Millennials (those born on or after 1980 to 1995) are a unique generation, having beliefs, values and attitudes different from those of previous generations. for more info https://flyerjobs.in/

1. Millennials and Career Shift

2.  The concept of “generations” is rooted in sociological
theories. Members of the same generation share common
experiences, such as events and circumstances, and tend
to exhibit a general range of shared characteristics,
beliefs and behavioral patterns. Although definitions of
specific generations may vary across different countries
and cultures, there is awareness that the Millennials
(those born on or after 1980 to 1995) are a unique
generation, having beliefs, values and attitudes different
from those of previous generations. Members of a
generation experience similar life events or
circumstances at similar times in their lives (for example,
living through the events of September 11, 2011), and
thus form similar values, beliefs and attitudes.

3.  The generational construct has been deemed to be a
meaningful variable in organizational research and
has been used to predict a host of individual and
work- related outcomes such as work values ,
employee motivation , career and organizational
commitment , work ethic , job satisfaction and
turnover intentions . Although empirical evidence on
the Millennials is accumulating, extant findings have
been contradictory, lacked unity.

4.  Millennials and careers often provided limited evidence of differences
among the different generations. Although a great deal of research on work
values and attitudes has been conducted, comparatively little research has
been undertaken to examine the career attitudes, experiences and
outcomes among the millennial generation. Furthermore, the abundant
literature concerning the changing nature of careers (for example, studies
concerning boundary less and protean careers) consistently suggests that
the “new career” will be shaped increasingly by individual values and goals,
rather than by organizational needs (that is, “self- directed”), and that
individuals will continue to change jobs and employers more frequently
throughout their careers (that is, “mobility preference”). An understanding
of the career attitudes, experiences and outcomes of the Millennials within
the context of boundary less and protean careers would help employers
manage the new workforce to ensure organizational success. . While we
cannot compare the full career course of Millennials to that of previous
generations until they have progressed through their entire career cycle, we
can compare the generations at their current career stages for evidence of
differences.

5.  Millennials are largely the children of the Boomers, and
this generation has grown up in an era characterized by
globalization, rapid technological advancement and
increasing diversity. They tend to be technologically
savvy, are socially conscious and have expectations for
greater equality in the workplace. According to career
development theory, the oldest of the Millennials are
completing the career exploration stage and are moving
into the establishment career stage, at which point their
career values and attitudes will be fairly mixed. Studying
the Millennials during their career exploration stage
gives us an opportunity to examine them in the period
that is the most influential in establishing their career
outlooks and beliefs.

6.  Recent research studies suggest that Millennials are
ambitious, have unrealistic career expectations and
would not accept a less than ideal position as a
career starter. Likewise, Millennials tend to be
motivated by career progression and advancement
more than previous generations. Although
Millennials value leisure time more and rate work as
less central to their lives, research suggests few
differences in work ethic across the different
generations.

7.  Millennials do report high levels of satisfaction with their
jobs, recognition and career development. At the same
time, they also indicate lower organizational
commitment, and are less willing to remain with the
same organization, compared with previous generation
of workers. For the Millennials, career success may be
defined in terms of career satisfaction, and one may be
expected to work for multiple employers to acquire a
broad range of experience for personal fulfillment. Thus,
there is an indication that boundary less and protean
career attitudes may be more prevalent among the
Millennials.

8. Conceptual background and hypotheses
 Careers research and theory have consistently
indicated that we are in the midst of a shift in the
nature of careers, away from the traditional career,
focused on linear, upward progression, to one that is
characterized by the pursuit of individual values and
involving more frequent movement between jobs
and employers. Within this context, and amid the
generational shifts that have been documented by
commentators and researchers, it is appropriate to
investigate potential inter- generational shifts in
career attitudes, experiences and outcomes.

9. Career Anchors
 Career anchors represent an individual’s career self- concept:
what drives and gives direction to one’s career. They are
conceptualized in terms of a person’s perceived: (1) talents
and abilities, (2) values and (3) motives and career related
needs. An individual’s career anchors are accumulated over
one’s life and career experiences and are helpful in guiding his
or her career choice and decision making. In plain terms, a
career anchor is the one thing around which a person’s career
decisions are primarily centered.
 Career anchors have been found to be useful for predicting a
willingness to undertake international assignments; self-
employment; joining the public sector; vocational choices in
different cultures, and different personality types.

10.  Given that Millennials are tech savvy, exhibit high self- esteem
and individualistic tendencies, value work/life balance and
are socially conscious, we can predict the following:
 Millennials will score higher on technical/functional
competence pure challenge, lifestyle,
autonomy/independence, entrepreneurial creativity and
service/dedication anchors than previous generations.
Furthermore, Millennials’ search for international
opportunities, interest in higher education, and lack of loyalty
and strong external locus of control may also suggest the
following:
 Millennials will score lower on geographic security, job
security and general managerial competence than previous
generations.

11. Met Expectations
 Met expectations are conceptualized as “the discrepancy between
what a person encounters on [the] job in the way of positive and
negative experiences and what he[/she] expected to encounter” .
When an individual’s expectations are not met, the propensity for
the individual to withdraw from the organization increases (Irving
and Montes,. Research has documented that the degree to which
one’s expectations are met is related to job satisfaction,
organizational commitment and turnover intentions. The Millennial
generation, who exhibit relatively high self- esteem, and having
been told they can do anything they want in life, form high
expectations of their careers, compared with previous generations.
Given the work values and “supersized” expectations among the
Millennials and the high probability that these expectations will
not be met in the workplace, we have reason to believe that:
 Millennials will report greater unmet expectations with respect to
their career goals than previous generations.

12. Organizational Mobility
 The concepts of boundary less and protean careers have
been touted as the “new career” pattern by a number of
researchers. Individuals holding such career attitudes are
more likely to follow their own values in guiding their
vocational behaviors. Accordingly,
 Protean careers are self- directed and value- focused (for
example, individualistic), and may well resonate with the
Millennials given their search for meaningful work and
purpose- driven careers. Furthermore, protean careers
are also subjectively perceived and evaluated. As
individuals increasingly look for developmental
opportunities, balancing work and play,

13.  and career enjoyment, such career attitudes also lend
themselves to greater organizational mobility as
individuals feel greater insecurity and are more inclined
to cross organizational boundaries to seek fulfillment and
balance in their work lives. Research emphasized that
unmet expectations would lead to dissatisfaction and
withdrawal behaviors. Given the congruence between
boundary less and protean careers with the attitudes of
the Millennials, we anticipate that:
 Millennials will report greater job and organizational
mobility when compared with previous generations.

14. Career Satisfaction
 Traditionally, career success is often measured in
objective terms such as pay, promotion and
occupational status. More recent research has
focused on subjective career success, which is the
idiosyncratic evaluation of one’s own career.

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