Latest generation focused on the future

Ever wonder what career concerns keep Generation Y professionals tossing and turning at night?

Like the generations before them, one-third of those polled listed their chief career concern as compensation and benefits. The second most common answer was finding and keeping a job (26 percent of those asked shared this concern). Twenty-three percent said career satisfaction ranked third.

Robert Half International, a specialized staffing firm, and Yahoo! HotJobs commissioned the survey.

Genteration Y, or the “Millennials” as they are sometimes referred to, are generally between the ages of 21 and 28. The survey sought the opinions of the most senior members of Generation Y who have already started a career or will soon start one. In all, more than 1,000 people were surveyed.

The findings were cited in a report titled, “What Millenial Workers Want: How to Attract and Retain Gen Y Employees.”

Generation Y workers were asked, “What is your number-one career concern for the future?” Their responses were:

Salary and healthcare/retirement … 33%

Job stability ………………………………. 26%

Career satisfaction …………………….. 23%

Other …………………………………………. 8%

None …………………………………………. 5%

Don’t know …………………………………. 5%

“The Gen Y professionals we surveyed were focused on practical concerns, such as saving enough money for retirement and being able to balance work and family obligations,” said Reesa Staten, senior vice president and director of workplace research for Robert Half International. “These basic quality-of-life needs are common among all demographics in the workplace.

Respondents offered the following verbatim responses when asked to identify their top financial and benefits-related concerns:

• “Having enough money to support the lifestyle I desire.”

• “Getting paid enough to both save for retirement and enjoy the present.”

• “Finding a better job or a career with benefits, a 401 (k), better salary and financial stability.”

• “How long I have to work into my golden years to secure a good retirement.”

• “If I will ever be able to afford a future; a house, a wedding, children and retirement.”

• “Access to health and retirement benefits.”

• “That I won’t make enough money to provide a good life for my family, with rising costs of everything from fuel to homes and food.”

Gen Y workers offered the following responses regarding finding and holding onto a job:

• “That I won’t be able to get a job that matches up with my qualifications.”

• “Being able to settle into the job right after graduation.”

• “That the economy won’t be sustained in order for jobs to be secure.”

• “Being able to find a job after being outsourced.”

• “If there will be enough jobs for the number of job seekers.”

• “Having to switch jobs more than I desire.”

And, finally, respondents to the survey who focused on job satisfaction offered the following thoughts:

• “My number-one career concern for the future is advancement. A time will come when I need to decide if I should stay at my current position, or if I should take a new, better job. My concern is knowing how to tell when that moment comes.”

• “Finding something I am truly passionate about.”

• “Whether or not I’ll enjoy my work. Going to work when you hate it is so hard and tiring.”

• “If I want to change careers, how much more will I have to put into going back to school? How much is it going to cost me to change my career, and will it be worth it?”

• “Finding a niche career that suits me.”

• “Being happy with my job, and balancing work and home life.”

Staten noted that those who took the survey put the most emphasis on money, benefits and professional growth. “Gen Y workers want the best healthcare and retirement benefits employers can provide as well as defined career paths,” she said. “To recruit these professionals, firms should make these programs easy to understand, promote them in detail on the company Web site and highlight them during the interview process.”