
     Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized
 staffing firm with more than 350 staffing locations in North America, South
 America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The company's professional
 staffing divisions include Accountemps(R), Robert Half(R) Finance &
 Accounting, and Robert Half(R) Management Resources, for temporary,
 full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively, in the
 fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam(R), for highly skilled
 temporary office support; Robert Half(R) Technology, for information
 technology professionals; Robert Half(R) Legal, for project and full-time
 staffing of attorneys, paralegals and legal support personnel; and The
 Creative Group(R), for creative, advertising, marketing and web design
 professionals. For more information about the specialized staffing and
 recruitment divisions of Robert Half International, visit
 http://www.rhi.com.
     About Yahoo! HotJobs
     Yahoo! HotJobs (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com) is the fastest growing Web
 site among the leading job boards, with +43.3 percent traffic growth during
 January - September 2007, versus 2006 (comScore Media Mextrix). As a leader
 in the online recruiting industry, Yahoo! HotJobs has revolutionized the
 way people manage their careers and the way companies hire talent.
 
 

SOURCE Robert Half International