Millennials' Career Expectations: Exploring Attitudes and Individual Differences

Authors: Lovorka Galetić, Maja Klindžić, Ivana Načinović Braje

Abstract:

Generation Y individuals or Millennials are known for their unique views, work values and motivational needs which implies that, in order to attract and retain those individuals, activities in the area of career management should be given special attention by HRM managers. After a theoretical background on Millennials’ life and work attitudes, an empirical research on career preferences of Millennials in Croatia was described. Empirical research was conducted among 249 members of generation Y. The data analysis revealed that respondents generally perceive promotion opportunities as the most important career aspect; however, job security and work-life balance are almost as important. Furthermore, it was shown that Generation Y is not necessarily a homogenous group. More precisely, women assign greater importance than men to work-life balance and job security. Therefore, HRM managers should adapt career planning activities not only with respect to generational preferences, but individual characteristics as well.

Keywords: Career, individual differences, millennials, work values.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1124603

References:

[1] K. W. Smola, C. D. Sutton, “Generational differences: revisiting generational work values for the new millennium” Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 363-382, 2002.
[2] S. Eisner, M. A. Harvey O'Grady, “C-Change? Generation Y and the Glass Ceiling”, S.A.M. Advanced Management Journal, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 13-28, 2009.
[3] C. A. Martin, “From high maintenance to high productivity: What managers need to know about Generation Y”, Industrial and Commercial Training, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 39-44, 2005.
[4] J. Meier, S. F. Crocker, “Generation Y in the Workforce: Managerial Challenges”, Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 68-78, 2010.
[5] M. Aruna, J. Anitha, “Employee Retenetion Enablers: Generation Y Employees”, SCMS Journal of Indian Management, pp.94-103, September 2015.
[6] M. Clarke, “Dual careers: the new norm for Gen Y professionals?”, Career Development International, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 562 – 582, 2015.
[7] Croatian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/ljetopis/2014/sljh2014.pdf, 2014.
[8] S. Kultalahti, R. L. Viitala, “Sufficient challenges and a weekend ahead – Generation Y describing motivation at work”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 569-582, 2014.
[9] C. Guillot-Soulez, S. Soulez, “On the heterogeneity of Generation Y job preferences”, Employee Relations, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 319–332, 2014.
[10] N. Dries, R. Pepermans, E. De Kerpel, “Exploring four generations' beliefs about career”, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 2, no. 8, pp. 907-928, 2008.
[11] N. Pološki Vokić, M. Vidović, “Managing internal digital publics: What matters is digital age and not digital nativity”, Public Relations Review, vol. 41, pp. 232-241, 2015.
[12] H. Kong, S. Wang, X. Fu, “Meeting career expectation: can it enhance job satisfaction of Generation Y?”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 147–168, 2015.
[13] J. Luscombe, I. Lewis, H. C. Biggs, “Essential elements for recruitment and retention: Generation Y”, Education & Training, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 272-290, 2013.
[14] A. Weyland, “Engagement and talent management of Gen Y.” Industrial and commercial training, vol. 43, no. 7, pp. 439-445, 2011.
[15] A. Hershatter, M. Epstein, “Millennials and the World of Work: An Organization and Management Perspective”, Journal of Business Psychology, no. 25, pp. 211–223, 2010.
[16] B. M. Josiam, C. Crutsinger, J. S. Reynolds, C. D. Crutsinger, T. Dotter, S. Ramakrishnan, T. Baum, F. G. Devine, “An Empirical Study of the Work Attitudes of Generation Y College Students in the USA: The Case of Hospitality and Merchandising Undergraduate Majors”, Journal of Services Research, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 5-30, 2009-
[17] J. Hurst, L. Good, “Generation Y and career choice”, Career Development International, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 570 – 593, 2009.
[18] F. F. T. Chiang, T. Birch, “The Transferability of Management Practices: Examining Cross - National Differences”, Human Relations, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 80-96, 2007.