Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 1
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Intergenerational Workforce Issues and Millennial
Employees
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Richard Sweeney
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Richard Sweeney
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“They’re variously called the Internet Generation,
Echo Boomers, the Boomlet, Nexters, Generation
Y, the Nintendo Generation, the Digital Generation,
and, in Canada, the Sunshine Generation. But
several thousand of them sent suggestions about
what they want to be called to Peter Jennings at
abcnews.com, and “Millennials” was the clear
winner.”
http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm Claire
Raines Associates Managing Millennials 2002
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
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“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 6
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Today’s typical freshman was 5 years old in 1995.
“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
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Richard Sweeney
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“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
Copyright Richard Sweeney
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Richard Sweeney
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India, for example, with a population of 1.1 billion, has fewer
than 200,000 native speakers of English and approximately
100 million second-language English speakers - Wikipedia
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Richard Sweeney
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“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“In 20 years time, the number of English speakers
in China is likely to exceed the number of speakers
of English as a first language in all the rest of the
world," [current Prime Minister] Mr [Gordon] Brown
said during a speech in Beijing.”
Yeh, Andrew. “New Dawn in a Shared Language ”. Financial Times,
13 April 2005
More Global
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
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Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 17
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
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Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 18
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
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Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 19
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Did You Know 2.0” www.youtube.com
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 20
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Are my students more engaged and better learners?
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Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 21
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Today’s Agenda
1. What does the research say about the
Millennials? No Millennials present.
2. I will conduct a live focus group interview of
Millennials that I have never met and who
do not know about my research.
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 22
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Generations
Birth Years
Ages in 2008
GI Generation
1901 - 1924
83 -
Silent Generation 1925 - 1945
63 – 82
Baby Boomers
1946 - 1964
44 – 62
Generation X
1965 - 1978*
30 – 44
Millennials
1979*- 1994
14 - 29
*Experts differ on end or beginning date of generation : 1974-1981
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 23
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
MILLENNIAL PANELS
 over 60 Millennial panels
 8 to 14 Millennials
 New Brunswick (CA), California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Guatemala, Kansas,
Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C, and
Wisconsin.
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 24
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Today’s main question:
Are Millennials different from prior
generations at the same age?
Future question:
Will these differences become part of the
Millennial lifelong culture?
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 25
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
U.S. Births in Thousands
Boomers
Generation X
Millennials
5,000
1946
19 Years
4,500
1965
14 Years
1978
1979
16 Years
1977
Avg. 3,993
1994
1994
2000
1982
Avg. 3,832
3,415
Avg. 3,415 3,415
3,500
Births
3,415
3,000
2,500
Years
Huge Generation
Copyright Richard Sweeney
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
19
78
19
76
19
74
19
72
19
70
19
68
19
66
19
64
19
62
19
60
19
58
19
56
19
54
19
52
19
50
19
48
2,000
19
46
Births in 1,000s
4,000
1964
Boomers
Boomers
Still in& Engaging Millennial
All Millennials
in
26
Intergenerational
Workforce
Employees
Retired
Workforce Richard SweeneyWorkforce
sweeney@njit.edu
973-596-3208
Born 1946-1952
66 yrs & older
Born 1953-1964
Born 1980-1994
U.S. Births in Thousands
65 yrs & youngerGeneration X@ 23 yrs
old
Boomers
Millennials
5,000
1946
4,500
1965
14 Years
1978
1979
16 Years
1977
Avg. 3,993
1994
1994
2000
1982
Avg. 3,832
3,415
Avg. 3,415 3,415
3,500
Births
3,415
3,000
Workforce 2018
2,500
Years
Huge Generation
Copyright Richard Sweeney
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
19
78
19
76
19
74
19
72
19
70
19
68
19
66
19
64
19
62
19
60
19
58
19
56
19
54
19
52
19
50
19
48
2,000
19
46
Births in 1,000s
4,000
1964
19 Years
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 27
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
U.S. Births in Thousands
Boomers
Generation X
Millennials
5,000
4,500
3,500
3,000
1994
1994
2000
Births
Birth rate in
1990 was the
peak.
2,500
Years
Increased Competition
Copyright Richard Sweeney
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
19
78
19
76
19
74
19
72
19
70
19
68
19
66
19
64
19
62
19
60
19
58
19
56
19
54
19
52
19
50
19
48
2,000
19
46
Births in 1,000s
4,000
From 2009
forward,
the
1946
1964
1965
1978
1979
16 Years
19 Yearsnumber of 14 Years
1977
1982
Millennials who
Avg. 3,993
are under 18
Avg. 3,832
3,415
will begin to
3,415
Avg.
3,415
decline each
3,415
year.
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 28
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
College Board
Data from Web
Increased Competition
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Millennials
In
Millennials
Not
29In
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging
Millennial
Employees
Workforce
sweeney@njit.edu
RichardWorkforce
Sweeney
973-596-3208
College
Board
Born
1979Born 1986-1994
U.S. Births in
Thousands
Data from Web
1985
Under 23 yrs old
Boomers
Generation X
Millennials
23 yrs & older
5,000
2008
1946
4,500
1965
14 Years
1978
1979
16 Years
1977
Avg. 3,993
1994
1994
2000
1982
Avg. 3,832
3,415
Avg. 3,415 3,415
3,500
Births
3,415
3,000
Workforce 2008
2,500
Years
Huge Generation
Copyright Richard Sweeney
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
19
78
19
76
19
74
19
72
19
70
19
68
19
66
19
64
19
62
19
60
19
58
19
56
19
54
19
52
19
50
19
48
2,000
19
46
Births in 1,000s
4,000
1964
19 Years
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 30
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
College Board
Data from Web
2008
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 33
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
College Board
Data from Web
2008
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 34
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Using descriptors from the 16PF subscales, we found that
Millennial students are more warm and outgoing (Warmth),
more abstract than concrete (Reasoning), more adaptive and
mature (Emotional Stability), more dutiful (Rule
Consciousness), more socially bold and adventuresome
(Social Boldness), more sensitive and sentimental
(Sensitivity), more self-doubting and worried (Apprehension),
more open to change and experimenting (Openness to
Change), and more organized and self disciplined
(Perfectionism) compared to Generation X medical students.”
p. 574
Nichole J Borges et al. “Comparing Millennial and Generation X
Medical Students at One Medical School. Academic Medicine; 81.6
(2006): 571-576
Research Studies
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 35
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Furthermore, we found Millennial medical students to be
less solitary and individualistic (Self Reliance) than their
Generation X counterparts.” 574
Note: this study looked at medical schools students:
Generation X
“Cuspars”
Millennials
born 1965 - 1980
born 1975 – 1980 (Gen X Subset)
born 1981 - 1989
Nichole J Borges et al. “Comparing Millennial and Generation X
Medical Students at One Medical School. Academic Medicine; 81.6
(2006): 571-576
Research Studies
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 36
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“A number of studies, including new ones by the Center
for American Progress in Washington and by Demos, a
progressive think tank in New York, have shown that
Americans in this age group [Millennials] are faced with
a variety of challenges that are tougher than those faced
by young adults over the past few decades. Among the
challenges are worsening job prospects, lower rates of
health insurance coverage and higher levels of debt.”
Herbert, Bob. “Here Come the Millennials”. New York Times; 13 May
2008 late ed. A21.
Research Studies
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 37
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“They have been raised in an environment where credit
seemed to be a right (versus a privilege)…
• The median credit card debt of low and middle-income
people ages 18 to 34 is $8,200
• The average college debt of recent grads is more than
$20,000 and rising.
• People between the ages of 25 and 34 make up 22.7% of all
U.S. bankruptcies (but just 14% of the population at
large.”
The impact of today’s financial crisis on Generation Y. Albany, New York:
Media Logic. 2008
http://www.mlinc.com/geny/impact.cfm?cid=gib03
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 38
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“The Veteran may be surprised that the Gen Y employee is
willing to work longer hours for more pay or flexibility. They
may be equally surprised therefore that the Gen Y employee
may also expect to change job very 2-3 years.” p. 25
Drewery, Kelly, Ann Riley et al. Gen Up: How the four generations work.
London, England: Penna. 2008
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/general/_genup.htm
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 39
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Gen Y’s relatively aggressive attitude to performance
management may be a further source of conflict for Baby
Boomers. While very few Boomers believe that underperformers should be fired, Gen Y is much less tolerant of
underperformance. Nearly one in five Gen Y’s believe that the
best solution for underperformance is for someone to be
fired.” p. 27
Drewery, Kelly, Ann Riley et al. Gen Up: How the four generations work.
London, England: Penna. 2008
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/general/_genup.htm
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 40
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Gen Y knows that their ideal is to gain a greater work/life
balance but is also keen to gain employability. To balance
these preferences many actively seek an employer where
they can be part of a team, have fun and make friends within
the workplace.” p. 20
Drewery, Kelly, Ann Riley et al. Gen Up: How the four generations work.
London, England: Penna. 2008
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/general/_genup.htm
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 41
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Although each generation places clear consideration on the
competiveness of ‘their deal’ when seeking an employer, it
only affects Gen Y’s subsequent performance. This combined
with a sense of empowerment to get things done will be more
likely to engage Gen Y.” p. 20
Drewery, Kelly, Ann Riley et al. Gen Up: How the four generations work.
London, England: Penna. 2008
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/general/_genup.htm
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 42
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Creating a winning strategy for managing generational
diversity is not for the faint hearted. Our research suggests
that there are some real challenges and issues to be faced in
the key areas of attraction and engagement, recruitment,
leadership, career development, performance management,
and customer service.” p. 35
Drewery, Kelly, Ann Riley et al. Gen Up: How the four generations work.
London, England: Penna. 2008
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/general/_genup.htm
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 43
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“The Generation Y makes up 75% of the McDonalds
workforce…
A study conducted by the academic Adrian Furnham showed
that 90% of McDonalds’ staff showed high levles of employee
engagement. The key contributing factors in this high level
of engagement among McDonalds employees were the
opportunities for training and development offerred by the
organization.” p. 34
Drewery, Kelly, Ann Riley et al. Gen Up: How the four generations work.
London, England: Penna. 2008
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/general/_genup.htm
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 44
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Notwithstanding, it is clear that as Generation Y gains a
foothold in the workplace, organizations will need to change
to accommodate their norms instead of expecting young
workers to change to accommodate existing organizational
norms.”
Crumpacker, Jill M. “Succession Planning and Generational Stereotypes:
Should HR Consider Age-Based Values and Attitudes a Relevant Factor or
a Passing Fad?”. Public Personnel Management. 36:4 (2007) p349-369.
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 45
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Understanding Gen Y
“Offer Attentive Management...
“Show Them the Money…
“Emphasize Career Development…
“Offer Challenging, Diverse Assignments…
“Focus on the Work Environment…
“Promote Balance…”
McDonald, Paul. “The Multigenerational Workforce” Internal Auditor
65:5 (2008) 60-67
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 46
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
“Understand Differences...
“But be Careful about Stereotypes…
“Facilitate Collaboration…
“Set an Example…”
Messmer, Max. “Managing a Multigenerational Workforce”. National
Public Accountant. 5:5 (2006) 320
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 47
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
“In a multigenerational workforce, knowledge transfer
becomes an ever-more-complicated challenge.”
“The key is to find some ways that cut across generations to
create a common language that will ease and accelerate
knowledge transfer,” says Jim Haudan, author of Art of
Engagement.
Messmer, Max. “Managing a Multigenerational Workforce”. National
Public Accountant. 5:5 (2006) 320
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 48
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Notwithstanding, it is clear that as Generation Y gains a
foothold in the workplace, organizations will need to change
to accommodate their norms instead of expecting young
workers to change to accommodate existing organizational
norms.”
Crumpacker, Jill M. “Succession Planning and Generational Stereotypes:
Should HR Consider Age-Based Values and Attitudes a Relevant Factor or
a Passing Fad?”. Public Personnel Management. 36:4 (2007) p349-369.
Managing Millennials
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 49
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Veteran /
Traditionalist
Work Ethic -Disciplined
-Duty before
play
-Adhere to the
rules
Baby
Boomers
Generation
X
Generation Y
-Efficient
-Logical
-Do what it
takes
TaskMultitasking
oriented
Self-reliant
GroupIndependent oriented
Explain why
Crumpacker, Jill M. “Succession Planning and Generational Stereotypes:
Should HR Consider Age-Based Values and Attitudes a Relevant Factor or
a Passing Fad?”. Public Personnel Management. 36:4 (2007) p349-369.
Millennial Characteristics
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 50
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Veteran /
Baby
Generation
Generation Y
Traditionalist
Boomers
X
Communic -Formal
-Face time
-Direct
-E-mail/
ation
-Written
-One-on-one -As needed
Voice-mail
-Chain-of-In-person
-Instant
Command
Messaging
-Lots of cc’s
Crumpacker, Jill M. “Succession Planning and Generational Stereotypes:
Should HR Consider Age-Based Values and Attitudes a Relevant Factor or
a Passing Fad?”. Public Personnel Management. 36:4 (2007) p349-369.
Millennial Characteristics
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 51
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Veteran /
Baby
Generation
Generation Y
Traditionalist
Boomers
X
Feedback -Avoid Conflict -Show me
-Direct—
Instantaneous
-No news is
the money
”Tell me how -Seek
good news
-Promotion / I am doing” Approval /
Title
Praise
Crumpacker, Jill M. “Succession Planning and Generational Stereotypes:
Should HR Consider Age-Based Values and Attitudes a Relevant Factor or
a Passing Fad?”. Public Personnel Management. 36:4 (2007) p349-369.
Millennial Characteristics
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 52
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives More Friends Huge Population
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Respect
Intelligence
Merit Systems
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Optimistic /
Positive /
Confident
Family Oriented /
Largely Children
of Divorce
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
More Diverse High Expectations
/ Inclusive
(e.g. Incomes)
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Direct
Values
Experiential /
Interactive
Learners
Media
Consumers
Patriotic /
Civic Minded
Balanced Lives /
Healthy Lifestyle
Impatient
Multitaskers
More Liberal
Social Involvement
Millennial Characteristics
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 53
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“About half of respondents expect to spend no more
than 1 or 2 years “paying their dues” in entry level
jobs.” p. 7
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 54
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“73 percent worry about balancing professional and
personal obligations.” p. 3
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 55
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“About one in four Gen Y workers polled consults his
or her parents first when making employment
decisions.” p. 2
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 56
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Nearly three-quarters of Gen Y professionals visit
company websites to learn more about prospective
employers.” p. 8
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 57
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Surprise! Two-thirds of the “wired generation” favor
in-person conversations with co-workers over other
types of communication.” p. 11
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 58
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“In keeping with their preference for an informal and
friendly workplace, members of generation Y are not
particularly impressed with prestigious titles and
fancy offices.” p. 14
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 59
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Portrait of a Gen Y Dream Boss
 A skillful manager, adviser, supporter
 Pleasant and easy to get along with
 Understanding and caring
 Flexible and open minded” p. 11
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 60
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Myth: Generation Y lives in the moment and would
rather play than work.
Fact: One-third of respondents were concerned about
finding/keeping a job, supporting themselves and
their families and ‘saving enough’ money.” p. 3
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 61
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Our survey revealed that when Millennials evaluate
employment opportunities, ‘benefits’ including 401(k)
programs are one of their top three deciding factors.”
p. 3
Robert
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Half Joel.
International.
“What Millennials
Want: How
to Attract and
Foreman,
“Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Retain
Employees.” Yahoo hotjobs. November 2008.
VersusGen
theYLecture.”
http://www.hotjobsresources.com/pdfs/MillennialWorkers.pdf
Working Expectations
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 62
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives More Friends Huge Population
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Respect
Intelligence
Merit Systems
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Optimistic /
Positive /
Confident
Family Oriented /
Largely Children
of Divorce
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
More Diverse High Expectations
/ Inclusive
(e.g. Incomes)
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Direct
Values
Experiential /
Interactive
Learners
Media
Consumers
Patriotic /
Civic Minded
Balanced Lives /
Healthy Lifestyle
Impatient
Multitaskers
More Liberal
Social Involvement
Millennial Characteristics
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 63
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
MILLENNIAL
CHARACTERISTICS
For more information on
how these Millennial
behaviors,
characteristics, and
preferences were
discovered from the
research please see my
website.
http://library1.njit.edu/stafffolders/sweeney/
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 64
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“We have no patience.
The Gen Y consumer is
brand-and–store loyal”,
she said, “but the store
must provide choices and
have them in stock, or
they will go elsewhere.”
Lillo, Andrea. “Young consumers
tell it 'straight' “ Home Textiles
Today; High Point; May 27, 23.38
(2002): 6
More Choices
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 65
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Trouble is, the world is full of too many choices
[even the cereal aisle can "turn into a painful
decision process"]…. And as Healy describes, they
also have a lot more choices. This generation has
the luxury of living with their parents until they get
on their feet, can start their own company, and can
take time to travel, notes Penelope Trunk,
columnist, blogger, and author of Brazen Careerist
[Warner Business Books, 2007].” p. 6
McCormack, Karyn. “Careers: The Goods on Generation Y”.
Business Week Online, 25 June 2007: 6
More Choices
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 66
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“The secret to creating a thriving Long Tail
business can be summarized in two
imperatives
1. Make everything available
2. Help me find it.” p. 217
Anderson, Chris. The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is
Selling Less of More New York: Hyperion, 2006
More Choices
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 67
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“Millennials aren't
interested in the financial
success that drove the
boomers or the
independence that has
marked the gen-Xers, but
in careers that are
personalized.”
Sacks, Danielle. “SCENES from the
culture clash”. Fast Company, 102
(2006) 72-77
Personalization - Customization
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 68
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Millions of millennials are logging onto social
networks like imeem and iLike, which allow
visitors to discover new music and recommend it
to their friends. Millions more are flocking to
online radio stations such as Pandora Radio,
where you can create your own personalized
stations."
Burrows, Peter. “Stars Are Aligning for Subscription Music”.
Business Week; 12/17/2007 Issue 4063, p066-067, 2p, 2c
Personalization - Customization
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 69
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“Because of their
collaborative upbringing,
law students of the
Millennial generation
thrive on interactive
lessons.” p. 12
“Is Your Firm Ready to Make
Learning High-Tech & Fun?”
Compensation & Benefits for Law
Offices; Aug2007, Vol. 7 Issue 8,
p1-15, 5p
Collaborative / Social Networking
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 70
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Lyons believes that there is an increasing need for a
collaborative business model which focuses on
geographically dispersed teams. She feels that Generation
Yer's fondness of collaborative environments will increase
productivity in companies who embrace these
environments.”
p. 4
Lyons, Martha. “Career Watch”. Computerworld; 1/22/2007, Vol. 41
Issue 4, p39-39, 3/4p
Collaborative / Social Networking
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 71
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Schools should also use digital technologies to
encourage team-based learning. Digital Natives are
proving, all the time, that they can build communities
around ideas, good and bad.
Pauley, John and Urs Gasser. Born Digital: Understanding the First
Generation of Digital Natives. New York: Basic Books, 2008
Collaborative / Social Networking
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 72
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“First, it's where Gen Y is, and the overwhelming
feedback from RBC research last year was "they said
you have to be where we are, which is online." Second,
Facebook provides a mechanism for youngsters to
circulate Royal Bank information to their group.
Social networking is the key distinction between Gen Y
and other generations, including the relatively techie
Gen X, says Barkwell.”
O'Sullivan, Orla. “Getting real with Gen Wired”. ABA Banking Journal,
Nov2007, Vol. 99 Issue 11, p48-50,
Collaborative / Social Networking
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 73
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Along with differences in attitudes, millennials
exhibit distinct learning styles. For example, their
learning preferences tend toward teamwork,
experiential activities, structure and the use of
technology. Their strengths include multitasking,
goal orientation, positive attitudes, and a
collaborative style.”
Oblinger, Diana. “Understanding the New Student.” Educause
Review, 38.3 (2003): 36-42.
Collaborative / Social Networking
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 75
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“Gens X and Y insist on
the time to enjoy life and
care for their families,
and they demand the
balance and flexibility to
do so.”
Molas, Sandra A. “Flexibility becoming
the Norm in the Workplace: Is Your
Firm Stretching to Meet the Demand?”.
Pennsylvania CPA Journal; Fall 2006,
Vol. 77 Issue 3, p28-30, 3p
Flexibility / Convenience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 76
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“They want a great deal of flexibility without
commitment. They like to switch.” p. 12
Cameron, Alan. “Maxing with the Millennials” GPS World; December
2007, Vol. 18 Issue 12, p10-12
Richard Sweeney
Flexibility / Convenience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 77
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“50% say having flexibility in planning a career
around major life events is the most important
element for achieving a good balance between a
career and personal life.”
p. 4
Ernst and Young, Canada. “Sixty-five Per Cent of College Students
Think They Will Become Millionaires.” 2001. Press Information
Worldwide. 3/14/05. http://www.pressi.com/us/release/35870.html
Flexibility / Convenience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 78
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“When you look at the generation coming up now,
I think the thing that generation will value more
than anything is flexibility," Friedman said.
"People want to have a more balanced life.”
p.15
Rulison, Larry. “Gen Y in search of flexibility”. Philadelphia Business
Journal. 22.31 Sep 19, (2003). 15
Flexibility / Convenience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 79
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“In short, the future of
the U.S. News industry
is seriously threatened
by the seemingly
irrevocable move by
young people away
from traditional sources
of news.”
Merrril Brown, “Abandoning the
News.” Carnegie Reporter 3.2
(Spring 2005)
Read Less
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 80
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Main Purposes of the Library –
By Age of U.S. Respondent
Millennials
Information
Books
Research
U.S.
18-24
U.S.
25-64
49%
32%
20%
56%
26%
15%
Mostly Older
Generations
De
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rosa, Cathy
al. Perceptions Of Educational
Libraries and Technology
Information
Foreman,
Joel.et.“Next-Generation
Resources;
report to the OCLC membership. Dublin, OH OCLC Online
Versus theALecture.”
Computer Library Center, Inc. 2005
Libraries & Information
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 81
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Over the past 20 years, young adults (18-34) have
declined from being those most likely to read
literature to those least likely (with the exception
of those 65 and older. The rate of decline for the
youngest adults, aged 18 to 24 was 55 percent
greater than the total adult population.”
Hill,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kelly. “Reading
at Risk; A Survey of Literary
Reading
in America”
Foreman,
Joel. “Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
National
for the Arts Research Division Report, 46 (June 2004)
Versus Endowment
the Lecture.”
Reading Less
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 82
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“Time, location, and
interaction are the
critical components of
mobile usage for
millennials.” p. 10
Cameron, Alan. “Maxing with the
Millennials” GPS World; December
2007, Vol. 18 Issue 12, p10-12
Experiential / Interactive
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 83
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“The average college class has minimal
interaction; estimates are that students ask 0.1
question per hour and that faculty ask 0.3. By
contrast, students in tutored sessions ask 20-30
questions, and tutors ask more than 100. In
computer based instruction, the number of
questions posed to students per hour ranges from
160 to 800.” p. 70
Diana Oblinger VP, Educause
Diana
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
G. Oblinger,
“Learners, Learning
and Technology”,
Educause
Foreman,
Joel. “Next-Generation
Educational
Technology
Review
September/October 2005 66-75
Versus 40.5
the Lecture.”
Experiential / Interactive
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 84
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“We are a generation of learners by exploration. My
“
first Web site, for example, was constructed before
p.X
I had any concept of HTML or Java. I simply
experimented with the commands until the pieces
fit together.”
Note: this article published by a Millennial
Windam, Carrie “Father Google and Mother IM: Confessions of a Net
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Gen Learner”. EDUCAUSE Review, 40.5 (2005): 42–59.
Experiential / Interactive
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 85
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Interaction and a sense of community are the key
requests of those born digital when it comes to online
learning, as surveys indicate.” p. 248
[citing Joel Hartman, Patsy Moskal, and Chuck Dziuban,”Preparing the
Academy of Today for the Learner of Tomorrow”. In Diana G. Oblinger
and james L. Oblinger, ed.s Educating the Net Gegeneration (Boulder:
Educause, 2005), pp. 6.6-6.10
Pauley, John and Urs Gasser. Born Digital: Understanding the First
Generation of Digital Natives. New York: Basic Books, 2008
Experiential / Interactive
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 86
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Even if the lecturer is charismatic, holding the
attention of several hundred students for an entire
lecture of fifty minutes or longer is impossible.”
p.15
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Foreman,
Joel. “Next-Generation Educational Technology Versus the
Lecture.” Educause Review. 38.4 (2003) 12-22
Experiential / Interactive
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 87
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“To bridge this gap [i.e. digital divide], schools should
encourage kids to learn by doing in digital
environments.
…The idea is to build on their penchant for developing
online profiles and other materials in MySpace,
Facebook, blogs, and YouTube.” p. 247-248
Pauley, John and Urs Gasser. Born Digital: Understanding the First
Generation of Digital Natives. New York: Basic Books, 2008
More Global
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 88
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“The ideal learning situation:
“
1…customized to the very specific needs of the
p.X
individual.
2…provides students with immediate feedback.
3...is constructive ..to explore learning
environments (preferably multi sensorial)...
4…motivates students to persist far in excess of
any externally imposed requirements.
Experiential
5…builds enduring conceptual structures.” p.14
Foreman, Joel. “Next-Generation Educational Technology Versus the
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Lecture.” Educause Review. 38.4 (2003) 12-22
Experiential
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 89
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“For these new 20something workers, the
line between work and
home doesn't really exist.
They just want to spend
their time in meaningful
and useful ways, no matter
where they are.” p57
Trunk, Penelope. “What Gen Y
Really Wants.” Time South Pacific
(Australia/New Zealand edition);
7/16/2007 Issue 27, p57-57, 1p
Richard Sweeney
Impatience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 90
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Average Monthly
Calls Made/Received
and Text Messages
Sent/Received per US
Mobile Phone
Subscriber, by Age,
Q2 2008”
Ages Calls
Texts
Ratio
<12
425
3.1
13-17 231
1742
7.5
18-24 265
790
2.9
25-34 239
331
1.4
35-44 223
236
1.0
45-54 193
128
.7
55-64 145
38
.3
65-
14
.1
137
99
eMarketer Inc. “Why Talk When You Can Text?” September 22, 2008
http://www.emarketer.com/Articles/Print.aspx?id=1006604&src=print_article_graybar_article&xsrc=print1_
articlex
Richard Sweeney
Impatience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 91
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
2000
Ages Calls
Texts
Ratio
1800
<12
425
3.1
13-17 231
1742
7.5
18-24
265
Calls
790
2.9
Texts
25-34
239
331
1.4
35-44 223
236
1.0
45-54 193
128
.7
55-64 145
38
.3
65-
14
.1
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
137
400
200
0
<12 13-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
65-
99
eMarketer Inc. “Why Talk When You Can Text?” September 22, 2008
http://www.emarketer.com/Articles/Print.aspx?id=1006604&src=print_article_graybar_article&xsrc=print1_
articlex
Richard Sweeney
Impatience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 92
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“We want everything to be easy, and we want it
now," said Katie Smith, a student at the University
of Florida. "We have no patience.”
p.6
Lillo, Andrea. “Young consumers tell it 'straight' “ Home Textiles
Today; High Point; May 27, 23.38 (2002): 6
Impatience; Easy
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 93
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Busy Around the Clock
“Millennial teens may be America’s busiest
people.
Long gone are the days of Boomer kids being
shooed outside to invent their own games – or of
GenXer Kids being left “home alone” with a “selfcare” guide." p. 45
Howe, Neil and William Strauss. Millennials Go To College.
Washington, DC: American Association of Collegiate Registrars,
2003.
Impatience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 94
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“ ‘Nothing infuriates us more than busywork,’
says 24-year-old Katie Day, an assistant editor at
Berkley Publishing, a division of Penguin Group
USA. Fearlessness ? "I don't have time to be
intimidated," says Anna Stassen, a 26-year-old
copywriter at the advertising agency Fallon
Worldwide who treats her bosses like ‘the guys’."
Sacks, Danielle. “SCENES from the culture clash”. Fast Company,
102 (2006) 72-77
Impatience
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 95
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“Technology is a huge
force in shaping the way
Millennials consume as
well as "commune" with
media.” p. 11
Mumford, David E. “Make a
Connection With Tech-Savvy
Millennials”. Television Week;
11/13/2006, Vol. 25 Issue 43, p11-11
Digital Natives
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 96
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“And we will never understand
or use the technology in precisely the same way
as the Natives do.”
This distinction is critical in education, because
we are currently in a time where all our students
are DIGITAL NATIVES, yet the bulk of our
educators, teachers, administrators and
curriculum developers are Digital Immigrants.” p. 3
Prensky, Marc. “Use Their Tools! Speak Their Language!” Marc
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Prensky. March 2004. http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/PrenskyUse_Their_Tools_Speak_Their_Language.pdf
Digital Natives
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 97
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“The most important thing that schools can do is not to
use technology in the curriculum more, but to use it
more effectively. We ought to experiment with ways in
which technology ought to be part of the everyday
curricula in schools—but only where it belongs.”p. 247
Pauley, John and Urs Gasser. Born Digital: Understanding the First
Generation of Digital Natives. New York: Basic Books, 2008
Digital Natives
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 98
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Gen Y was socialized in a digital world. It is more
than technically literate; it is continually wired,
plugged in, and connected to digitally streaming
information, entertainment, and contracts.” p. 6
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Eisner, Susan P. “Managing Generation Y”. SAM
Advanced Management Journal Autumn 2005 70:4 p4-15
Digital Natives
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 99
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“While most respondents are enthusiastic IT
users and use it to support many aspects of their
academic lives, most prefer only a ‘moderate’
amount of IT in their courses (59.3 percent)”. p. 13
Salaway,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Gail
et al.
ECAR Study of Undergraduate
and
Foreman,
Joel.
“Next-Generation
EducationalStudents
Technology
Information
Versus the Technology,
Lecture.” 2007 Boulder, Colorado: EDUCAUSE Center
for Applied Research, 2007
(www.educause.edu/ecar)
Digital Natives
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Within the instant messaging Gen Y (18-27 years)
age group, 46% report using IM more frequently
than email.”
p. iii
Shiu,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Eulynn
and “Next-Generation
Amanda Lenhart. “How
AmericansTechnology
use instant
Foreman,
Joel.
Educational
messaging”.
Pew Internet and American Life Project 9/1/2004
Versus the Lecture.”
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/133/report_display.asp
Digital Natives
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“35% or the largest portion of those who IM for
about an hour are Gen Y-ers. In contrast, the
greatest percentage of instant messengers who IM
for less than 15 minutes consist of Trailing
Boomers (26%).” p.iii
Shiu,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Eulynn
and “Next-Generation
Amanda Lenhart. “How
AmericansTechnology
use instant
Foreman,
Joel.
Educational
messaging”.
Pew Internet and American Life Project 9/1/2004
Versus the Lecture.”
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/133/report_display.asp
Digital Gamers
Natives
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Again this year, they overwhelming (85.1 percent)
favor e-mail for official college and university
communications”. p. 12-13`
Salaway,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Gail
et al.
ECAR Study of Undergraduate
and
Foreman,
Joel.
“Next-Generation
EducationalStudents
Technology
Information
Versus the Technology,
Lecture.” 2007 Boulder, Colorado: EDUCAUSE Center
for Applied Research, 2007
(www.educause.edu/ecar)
Digital Natives
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 103
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“ ‘The most important
things to remember are:
multi-player, creative,
challenging, and
competitive.’
-a high school student” p. 1
Prensky, Marc. “Use Their Tools!
Speak Their Language!” Marc
Prensky. March 2004.
http://www.marcprensky.com/writin
g/PrenskyUse_Their_Tools_Speak_Their_Lan
guage.pdf
Gamers
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 104
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Richard Sweeney
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“So we now have a generation of students that is
better at taking in information and making
decisions quickly, better at multitasking and
parallel processing; a generation that thinks
graphically rather than textually, assumes
connectivity, and is accustomed to seeing the
world through a lens of games and play.”
p. 3
Prensky, Marc. “Use Their Tools! Speak Their Language!” Marc
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Prensky. March 2004. http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/PrenskyUse_Their_Tools_Speak_Their_Language.pdf
Gamers
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“The real question is: Does the behavior of this
new group [gamers] change the world in any way
that really matters?
If you’re in business today, the answer is clearly
yes.” p. 1
Beck, John C., and Mitchell Wade. Got Game: How the Gamer
Generation is Reshaping Business Forever. Boston: Harvard
Business School Press, 2004.
Gamers
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“How hard this new cohort works, how they try to
compete, how they fit into teams. How they take
risks – all are different in statistically verifiable
ways. And those differences are driven by one
central factor: growing up with video games.”
p. 2
Beck, John C., and Mitchell Wade. Got Game: How the Gamer
Generation is Reshaping Business Forever. Boston: Harvard
Business School Press, 2004.
Gamers
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Richard Sweeney
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“The important thing for business professionals
to know about games isn’t whether someone
plays them now, but whether he or she grew up
playing them.”
p. 25
Beck, John C., and Mitchell Wade. Got Game: How the Gamer
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Generation is Reshaping Business Forever. Boston: Harvard
Business School Press, 2004.
Gamers
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“So we now have a generation of students that is
better at taking in information and making
decisions quickly, better at MULTITASKING and
PARALLEL PROCESSING; a generation that
THINKS GRAPHICALLY rather than textually,
assumes connectivity, and is accustomed to
seeing the world through a lens of games and
play.”
p. 3
Prensky, Marc. “Use Their Tools! Speak Their Language!” Marc
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Prensky. March 2004. http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/PrenskyUse_Their_Tools_Speak_Their_Language.pdf
Gamers
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Richard Sweeney
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More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“In teams, Nexters can
be very effective, but
they want a strong leader
for guidance and well
defined goals, she says.”
[Loyalty Factor President
Dianne Durkin]
p.18
Marshall, Jeffrey. “Managing
Different Generations at Work”.
Financial Executive. July/Aug 2004
20:5 1p.
Practical / Achievement Oriented
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Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 110
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Gen Y employees are goal-oriented and have
high expectations of themselves. They’re highperformers, competitive, and seek tasks with tight
deadlines that reward and acknowledge their
efforts. They take ownership of their work, value
individualized goal setting, and seek new skills.”
p. 1
Understand Gen Y Employees”. Credit Union Magazine; April 2006
72:6 p.70
Practical / Achievement Oriented
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“Time, location, and
interaction are the
critical components of
mobile usage for
millennials.” p. 10
Cameron, Alan. “Maxing with the
Millennials” GPS World;
December 2007, Vol. 18 Issue 12,
p10-12
Nomadic / Mobile
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Richard Sweeney
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More Choices Selectivity
Personalization /
Customization
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Flexibility /
Convenience
Read Less
Experiential /
Interactive
Impatient
“…selling effectively to our
New Millennial prospect
requires that you become a
Gamers
non-stressful provider of
information, because New
Practical /
Achievement Millennials are over-stressed
Oriented
and over-scheduled. You'll
need to highlight peer-toNomadic
peer testimonials, because
Pull, not Push New Millennials seek that
approval.” p. 9
Media
Digital Natives
Consumers
Multitaskers
Stein, Dave. “Selling Across
Generation Gaps”. Sales &
Marketing Management; Oct 2007,
Vol. 159 Issue 8, p9-9,
Pull, not Push
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 113
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Word-of-mouth is a strong motivator with Millennials.
According to the survey, word-of-mouth is the most
common reason for Millennials to visit a Web site. A
television ad was the second-most-common reason. ”
Millennials claim to tell 17.7 people about things of
interest to them. In the survey, the average respondent
replied at a rate of 9.7, meaning Millennials spread wordof-mouth to 82 percent more people than the average
respondent. p. 68
Dominiak, Mark. “'Millennials' Defying the Old Models. Find More Like
This”. Television Week; 5/7/2007, Vol. 26 Issue 19, p68-68, 1p, 1c
Pull, not Push
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“In the inversion of power that has accompanied
the user-driven web—individuals trusted more,
institutions trusted less---the most effective
messaging comes from peers. Nothing beats
word of mouth, and as we’ve seen, the Web is
the greatest word-of-mouth amplifier the world
has ever seen.
p. 229
Anderson, Chris. The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is
Selling Less of More New York: Hyperion, 2006
Consumers
Copyright Richard Sweeney
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
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More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“Millennials, however, do not
view the online space in any
way, shape or form as a
conventional media channel.
…Millennials, therefore,
invest 50 percent more time
with user-generated content
than the average user. ” p. 68
Dominiak, Mark. “'Millennials'
Defying the Old Models. Find
More Like This”. Television Week;
5/7/2007, Vol. 26 Issue 19, p68-68,
1p, 1c
Media Consumers
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“.. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation report,
"Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-YearOlds," found that students who use media the
most also spend more time with family, friends,
and other activities. That may explain the need to
do many things at once.” p. 33
McHale, Tom. “Portrait of a Digital Native” Technology & Learning,
26.2 (2005) 33-34
Media Consumers
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 117
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Because they are all about media, and boy, do
they consume it. They use media differently than
you or I, to paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald. They
consume content in their own way.” p. 10
Cameron, Alan. “Maxing with the Millennials” GPS World; December
2007, Vol. 18 Issue 12, p10-12
Media Consumers
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 118
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“Media influences: Baby Boomers rely on
traditional media such as
television
(50 percent boomers, 27 percent Generation Y)
and newspapers (19 percent versus 6 percent),
while Generation Y business owners rely on the
Internet for news (31 percent versus 9 percent of
Boomers).” p. 15
“Boomers vs. Gen Y”. Community Banker; Sep2007, Vol. 16 Issue 9, p15
Richard Sweeney
Media Consumers
Copyright Richard Sweeney
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
e of Arabia The Great Escape Best War Movies
Apocalypse Now
nal
Catch Me If You CanDir:
Dir: Steven
Frank Darabont
Spielberg Minority Report
m Hanks
Actor: Tom Hanks
Actor: Tom Hanks
Schindler’s List
Artificial Intelligen
Actor: Tom Hanks Actor: Tom Hanks
You’ve Got Mail
Away The
The
Green Mileonline
Saving
Private
Toy Story 2 (1999)
favorite
Millennial
environment,
is virtual,
(1998)
)
(1999)
Ryan (1998)
Dir: Lee Unkrich
interactive,
multimedia,
Rich,personalized,
this is one
Dir: Nora Ephron
obert Zemeckis
Dir: Frank Darabont
Dir: Steven full motion,
Starring:
of my
Starring:
and sociallyTom
networked.
ng:
Starring:customized,
Spielberg
Hanks Janet
favorites.
Tom Hanks,
Hanks,
Tom Hanks,
Starring:
Tim Allen
Meg Ryan,
n Hunt,
Michael Clarke Duncan,
Tom Hanks,
Don Rickles
Media Consumers
Parker Posey,
e Wildman,David Morse,
Tom Sizemore,
Jim Varney
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 120
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Experiential /
Interactive
Media
Consumers
Impatient
Multitaskers
“In a phrase, they are the
multiplexed generation or
Generation MUX… The
members of Generation
MUX have adapted to that
digital flow. They multitask
better than their
predecessors did.”
p. 42
Harney, Ken. “Generation MUX”
Where will we find tomorrow’s best
IT workers? . InfoWorld. 7/18/2005,
Vol. 27 Issue 29, p42-42
Multitaskers
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
“IM-ers are multi-taskers.
32% of IM users say they do other things on their
computer such as browsing the web or playing
games virtually every time they are instant
messaging and another 29% are doing something
else some of the time they are IM-ing. p. iv
Shiu,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Eulynn
and “Next-Generation
Amanda Lenhart. “How
AmericansTechnology
use instant
Foreman,
Joel.
Educational
messaging”.
Pew Internet and American Life Project 9/1/2004
Versus the Lecture.”
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/133/report_display.asp
Multitaskers
Copyright Richard Sweeney
Intergenerational Workforce & Engaging Millennial Employees 122
sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
"It's the way we've all come to be raised," says
Fear, a senior at Hunterdon Central Regional High
School in Flemington, New Jersey. She is a
member of the National Honor Society, student
leader of the local Amnesty International chapter,
and president of the school's International
Thespian Society. "There's a lot of work we're
expected to do. You have to multitask to get
everything done. ”
McHale, Tom. “Portrait of a Digital Native” Technology & Learning,
26.2 (2005) 33-34
Multitaskers
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Change in Percentage of Electorate Voting
BUSH
2000 2004
2008
18-29 years old
17% 17% 18%
30-34 years old
29% 29% 29%
45-59 years old
30% 30% 30%
60 and older
24% 24% 23%
Data Source:
Multitaskers
Copyright Richard Sweeney
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Change in Percentage of Electorate Voting
BUSH
2000 2004
2008
18-29 years old
17% 17% 18%
30-34 years old
29% 29% 29%
45-59 years old
30% 30% 30%
60 and older
24% 24% 23%
Data Gathered from CNN 2008 Election Center & Previous Years
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/
Multitaskers
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Candidates Voting by Age Groups
2000
Gore
BUSH
Bush
2004
2008
Kerry
Bush
Obama McCain
18-29 years old
48%
46%
54%
45%
65%
32%
30-34 years old
48%
49%
46%
53%
52%
46%
45-59 years old
48%
49%
48%
51%
49%
49%
60 and older
51%
47%
46%
54%
47%
51%
“Election Results 2008; National Exit Polls Table”. New York Times.
5 Nov 2008
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/national-exit-polls.html
Multitaskers
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sweeney@njit.edu
Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Candidates Voting by Age Groups
2000
Gore
BUSH
Bush
2004
2008
Kerry
Bush
Obama McCain
18-29 years old
48%
46%
54%
45%
65%
32%
60 and older
51%
47%
46%
54%
47%
51%
“Election Results 2008; National Exit Polls Table”. New York Times.
5 Nov 2008
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/national-exit-polls.html
Multitaskers
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Richard Sweeney
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More Choices Selectivity
Digital Natives More Friends Huge Population
Personalization /
Customization
Gamers
Respect
Intelligence
Merit Systems
Collaborative /
Social
Networking
Practical /
Achievement
Oriented
Optimistic /
Positive /
Confident
Family Oriented /
Largely Children
of Divorce
Flexibility /
Convenience
Nomadic
More Diverse High Expectations
/ Inclusive
(e.g. Incomes)
Read Less
Pull, not Push
Direct
Values
Experiential /
Interactive
Learners
Media
Consumers
Patriotic /
Civic Minded
Balanced Lives /
Healthy Lifestyle
Impatient
Multitaskers
More Liberal
Social Involvement
Millennial Characteristics
Copyright Richard Sweeney
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Richard Sweeney
973-596-3208
Thanks for your kind attention.
• Powerpoint (available at:
• http://library1.njit.edu/staff-folders/sweeney/
•
Copyright Richard Sweeney