Bentley University’s Millennial Preparedness research study raised a number of issues about millennials in the workplace. In the coming weeks, PreparedU, in a series entitled Generational Voices, will present opinions from millennials and non-millennials alike on a wide variety of these issues. These views may contrast or coincide, but each will provide perspective designed to enhance insights resulting from the PreparedU data.

The Millennial Point of View

Joey Carregal MBA '10, Senior Associate, PwC

I definitely think the millennials are willing to pay their dues. But what’s often misunderstood is how they want to pay their dues.

We got out of college in one of the worst economies in decades. We saw people older than us lose their pensions and houses. That made us cautious, especially when we saw companies let employees go after 30 years of hard work and service. I understand these were business decisions, but, at the same, it showed that loyalty in the workplace only goes so far.

So, that may help explain why we’re willing to change companies more often than the older generations.

From an overall career perspective, this can be seen as a positive, though. We’re probably going to become more dynamic and knowledgeable, with a broader and more valuable portfolio of experience, by working at more companies over the long term.

Time is another way that millennials pay their dues differently. We work hard — but we use technology productively, well and remotely — so we don’t feel the need to be in the office 14 hours a day to prove our worth and commitment.

The Generation X Point of View

Charla Skaggs, Senior Associate, EnviroIssues, Seattle

The company I work for, EnviroIssues (EI), is fortunate to have a number of smart, savvy millennials on our team. We specialize in communications and public involvement, particularly around infrastructure projects, and the young men and women that work for EI are, to a person, involved and invested in our community, committed to participating in the larger political and environmental conversations that shape our region.

And they work hard.

Many of them start at our company doing not-so-exciting projects — things like staffing fairs and festivals, arranging logistics for public meetings, responding to public comments, including complaints. But they see their roles as both important to the larger mission, and as part of the package when you are young and starting in a career.

It’s true that, occasionally, someone seems to think that the corner office should be theirs by birthright, but I think that’s true of some members of every generation.   

I’ve seen many members of the millennial generation begin with our company just out of college and work their way up, demonstrating their work ethic and value to the company by performing small, sometimes tedious, tasks well. Why? Because they believe that their hard work will be rewarded with more responsibility and the opportunity to do more engaging tasks — and, at our company, it is.