Generation Y has been the subject of many researches. Below I offer you the most interesting, important and inspiring numbers I’ve found regarding Generation Y.
“The Next Normal: An Unprecedented Look at Millennials Worldwide” by Viacom. This project included 15.000 interviews, in-depth explorations and expert contributions and concluded the following:
- 76% describe themselves as very happy.
- Latin American Millennials report the highest levels of happiness.
- A full 78% would rather have a minimum wage job than no job at all.
- 45% say their number 1 best friend is someone in the family.
- Three quarters of Millennials believe social media has a beneficial relationships with friends.
- 73% think it’s great to have people from other countries coming to live in their home country.
- 84% agree “my age group has the potential to change the world for the better”.
- 93% globally believe it’s our responsibility to treat all people with respect, regardless of race, gender, religion, political viewpoint or sexual orientation.
- A GenY stays employed with his first company for just over 2 years
- An average Generation Y’er has 16 colleagues in his Facebook contacts
A research done by Harris Interactive, called Reality Has Reshaped Young Professionals’ Career Focus, shows the following interesting facts:
- 30 percent of Millennials identify meaningful work as the single most important measure of a successful career
- Forty-eight percent of hiring managers rank high pay as the number one way Millennials measure their career success. Only 11 percent of hiring managers say Millennials consider meaningful work as the number one measure of success.
- Fifty-one percent of hiring managers believe Millennials exhibit an inability to accept criticism from their managers with 54 percent of Millennials in agreement.
- Fifty-five percent of hiring managers believe Millennials lack patience with established processes and 47 percent of Millennials agree
- 47 percent of Millennials and 49 percent of hiring managers agree mentoring is the most helpful way for Millennials to overcome their weaknesses.
- Seventy-eight percent of Millennials speculate they will have five or fewer jobs over the course of their career.
- Nearly one in four (22%) expect to work at six or more different companies during their professional lives
- Only 28% expect to work for fewer than three employers during their careers.
- Fifty-four percent of Millennials and 48 percent of hiring managers say computer skills and comfort with digital technology – such as using social media and learning about new technology – is among the top three career skills
The Professions and Labourmarket Survey done by Yacht, Randstad and Tempo Team shows the following:
- 59% of highly educated employees to the age of 25 are looking for more challenge in his or her work
- 50% of highly educated employees between the age of 25 and 34 years, are looking for more challenge in his or her work
- 21% of these employees are actively looking for a new job because of that missing challenge
Mazars published a survey among Generation Y and is titled “The Y revolution”. Below are the most interesting facts:
- The main life objectives of Generation Y:
28.5% – To have a good work-life balance
27.3% – To live life to the fullest
11.5% – To be financially independent
11.1% – To spend time with family
- This is what GenY thinks their parents had as main life objectives:
32% – To ben financially independent
25% – To spend time with family
18% – To have a good work-life balance
- How does the current business world meet the expectations of GenY?
50% is dissatisfied with work-life balance
41% is dissatisfied with their ability to listen
55% is satisfied with the opportunities and challenges they offer
43% is satisfied with the stimulation the business world offers
- This is what shocks GenY the most in the current business world
24% – The lack of confidence in young graduates
20% – Lack of solidarity
14% – Lack of creativity
13.5% – Lack of flexibility
- Apparently the brains of Generation Y are wired differently to everyone else’s because of their use of on-line technology
- A recent poll of Americans aged 18 to 34, found that more than half (54 per cent) would like to start their own firm or had already done so.
- A separate survey found that 35 per cent of people under 30 in employment had started their own business on the side
- A study of four million Facebook profiles for people aged between 18 and 29 concluded that the pages displayed an “unprecedented entrepreneurial spirit”
- Every time someone tweets, alters their Facebook page, posts a video on YouTube or uploads any other sort of content to the internet, they are doing it as much for others as for themselves.
A rapport issued by PwC named “Millennials at work: Reshaping the workplace” shows the result of a survey of 4.364 graduates across 75 countries, all were aged 31 or under. The most interesting results from this rapport are:
- By 2020, millennials will form 50% of the global workforce
- CEOs say that attracting and keeping younger workers is one of their biggest talent challenges (PwC’s 14thAnnual Global CEO Survey)
- Over 25% of the graduates expect to have six employers or more
- Only 18% expect to stay with their current employer for the long term
- 41% say they prefer to communicate electronically at work than face-to-face or even over the telephone
- 56% would consider leaving an employer that didn’t have the values they expected
- 71% expect and want to do an overseas assignment during their career
- 34% saying that their personal drive was intimidating to other generations
The “Millennial survey”, done by Elance, shows the following interesting numbers:
- 83% of Millennials state that working independently or freelancing is a cornerstone of their career strategy
- 42% would not want to be a full-time employee at a company but prefer the freelance lifestyle and working with multiple clients
- 15% characterizes his or her work style as an Employee. While 39% characterizes this as a Freelancer
In the Netherlands Nobiles did a survey among 2100 graduates. It shows the following results:
- On the question what the most important element is in a job, these were the results:
16.5% – Good atmosphere / nice colleagues
14.4% – Intellectual challenge / work has content and depth
12.7% – Attention for a good work – life balance
12.4% – High salary / Good fringe benefits
11.0% – Good education / focused on personal development
- Fringe benefits are quite important for Gen Y. The following rating is given by the graduates:
53% – Personal budget for training
38% – Paid overtime
33% – Additional vacation days
24% – Company car
22% – Performance bonus
Below the most interesting results are shown from a survey executed by Connected World Report, which was held among 2800 students and starters under the age of 30 across 14 countries:
- 33% of starters attach more importance to freedom and mobility than salary
- 64% of the students ask about social media policy during job interviews
A publication of Mr. Youth shows how social media is integrated into the life of Generation Y. The study is called “The Class of 2015 – The new college orientation”:
- 43% have liked more than 20 brands on Facebook
- 71% report having liked a brand on Facebook just to receive an offer
- 91% make their Facebook Places and Foursquare check-ins public
- 52% have over 300 friends on Facebook. Top 10%, over 1.000
- 58% use Twitter “all the time”
- 40% visit Facebook more than 10 times per day
- 76% spend over an hour on Facebook every day
- 67% access Facebook from their smart phone
- 59% visit Facebook during class
- 80% use 2 or more devices simultaneously while watching TV
The study “Teens and Mobile Phones (April 2010) and Social Media and Young Adults” by Pew Internet & American Life Project, shows very clearly how far the digital world is integrated into the lives of young people, especially teenagers:
- 69% of teens, ages 12-17, have a computer
- 75% of 12-17 year-olds now own cell phones
- One in three send more than 100 text messages a day
- Boys typically send and receive 30 text messages a day; girls typically send and receive 80 messages a day
The Millennial Survey “What is business for?” executed by Deloitte shows the following interesting result:
- On the question “What is the purpose of business?” the following response was given:
Millennials:
Leaders:
