In the poll, 53 percent of Millenials say they have been disappointed by a lack of personal development training when starting a new job. However, just 15 percent of employers felt that personalised training programs were a priority for keeping employees engaged and 38 percent of Millennials receive formal feedback once a year but 60 percent would like feedback every one to three months.

Original research from Robert Walters into the working habits and attitudes of Millennial (born 1980-1999) professionals has revealed that they consider opportunities for rapid career progression the most important aspect of their jobs. The research, which surveyed employers and professionals from a range of fields and regions1 revealed that this desire for career progression is central to attracting and retaining Millennial employees, as well as keeping them engaged in their role.

Sally Martin, Director at Robert Walters commented: “Many Millennial professionals entered the workforce during the height of the recession. As a result, they have found their careers slow to take off, remaining in less senior roles. Now that circumstances are improving there is an emphasis on rapid progression among these professionals.” 53 percent of Millennials also reported that they had been disappointed by a lack of training and development in a new job. This stood in contrast to employers, among whom just 15 percent believed that personalised training programs were a priority for keeping employees engaged.

Sally Martin continues: “Career progression is a high priority for Millennials and they expect their employer to support them in this. In addition to pay and benefits Millennial professionals expect their employer to be able to outline how their career with the company can develop and specific skills and experience their employer can help them attain.”

In addition to rapid progression and formal plans for their career development, the research also revealed that Millenials value regular formal feedback from their employer. 60 percent of Millennials surveyed said that they would like to receive formal feedback every one to three months, but 38 percent reported that they only actually received feedback once a year, or even less frequently.

Sally Martin Concludes: “While Millennial’s desire for frequent feedback may be seen as a desire for constant affirmation, this may have more to do with a generational divide on how ‘formal’ workplace conversations need to be. For Millennials, feedback from their manager doesn’t need to be a formal review session; a casual conversation on their progress and areas where they are performing well or need to improve is often far more valuable to them.”