Bentley University News

Advertisers are crazy about the millennial generation. Now top brands have landed on a radical new way to seduce the largest consumer demographic in the modern era. They are subtly leading them into a deep relationship that is as fascinating as it is foreign. And it’s all leveraged by millennials’ aptitude for electronic devices, something that 80 percent of respondents to Bentley University’s PreparedU study said will enable millennials to transform the workplace. Could it also change the global consumer landscape?

NowUKnow examines millennial minds and issues, informed by research data, expert opinion, and reportage about the professional and personal lives of Generation Y.

We are on the brink of a technological revolution that will lean hard on fresh ideas from young start-ups and reward innovative millennials with membership in a small but rising meritocracy.

Bentley President Gloria Larson joined Bloomberg Radio hosts Pimm Fox and Carol Massar on September 24 to continue an examination of millennials in the workplace. Larson first visited the show this past November to discuss initial findings from Bentley’s preparedness research survey and this latest appearance marked the launch of a monthly series that will examine topics such as higher education curricula, experiential learning, and collaboration between business and higher education.

Millennials report that they want fulfilling work at companies that allow them to make a positive impact on society. 

But when it comes time to look at a very generous job offer from that big financial institution that just paid a huge fine for tax evasion, do millennials let money and career trump ethical irresponsibility? When a company like CVS decides to stop selling tobacco, do millennials applaud its virtue or question its fiduciary responsibility to shareholders?

Research on millennials, conducted by Bentley University and others, consistently indicates that more mentoring, hands-on opportunities for learning, and a comprehensive grasp of technology are all initiatives that can benefit millennial career preparation while in college.

When all three come together, as they have recently at Bentley, it presents an unusual opportunity for students to gain insights into how to enhance their career success. 

NowUKnow examines millennial minds and issues, informed by research data, expert opinion, and reportage about the professional and personal lives of Generation Y.

Millennials are possibly the most optimistic generation this country has ever known.  

With more than 5,000 employees in 60 offices worldwide, marketing-services company Epsilon has a huge opportunity for impact with each of its policies and practices. When the company made the decision to introduce fast-paced raises and promotions in order to attract recent college graduates a few years ago, as recently reported by the Wall Street Journal, people took notice, especially millennials whom Epsilon hoped to recruit.

It seems like whenever older and younger generations try to understand each other, there’s a language barrier. If you’re a parent who has tried to reason with a teen, you understand all too well. It’s also true when it comes to millennials in the workplace, mostly because of the labels that come along with them: entitled, lazy, demanding.

Too often, millennials are condemned for their high expectations on the job, especially by the baby boomers who are doing the hiring. Younger workers want more family time, well-paying jobs, rapid promotions and raises, praise for their performance, respect from colleagues, and the chance to make a difference in the world. (I bet older workers want all that too!) Are millennials being realistic or are they reaching for the impossible dream?

Forthwith, some random thoughts prompted by Bentley’s PreparedU research … ruminations on gender and success, workplace skills, accomplishment, surveys themselves and helicopter parents — even as we begin to turn to “Millennial Minds,” which will move center stage next month.

Traits traditionally associated with gender may be becoming less relevant, and even less accurate.