Terri Trespicio On The Patterns Of Millennials In The Workforce

Terri Trespicio, writer, editor, and content creator extraordinaire visited the studio at CRN to discuss what exactly it means to work with millennial staffers in 2017. "Before 2016, millennials felt differently about work. We've always known they want to be entrepreneurs and freelancers, but lately, they've been sticking with full-time work more than ever before," said Trespicio. She mentioned that a large part of this is as a result of the economic position most young people are in. They just don't have the funds, and if they have some, they are worried about not having enough. "An annual study by Deloitte from a few years ago said that 64% of millennials plan to leave their job by 2020," she said. However, a lot can change in a year. "Now, in 2017, they are seeking full-time employment more than ever over freelance. They are just worried about their economic future." Trespicio explained that though the type of work has changed, this doesn't change the values and beliefs specific to millennials. "Companies that are hoping to hang on to their millennial staffers are doing what they have to in order to work with the changing pace of that generation," she said. Trespicio explained that young professionals (between the ages of 18 and 32) want to feel as though they are doing work that matters. They crave flexibility. They understand that the standardized robotic nature of the 9-5 is something from the era of the industrial revolution. "If a company is a non-profit, or is visibly benefiting some higher, worthy cause - those are the jobs more millennials are going to go for," she said. Overall, this age group possesses a burning desire to be connected to, what Trespicio calls, "something of meaning." "They want to know why they are doing what they are doing. Not to be difficult, but to truly understand why it matters, and what it is giving to the world, big picture. And, they want to live their lives fully while doing it."