Millennial workers are increasingly becoming the spoilsport of the office, with younger people increasingly likely to work there for money rather than fun as years of economic crisis force them to keep their heads down, collecting their monthly paychecks and fighting for a promotion.
According to a survey of nearly 35,000 workers worldwide, millennials are now the least likely to care about the daily enjoyment of their work.
The People at Work report, produced by payroll services company ADP, found that only one in four millennials, classified between the ages of 24 and 34, would prioritize the daily enjoyment of their work when choosing a job. This compares to 45% of baby boomers over 55.
Instead, these younger workers are more likely to prioritize salary, with 56% of them prioritizing their salary, compared to just 44% of 18-24 year olds. They are also more likely to value career progression than any other age group.
There is also a continental disparity that draws on preconceived notions about worker motivation on both sides of the Atlantic. Europeans are much more likely than North Americans to prioritize daily enjoyment at work and job security, for example.
The findings suggest that millennials have been broken by years of unrewarded corruption and have become detached from their personal happiness at work, meaning a deprioritization of their happiness for 40 hours a week.
Older millennials entered the financial crisis, meaning a tighter job market that removed the luxury of choice their predecessors enjoyed. Younger millennials and Generation Z have also faced the upheaval of a pandemic, generationally high inflation and rising interest rates just as they are settling into their careers.
As a result, they now appear willing to stay stuck for longer periods and more intense hours in search of financial security.
The research also dovetails with other studies on how young people find meaning when so many lack the financial security to take sabbaticals, buy sports cars or indulge in the other trappings classics of a midlife crisis.
A survey of the Thriving Psychology Center found that 81% of millennials felt too poor to experience a typical midlife crisis defined by splurging on unnecessary items or taking up unusual hobbies.
“The midlife crisis for millennials is more of a ‘crisis of purpose and commitment,’” said Steven Floyd, owner of SF Psychotherapy Services. Fortune. “A generation that was encouraged to work hard and reach for the stars – they got there and asked themselves: Am I satisfied? Do I care?
Baby boomers prioritize flexibility
ADP’s survey also revealed new information about how the workplace affects employees’ perceptions of their job security and the extent to which their bosses actively monitor them.
While millennials are the most likely to give up their happiness to advance professionally, younger Gen Z workers aren’t far behind.
The report reveals that 16-24 year olds are the least likely to worry about flexibility in their working hours, unlike baby boomers aged over 55.
“The desire for flexible work arrangements isn’t going away, it’s just being redefined along with other attributes of work that workers value, like career advancement and enjoyment of work,” says Nela Richardson, chief economist of ADP.
Meanwhile, there was a notable level of anxiety among remote workers, who were 1.3 times more likely to feel insecure about their jobs than hybrid or full-time office workers. They were also more likely to think they were being watched by their bosses.
“While workers appreciate the autonomy that flexible work arrangements provide, they also feel that their employers are monitoring them more,” Richardson said.
“Employers should set clear standards for off-site work and communicate them clearly to maintain trust. »
