You’ve all read the articles and heard the stories: Millennials are so different from the previous generations. If you were to believe everything you heard, you would imagine that Boomers and Millennials wouldn’t agree on anything. The funny thing is, in a recent study we found that Millennials, Boomers, and that oft-forgotten about generation in the middle, Gen Xers, agree on most things including what keeps them happy at their job.
In our 2018 SCALE survey, we asked employees what, other than a raise, would keep them happy at their current job. All three generations of workers agreed that a good work/life balance would be their top consideration. In fact, more than 50% of each generation of worker desired a combination of additional time off (which was the top consideration across the board) or the ability to work from home. The opportunity to earn a bonus in the next year also ranked in the top three for all.
| Boomer | Gen X | Millennial | |
| Additional Time Off | 31.77% | 27.75% | 32.51% |
| Work from Home | 19.53% | 24.71% | 20.30% |
| The Opportunity to Earn a Bonus in the Next Year | 22.14% | 20.21% | 20.60% |
In addition, all three groups agreed that learning new processes, tools, and methods was the hardest part of starting a new job, and that the most important trait in a great boss is their ability to be a great communicator.
This study proves that the idea that Millennials are radically different in the workplace is overblown. If employers take anything from this, it is that regardless of generation, employers want a good work/life balance and a boss who communicates well.
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