Study: Millennials Conflicted In The Pursuit Of Meaningful Work [Infographic]

Tricia Harte https://online.olivet.edu 1m 214

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Millennials occupy roughly one third of the American workforce, and there has been much buzz around their goals, motivations, and ideals. To learn more, Olivet Nazarene University surveyed 2,024 millennials about the relationship between their work aspirations and realities.

Do millennials prioritize meaningful work and companies with positive impacts on the world? According to the study, 2 in 3 millennials think the work they’re doing is meaningful. However, roughly that same percentage of millennials admits that factors other than pursuing greater “meaning” were the driving force behind their career decisions. When asked how their careers would be better advanced, the majority answered, “more money,” while only one third responded that “greater meaning” would enhance their careers.

In fact, when asked if they would accept less money to do more meaningful work, half said “no.” But millennials seem to maintain this perception that meaningful and impactful work is the goal. Ninety percent of millennials taking this survey said it was important that their work have a positive impact on the world, but only 2 in 3 are willing to work longer hours to accomplish that. Millennials also operate under the presumption that they value meaningful work more than their parent’s generation did.

(