Asian American Pacific Islander Month DDSD 2024.pptx
YouthSpeak Report v.1.3
1. YouthSpeak Survey Report
Enabling the Best of Millennials
Improving the educa9on to employment journey
YouthSpeak Survey Insight Report
Disclaimer: The YouthSpeak Survey is s2ll live and ongoing un2l
June 2015, these are preliminary insights, and designed to preview
the data. It does not represent the full survey output.
2. YouthSpeak
youthspeak.aiesec.org
AIESEC
AIESEC.org
About YouthSpeak
YouthSpeak is a global youth movement and youth insight
survey powered by AIESEC. We are focused on understanding
the challenges surrounding the higher educaAon to
employment journey for young people. Over 100 countries and
territories and 50,000 voices will be captured in this
comprehensive survey to engage stakeholders across
government, business, third sector in leHng the voices of
young people be heard. Throughout 2015, we will be engaging
major decision makers ranging from the United NaAons,
universiAes and some of the largest employers in the world.
Powered by AIESEC
AIESEC is one of the world’s largest youth-‐run organisaAons
developing the leadership potenAal of young people
worldwide. Present in over 125 countries and territories with
70,000+ members across 2600 universiAes, we offer young
people a chance to develop their leadership potenAal through
life changing professional and personal development
experiences. Since 1948, we’ve developed over one million
people, including one Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and many
prominent world, business and civil society leaders.
3. What we are trying to answer +
How can we evolve higher
educa2on to become
more effec2ve at mee2ng
the needs of students and
employers?
How can we ensure that
students transi2on from
educa2on to employment
successfully?
How can employers beGer
support the development
of youth poten2al in and
out of the workplace?
TRANSITION EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT
4. Today’s genera-on of youth — the largest the world has ever known,
and the vast majority of whom live in developing countries — has
unprecedented potenBal to advance the well-‐being of the enBre human
family. Yet too many young people, including those who are highly
educated, suffer from low-‐wage, dead-‐end work and record levels of
unemployment.
-‐ Ban-‐Ki Moon, Secretary-‐General of the United NaBons
5. Foreword: Enabling the best of millennials
Bringing the best out of millennials
YouthSpeak started in late 2014 with a goal
to capture the opinions of the global youth
voice and support decision makers with more
inclusive data that encompasses tradi2onal
research of advanced economies and of
emerging and developing economies that
lacked broader youth insight and aGen2on.
With 27,000 survey respondents ages 18-‐25
across 100 countries and territories, we are
inspired by the power and enthusiasm of
young people to par2cipate in a global youth
movement run by youth for youth.
Beyond our comprehensive survey, this
report focuses on the unique opportunity to
collaborate with PwC’s global human capital
leaders to create four special ques2ons that
would be integrated into the YouthSpeak
Survey to address ques2ons surrounding
millennials and the evolu2on of young talent.
The bigger picture
To improve human capital strategies, the
YouthSpeak survey fits into iden2fying how
we can beGer support young people to
become more aware of their hopes,
challenges and ambi2ons as they pursue their
careers. This is beyond talent management -‐-‐
it is looking at a young person’s life and their
ability to ac2vate their poten2al.
Our global youth movement will take these
insights to support the development of
strategies, programmes and ini2a2ves that
will beGer enable more young people to live
more fulfilled lives in and out of the
workplace.
With 1.8 billion young people in the world
today, we are looking at humanity’s largest
youth popula2on. The urgency behind this
number grows when we realize that 80% of
these youth come from emerging, developing
or fragile states.
It is our responsibility to ensure that no young
person is leV behind as we con2nue to
develop and bring the global youth opinion to
the decision making tables.
We cannot do this alone, and this is why we
would like to invite organisa2ons who share a
common purpose to advance the state of
young people and let the voices of young
people be heard.
By: Gordon Ching,
Chief Digital Officer
AIESEC Interna9onal
+
7. Demographics
+
18-‐25
were the primary age
range of our survey
respondents
27,000 responses — A Genera9on between Y & Z
The majority of respondents are between the age of 18 -‐ 25 -‐-‐ an age
group that will enter university or are already seeking their first formal
jobs, making the next big wave in decision making and market shiVs.
These millennials are a genera2on that is siYng on the edge of Genera2on
Y & Z age brackets.
Demographics at a glance
51.6% are members of AIESEC, and 49.4% are young people in the
general public not associated directly with AIESEC
53.1% of respondents are born between 1997 -‐ 1994
31.9% of respondents are born between 1993 -‐ 1990
Majority of respondents are business students, followed by social
sciences and engineering
40/100 countries and territories that responded have over 100
responses
About the survey 9meline and response numbers
The 2014-‐2015 YouthSpeak survey has not ended yet, and will be open
un2l the end of May 2015. This report showcases only a snapshot of our
data, while the majority of our insights and findings will be displayed in
early July. We will be focusing on balancing the sample size between
regions and providing more in-‐depth analysis on region to region
comparisons.
How we conduct the YouthSpeak Survey
The YouthSpeak survey is implemented primarily through the global
AIESEC network of 125 countries and territories, leveraging both online
and offline channels to reach students in and outside of AIESEC.
YouthSpeak has also developed into a broader youth movement to let
young people voice their opinions and have them heard by decision
makers. We worked together with organisa2ons to co-‐promote like the
United Na2ons Millennium Campaign, United Na2ons Youth Office,
dozens of universi2es around the world, and many other channels that we
ac2vated through our partner and supporter networks.
It is a survey that has evolved into a broader youth campaign that enables
young people to par2cipate and engage on issues relevant to them.
Through physical channels, we also develop workshops and keynotes at
conferences to s2mulate engagement on youth issues and to capture
youth opinions on the data.
By also ac2va2ng “YouthSpeak Day” we had thousands of young people
on social media take a picture of the issues they care about and take a
photo saying “I speak up for…" and tagged 5 friends to ac2vate them on
the cause.
Through this movement, we have been able to capture over twenty
thousand responses and we look forward to stretching it to fiVy thousand
— further engaging young people on issues that are affec2ng them today.
8. were the primary age
range of our survey
respondents
Top 40 countries and territories of survey respondents
Algeria
Poland
Indonesia
Philippines
India
Bulgaria
Egypt
Mexico
Morocco
Russia
Turkey
Greece
Germany
Brazil
Malaysia
Tunisia
Italy
Nigeria
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Colombia
Ukraine
Portugal
United States
Spain
China (Mainland)
Ghana
Azerbaijan
Australia
Hong Kong
Czech Republic
Canada
Georgia
Lithuania
Mauritania
Peru
Slovakia
Finland
Vietnam
Chile
# of responses
0 450 900 1350 1800
133
165
168
174
177
181
210
215
237
242
254
266
269
269
275
282
337
371
391
395
421
434
434
436
453
521
530
548
677
738
918
994
1,003
1,077
1,089
1,394
1,428
1,428
1,615
1,690
*the YouthSpeak survey is on-‐going and will be completed by July 2015
9. Age of respondents
18-‐21
22-‐25
26-‐30
31 or Above
15 or under
% of respondents
0 15 30 45 60
1
1
7
32
53
Are you studying or working?
Studying
Working & Studying
Working
Unemployed
% of respondents
0 17.5 35 52.5 70
7
10
20
63
Gender
Female
Male
% of respondents
0 15 30 45 60
41
59
10. What is your main area of study?
Business Administra2on
Social Sciences
Engineering
Other
Humani2es
Natural Science
Computer Science
Environmental Studies
Medicine & Health
Law
Educa2on
Visual Arts and Design
Mathema2cs and Sta2s2cs
% of responses
0 3.75 7.5 11.25 15 18.75 22.5 26.25 30
2
3
3
4
4
6
6
6
6
8
12
14
27
11. Highest level of educa2on
Undergraduate/Bachelor's
Postgraduate/Master's
College/Technical Diploma
Secondary School
Other
Doctorate/Ph.D
% of responses
0 8.75 17.5 26.25 35 43.75 52.5 61.25 70
1
1
9
11
13
64
12. How long have you been in AIESEC? (AIESEC respondents only)
Under 1 year
1 -‐ 2 years
2 -‐ 3 years
3 -‐ 4 years
4 -‐5 years
5 -‐ 6 years
7 -‐ 8 years
8+
% of responses
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
2
3
12
25
71
15
36
46
13. YouthSpeak Survey Report
Enabling the Best of Millennials
EDUCATION
Evolving educa9on to meet the needs of students and employers
14. Changing landscape on trust
Rebuilding trust and evolving the
educa9on system
Young people around the world are not
content with their educa2onal experiences
in school. They are not sa2sfied with what
they are geYng out of their university
experiences in connec2on to their future
goals. With university advisers ranking last
in the list of influencers to support career
decisions, there is a bigger story to be told
surrounding the role of universi2es. We are
looking at a world where young people can
find more relevant and prac2cal informa2on
online than at an university.
What is the evolving role of educators to
bridge this gap of trust?
University advisors will need to improve
their engagement with employers and
students to boost credibility and their
perceived value.
Employers who are focused on reaching out
to university students will need to
understand how to influence the people
surrounding their talents and at the same
2me engage more meaningfully with
students. For example, employers who only
focus on online channels, are missing out on
key opportuni2es to posi2on their
employees as mentors and career advisors
for students on campus.
The best way to engage millennials will be
through more authen2c means such as
Who are the most influen2al individuals helping you make career decisions?
Friends
Parents / Rela2ves
Opinion Makers
Professors / Tutors
University advisors
% of respondents
0 12.5 25 37.5 50
3
11
14
30
42
+
using tools like social media,
public speaking, workshops and
even conferences to engage
young people.
For educators, the opportunity to
bridge this gap of trust is needed
in order to ensure that students
are receiving the right informa2on
about their future careers.
15. Do you have plans to become
an entrepreneur?
Within 5 years
No
Within 20 years
I already am
Within 10 years
0 10 20 30 40
7.9
8.7
22.5
26.9
31.3
+
A generaAon of entrepreneurs
61.4% of millennials have plans to become an
entrepreneur, and another 8.7% already are.
With a genera2on full of future entrepreneurs, the
behaviours of young millennials will greatly impact their
career choices and how they view the role of their
employers.
With 31.3% of respondents sta2ng that they want to
become an entrepreneur in 5 years, a significant por2on
of millennial talents will enter the workplace knowing they
will already be job-‐hopping and depar2ng within a 5 year
window.
In the past decade, we have also see a great rise of
internet and technology entrepreneurs who have paved
the way for an en2re genera2on.
What are the implica2ons of an entrepreneurial
genera2on for employers?
• How will you shiV the workplace to become more
adap2ve to this trend?
• How will you retain entrepreneurial talents?
For educators — greater prac2cal knowledge will be
needed to support an entrepreneurial genera2on
• How will the classroom transform to become more
focused on building the capabili2es of future
entrepreneurs and support them?
16. Students see the value of educaAon, but are not saAsfied
with the experience and lack the career support
Disconnec9on of Educa9on to
Employment
53% of millennials see a disconnec2on
between what they are learning today versus
what they will need tomorrow. For most
millennials beyond technical backgrounds,
their degrees have not given them the value
they were looking for.
It is good to note that 27% of YouthSpeak
respondents study business, while another
14% study social sciences—this link between
the 53% of detractors of the educa2onal
e x p e r i e n c e m ay d e m o n s t r a t e t h e
disconnec2on of prac2cal skills development
in alignment with what they study.
For most millennials, they are certain about
the relevance of an educa2onal experience
for their future, but is greatly disconnected
from the sa2sfac2on and value they are
geYng in return.
At the same 2me, students are not geYng
the guidance and support to understand
what they will need for their ideal post-‐
gradua2on careers. Looking back at the
previous slide on trust—there is a strong
connec2on between the lack of support in
university for career development and the
the distrust in university advisors to support
career related maGers.
How can we bridge this trust and support
gap? With youth unemployment as high as
50% in Spain and Greece, and rapidly rising
in many other economies, there is a
significant challenge for government, youth,
employers and the third sector to bridge this
gap.
Last year, the global youth popula2on
reached 1.8 billion, and 89% of the world’s
youth live in less developed countries. The
need for cross-‐sector collabora2on and the
inclusion of youth opinion is urgently needed
to address this issue misalignment and
disconnec2on of educa2on and employment.
To develop the next genera2on, young
people and leaders must come together to
iden2fy how we can bridge this gap of
educa2on and employment. Including how
we can beGer integrate the youth opinion
into decision making processes and make it
consistent.
Sa9sfaca9on with higher educa9on
experience in connec9on with
future goals
Detractor
Passive
Promoter
0 15 30 45 60
10.5
36.6
53
+
Does your educa9on feel relevant
to what you want to do in the
future?
Yes
No
0 20 40 60 80
24.7
75.3
Do you feel like you have the
guidance and support for your ideal
post-‐gradua9on career?
No
Yes
0 15 30 45 60
45.6
54.4
17. In your opinion, what is the most serious global issue?
BeGer Educa2on
Food & Water Security
Basic Welfare & Healthcare
Large scale conflict / Wars
Economic Opportunity & Employment
Destruc2on of Natural Resources
Equality and Inclusion
Government Accountability & Transparency
Freedom from Discrimina2on and Persecu2on
Climate Change
Other
Poli2cal Freedoms
Loss of Privacy/Security due to Technology
% of responses
0 3.75 7.5 11.25 15 18.75 22.5 26.25 30
1.2
1.9
2.6
5.3
6.0
6.6
7.5
7.6
8.6
9.7
10.0
10.6
22.3
EducaAon is the most important global
issue for young millennials
+
18. “I would like to see a more dynamic and fluid system
that would interact be:er with the real world. In my
business school, we are s<ll studying management
concepts from the 90’s and this hasn’t been as
progressive as the current trends that are shaping our
economy.”
-‐ Kar-‐men, 24, Singapore
Educa<on needs to be beyond books. Students are
oEen stuck in classrooms learning things that are not
relevant to their future careers. I want to see more
prac<cal skills development that also enables young
people to innovate and get more crea<ve.”
-‐ Isha, 24, Mozambique
Youth opinion: How can we transform educa2on?
Universi2es, like the people within them, must
embrace change, reimagine possibili2es, and
revitalize con2nuously
-‐ Drew Faust, President of Harvard
+
“The university experience needs to go beyond the
books. It needs to tap into the development of life
skills and developing our understanding of the world. I
believe that universi<es need to evolve beyond the
place as rewarding degrees, but as a place where
young people can experiment, explore and learn.”
-‐ Lisa, 21, United States
“Universi<es need to expand their method of defining
success. Many successful people in the world aren’t
great at taking exams, but they are great at solving life
challenges, and that is what we should be learning.
Exams should only one of the many ways to rate
success.”
-‐ Miranda, 19, Poland
19. Why we need to change educaAon
+
Educators and employers need to urgently
work together to address the lack of trust in
suppor2ng students with their career
development within the university. Cross-‐
sector collabora2on is necessary to address the
significant challenges within the way the
educa2on system prepares young people for
their futures.
Greater trust needs to be fostered in the
educa2onal system and this begins with a more
frequent, consistent and aligned agendas of
employers, government and educators. To
avoid the crea2on of lost genera2ons—
employers and educators will need to become
more transparent with their needs, and more
flexible with their approach to developing and
educa2ng the future talents in their markets.
The inclusion of youth opinion is cri2cal to
developing effec2ve programmes and
strategies that are aligned with the needs of
young people and enable them to have a voice
in the decision margin process. Experien2al
learning should be highly considered as an
effec2ve learning method for skills
development.
Young people are unhappy and unsa2sfied with
their educa2onal experiences, but yet they see
hope and see the relevance of an educa2onal
experience. Elements of integra2ng real-‐world
experiences, greater support for studying and
working abroad programmes, and fostering a
more entrepreneurial culture is necessary.
If we are to develop an effec2ve educa2on
system that meets student needs, it will need
greater integra2on of youth opinion and
employer input. These inputs are cri2cal to
ensuring that curriculums are aligned with
external trends and u2lizing teaching methods
like experien2al learning that can beGer
engage young people.
In order for schools to beGer prepare young
people, a greater mixture of both soV and hard
skills development is needed. Further
suppor2ng students in dynamic opportuni2es
like working and studying abroad will further
add their abili2es to succeed in through
We urge leaders across sectors to become
more transparent and inclusive with their
ini2a2ves, and for young people to take a more
ac2ve role in par2cipa2ng in the decision
making process and ensure that we do not risk
crea2ng a lost genera2on of unfulfilled
poten2al.
BETTER
EDUCATION
20. Universi-es will need to transform themselves into a place where young
people can not only study and take exams, but learn from doing. To
provide them with real-‐world experiences that are relevant.
Shi4 from papers and degrees to experiences and skills
Young people have been frustrated about the amount of effort and investment a degree requires to only be leV with an
inability to get a good career. This challenge does not just fall on government and educators, but students and
employers alike will need to be more proac2ve in engaging with decision makers to influence decisions. At the same
2me, educators and the government need to open up spaces to involve the youth opinion and expand the relevance of
a degree for young people, and beGer support their learning experiences with greater guidance and engagement
Summary of learnings on educaAon +
Integra9ng prac9cal skills with
theore9cal knowledge
Foster an entrepreneurial
learning environment
Involve employers
throughout the educa9onal
experience
22. Young Millennials are
Global Ci9zens. They
don’t just travel to relax,
but they seek adventure
a n d s e e i t a s a n
opportunity to learn and
grow.
23. What is most important to you in the first 5 years of your career?
Global Opportuni2es
Meaningful Work
Constant Learning
Challening work
Work-‐life balance
Training Opportuni2es
Strong Employer Brand
Salary
Alignment with study
0 7.5 15 22.5 30
4.3
4.7
4.8
8.1
11.2
11.4
13.3
15.2
24.8
A globally mobile workforce that values learning experiences
over a high paid salary
Millennials are looking for opportuni9es to see the world, not just to travel, but
to learn and grow.
Younger millennials recognize the advantages of being abroad and the
opportuni9es for accelerated career advancement in rapidly emerging markets.
Combined with the fact that 64.1% of YouthSpeak respondents state that they
aspire to hold a leadership or senior-‐decision maker posi9on in the future, it
serves as a reminder of the ambi9ous nature of millennials and how they want to
hold responsibility in their jobs.
With an emphasis on global opportuni2es, meaningful work and constant
learning, employers will need to evaluate how they will adapt to such needs,
while enabling millennials to get the most of out their experiences.
millennials are seeking for employer who can provide them with the dynamic
experiences that enable them to see the world, expand their horizons and
contribute to a posi2ve impact on society.
1 in 4
millennials see global
experiences as the most
important in the first 5
years of their career
Learning is the new currency +
Cross-‐border assignments are showing no signs of a slowdown as stated in
PwC’s Interna2onal Assignments Perspec2ve report —in fact, 59% of CEOs
surveyed plan to send more staff on interna2onal assignments. At the same 2me,
younger millennials are recognizing and taking advantage of the tremendous
opportuni2es of being present in rapidly emerging markets in Asia Pacific and
La2n America. PwC’s Talent Mobility 2020 report predicts a 50% growth in
talent mobility.
The data provides us with a deeper insight into the bigger story that is unfolding
—young people are developing a more natural desire for being global ci2zens,
resul2ng in a genera2on that is more comfortable with reloca2ng, experiencing
new environments and are hungry to learn about the world.
Employers will need to focus on maximizing the depth of learning experiences
millennials will acquire throughout their early career stage with global
opportuni2es, meaning work and constant learning at the top of the agenda,
24. “Meaningful work for me is that whatever you do makes the
world and humankind beCer, everyone clear of the impact the
results bring, and not just taking decisions according to profit,
without having in mind if this good for society at all”
-‐ Kathy, 21, Colombia
“If you don’t see it as work anymore, but enjoyment”
-‐ Mark, 18, Australia
“Is when I live to work, not work to live! Passion for what I put
into, crea-ng change, learning day by day, and sparking
someone else's fire!”
-‐ Valerie, 24, Bahrain
“For me it will be really meaningful when you believe on what
you doing and geUng apprecia-on even by saying a simple
"thank you”. -‐ Mint, 20, Korea
What does meaningful work mean to millennials?
For me, work is more than just to earn a salary. It should be
about learning and having fun, and about doing a greater
good.
-‐ Zenas, 24, Canada
“Work is meaningful if i'm s-ll learning new things whether it's
about my self, surroundings or some technicali-es . If that is
missing , I won’t consider it meaningful any more”
-‐ Batool, 21, Egypt
+
Youth opinion: define meaningful work
25. How would you prefer to learn these new skills
Experen9al learning
Volunteering experiences
On the job training
At College / University
Conferences / Events
Coaching / Mentoring
Self-‐taught books/knowledge online
Informal network learning with peers
Online classes & e-‐learning
Other
0 18 35 53 70
0.8
19.3
29.9
31
43.6
44.3
44.3
47.3
48.5
67.6
What top 5 skills do you need to develop to help you get ahead?
New Languages
Public Speaking
Leadership & Management
Cri2cal Thinking & Problem Sovling
Judgement & Decision Making
Finance & Budgets
Marke2ng and Sales
Data Analysis & Analy2cs
Comfortability with Rapid Change
Digital Skills
Digital & Technical Awareness
Cultural Awareness & Sensi2vity
Ac2ve Listening
Other
0 12.5 25 37.5 50
1.1
12.8
14.4
15.5
24.3
24.1
24.7
28.3
30.4
39.8
44.7
47.6
47.8
49
Preferences in skills development +
26. If you followed your passions, where would you find yourself 5 years from now?
Working for a mul9na9onal company
Running my own business / start-‐up
In an NGO/IGO Organisa9on
I am not sure yet
Studying for an advanced degree
Freelancing / Self-‐employed
Working in Large Na9onal Business
Other
Working in Poli9cs / Government
Pursuing Academic Career
Working in an established SME
Joining a start-‐up
% of respondents
0 5 10 15 20
2.3
3
3.3
4
4
5.3
5.8
8.2
12.8
13.5
18.7
19.2
Where millennials want to work +
An urgency to rapidly transform to a more entrepreneurial
workplace
The talent landscape is quickly shiVing and the rise for entrepreneurship is
signalling a major change in how millennials may see the role of an employer in
the first few years of their careers.
Running my own business or start-‐up leads in second ranking with 18.7% of
par2cipants, showcasing a genera2on of entrepreneurs and individuals who are
willing to take the risks, pursue their dreams and build it themselves. At the same
2me, there is a significant difference between those who have a desire to start
their own business versus joining another start-‐up. A major challenge for new
startups will be their ability to aGract great talent.
Mul2na2onals are faced not only with compe22on with other major brands, but
in their ability to aGract future entrepreneurs. MNC’s will need to rapidly create a
more entrepreneurial and dynamic workplace to aGract top talent and
demonstrate to millennials that their workplace is a place where they can thrive.
YouthSpeak data has shown that young millennials have a strong desire for
global experiences, meaningful work and constant learning. Whether you are a
mul2na2onal or a NGO/IGO, the fight for talent isn’t just between other
organisa2ons, but your own ability to transform your workplace to meet the
needs of a genera2on that demands for rapid personal and professional
development, an entrepreneurial work culture and greater transparency between
an employers ac2ons and their values.
27. Great employers will foster an entrepreneurial workplace that enables
millennials’ talents to constantly learn, grow and explore new opportuni-es.
Millennials view the purpose of the workplace as going beyond tradi9onal benefits — focusing more on their own individual
development. How will you transform your workplace to meet these needs of young millennials?
Shi4 from tradiEonal benefits to learning benefits
Millennial desire for learning experiences represent a shiVing change in what aGracts them to a job. Earning a high
salary may not be a major aGrac2on point for millennials as their appe2te for global experiences, meaningful work and
constant learning rises. They expect to start their careers with dynamic global experiences that enable them constantly
learn and be challenged with new and exci2ng opportuni2es.
How will employers focus and invest more on the learning journey of their talents and showcase it in an engaging way?
Summary of learnings on career trends +
Ability to gain access to
dynamic and global
experiences
Ability for constant
learning and growth
Develop an entrepreneurial
work culture
28. Millennials want to become beaer for
themselves and for society
They want to find fulfillment in both life
and work, and at the same Ame
contribute to the beaerment of society.
+
30. The purpose of your organisaAon is important to
millennials. They want to know if you are making the
world a beaer place, and if your values are shown
through your acAons.
31. Beyond business as usual
The triple boiom line is a
standard
Your organisa2on’s ability to not only
demonstrate a posi2ve impact on society,
but communicate the purpose is cri2cal for
millennial talent. People, planet and profit
are cri2cal factors to millennial evalua2ons
of employer aGrac2veness.
No longer is it about winning the minds of
people through hard benefits like salary and
pres2ge, but how will you win the hearts of
people.
Social media has brought word-‐of-‐mouth
online and has enabled conversa2ons to
spread like wildfire — what your company
does in one region of the world needs to be
aligned with its greater purpose.
For leaders at the top of organisa2ons, a key
ques2on is how are you opening up yourself
and your organisa2on in demonstra2ng
purpose in the world and to inspire greater
trust amongst employees and future talents.
Alignment between words and
ac9ons
Employers will need to ensure that
everything they do is communica2ng a
common purpose that includes the message
of their role in society to make it a beGer
place.
Beyond communica2ons, employers will
need to evaluate their business opera2ons
and ensure clear alignment between
internal and external ac2ons.
Millennials value less on how much money
you actually make or if you increase your
performance, but the demonstra2on of your
organisa2on's values. Decisions like where
you are inves2ng and how you are trea2ng
your employees, stakeholders and partners
are important factors to pay aGen2on to.
Millennials greatly value this alignment of
people, planet and profit, and the
employer’s ability to be truly authen2c and
transparent.
+
How important is it for the company you work for to have a posi2ve impact on society?
Very Important
Somewhat important
Not important
% of respondents
0 20 40 60 80
It’s beyond business as usual. It’s more related to
what a business can do to contribute towards the
the world we live in. It’s a shared responsibility as a
business has the power to influence things. This is
a minimum for any company I work for.”
-‐ Helene, 27, Belgium
32. “Millennials are quick to react negaAvely to any
perceived disconnect between the firm’s words and
its acAons. If they don’t believe us, they leave.”
-‐ Bob Moritz, U.S. chairman and senior partner of PwC,
HBR arAcle “Keeping millennials engaged”
33. “Currently, only one in four U.S.
workers are in op2mal workplace
environments. The rest are struggling
to work effec2vely, resul2ng in lost
produc2vity, innova2on, and worker
engagement.”
WORKPLACE
DESIGN
MATTERS.
-‐ Gentler Workplace Research 2013
34. CREATIVE, CHALLENGING, FUN.
The ideal workplace for young millennials
+
What keywords describe your ideal workplace?
Crea2ve
Challenging
Fun
Dynamic
Global
Purposeful
Suppor2ve
Diverse
Flexible
Rewarding
Democra2c
Prac2cal
Entrepreneurial
Local
Serious
Large
Informal
Analy2c
Busy
Inclusive
Na2onal
Other
Theore2cal
Small
Rigid
% of respondents
0 12.5 25 37.5 50
1
1.4
1.8
2.6
5
5.4
7.7
9.1
9.5
9.8
10.5
11.2
17.3
17.5
18.4
23
23.9
24.1
25.6
30.1
31.3
31.8
34.6
38.6
45.6
35. Bring the best of your millennials by creaAng an
environment where the office becomes a hub of creaAvity,
where the environment sAmulates their growth.
For millennials, workplaces are more than just a place to
work. It is a place where great things can happen if you
create the experiences and spaces than enable it.
36. “One size does not fit all” millennials
64%
of respondents state that they
aspire to hold leadership or senior-‐
decision making posi<ons.
A growing appe9te for leadership
Though the aspira2ons and ambi2ons of
leadership are there, employers are not
adap2ng fast enough to keep up. In the
Forbes ar2cle “The #1 reason leadership
development fails” a top 50 leadership
thinker Mike MyaG argues that you don’t train
leaders, but develop them.
Our survey found that experien2al learning—
the act of learning by doing and trying is the
#1 (67.6%) preferred method of learning for
millennials, followed by volunteering
experiences (48.5%) and on the job training
(47.3%).
Employers must learn to shiV their mindsets
from trying to hold millennial talents down
and viewing them as a threat, and instead
harness their ambi2on for leadership. But the
ques2on is how?
A gap between youth opinion and
leader opinion
While experien2al learning may be the #1
choice from survey respondents, the opinions
of leaders reflect a different story. The
2013/14 report, Global Leadership Project by
talent management company Chally Group
Worldwide, surveyed 300 CEO’s and senior
HR professionals and found that coaching/
mentoring s2ll con2nues to be the most
popular leadership development prac2ce for
both small and large companies.
However at the end of the day it’s not about
what’s out there, but what works for you and
your employees.
It’s about finding the right people, puYng
them in the right environment, and giving
them the right tools to succeed. That begins
with having a more open environment where
employees, senior and young, are able to
interact more casually and are given the
chance to voice their opinions.
Changing your organisa2on to improve the
the transi2on to a millennial workplace, will
require a willingness to adapt and
conversa2ons that fosters understanding.
+
At the end of the day it’s not about
what’s out there, but what works for
you and your employees.
It’s about finding the right people,
pukng them in the right environment,
and giving them the right tools to
succeed. That begins with having a
more open environment where
employees, senior and young, are able
to interact more casually and are given
the chance to voice their opinions.
The ability to change your organisa9on
and make millennial transi9ons more
effec9ve begins with the conversa9on
and willingness to adapt.
“
”
37. A “desire for learning” culture
A focus on enabling the best out of your millennial talent
In previous genera2ons, a job was a means to an end. People valued
stability and security in their lives. In the current cultural context, a job
has evolved to become an even more important part of their lifestyle. The
major trend is linked with the reducing barriers between their professional
versus personal lives. Millennials are far more individualis2c than previous
genera2ons and hold much higher standards for employers to enable
them to grow and succeed.
What is a culture of learning?
A culture of learning will be defined by a workplace that empowers their
people to always seek for con2nuous improvement and learnings — it is a
culture that learns from mistakes and seeks to always grow from it. It is a
departure from an execu2on culture that was heavily focused on
following rules and procedures. Millennials are looking for workplaces
that enable them to solve tough challenges and apply a more
entrepreneurial approach to work. Millennial demands for a challenging
workplace will push employers to reconsider job descrip2ons and
responsibili2es that go beyond just administra2ve work, but further tap
into roles that enable them to think cri2cally and solve complex problems.
An entrepreneurial approach to both work and life
Millennials are more comfortable with improvisa2on and experimenta2on.
They are born in a 2me where the internet and search engines enabled
them to discover answers on their own. In the workplace, millennials will
empowered by improvising and finding innova2ons as opposed to simply
following the rules and execu2ng more administra2ve tasks.
Millennials who are digital na2ves and are more entrepreneurial than the
last genera2on will look for employers who are more naturally aligned
with their behaviours and working preferences. For employers, this
presents an opportunity to transform your workplace to become a
learning environment that empowers and embraces a more open minded
concept of success. Innova2on has become a major buzzword, but we
believe it is because young millennials want to innovate and experiment.
Young millennials are great innovators, experimenters and complex
problem solvers.
+
Learning CultureExecu2on Culture
• Focused on the plan
• Executes to meet numbers
• Eliminates low performers
• Listen to the customer
• Fix what is broken
• Strong compliance and penal2es
• Focused on evolu2on and innova2on
• Goes beyond the numbers
• Improves low performers
• Learns from the customer
• Develops solu2ons proac2vely
• Principles over rules
38. A focus on work-‐life ‘style’ over balance
A focus on trust -‐ a need for stronger communi9es and
rela9onships.
For millennials, a work-‐life balance is not simply about the division of
work and their personal lives, but the priori2sa2on of personal interests
and being able to do what they love in and outside of work. While the
last genera2on was focused on their ability to get a 9-‐5 job that was
secure, paid well and had vaca2on 2me. Millennials are willing to trade
off free days per year in return for greater flexibility at work and their
ability to pursue personal interests and keep learning.
Employers can greatly benefit from these shiVing behaviours of
millennial desires to be more engaged with work and life together, but
will require a shiV in mindset of what work-‐life balance looks like.
Execu2ves will need to redefine learning programmes and how they
compensate employees for their work. Millennials care deeply about
How would you define work-‐life balance?
Opportunity to pursue personal interests
Flexibility at work
Fixed schedule (defined working hours)
Number of free days per year
% of respondents
0 12.5 25 37.5 50
3.9
16.3
28.6
48
+
their own personal interests and the workplace will need to
reward employees beyond tradi2onal benefits like a high salary
or extensive vaca2on 2me, but to look at the ability of an
employer to reward their talents on an more flexible and
frequent basis.
These insights tell a story of a genera2on that does not seek to
be completely disconnected from their work through 2me off
and vaca2ons, but by being able to develop themselves and
grow. They want to see their employers as a posi2ve support
system, as a learning environment where the learning con2nues
even outside the workplace.
39. “The noAon of working 9-‐5, earning a high salary,
and having extensive vacaAon Ame is outdated.
Millennials want to be inspired, to learn and to grow
in and outside of the workplace. How they
contribute to society in all aspects of their lives is
important to them.
A new defini-on of work-‐life balance
40. Employers who aCract and retain top millennial talent will need to live
by their ac-ons and values, and foster a working environment that
rapidly develops their people, and contributes to their life ambi-ons.
Millennials demand employers to not only post their values on their website, but have their leaders and employees
exercise what they say. They see the workplace as more than just work—but a place to enjoy themselves.
It’s not a work-‐life balance, but a work-‐lifestyle
Millennials do not see this great separa2on between the their professional versus personal lives. They want to be able
to bring their best to the workspace, and that means being able to be themselves. Their personal interests and life
passions are very important to them and they want their employers to recognise and support them. Long vaca2ons may
be a thing of the past, as they rather gain access to more dynamic opportuni2es and advance their own individual
growth.
Summary of learnings on employment
+
Employers will need to match
their ac9ons with their values
and purpose in society
The ideal workplace is
crea9ve, challenging
and fun
Leaders need to shim the
mindset from following rules
to enabling experimenta9on
41. YouthSpeak key takeaways
INVEST
in your employee’s learning and
development, with significant
considera2ons of the individual’s
future career aspira2ons. Help them
connect the dots on how their
current experience with you fits with
their wider career goals.
EMPOWER
their desire for challenging
experiences with greater
responsibili2es and beGer support
systems. Enable your employees to
thrive in a more entrepreneurial and
experimental learning environment.
LIVE
by your values and show it through
your ac2ons. Young people want to
associate with organisa2ons who
live by their words. Don’t just leave
your values on the wall, but bring it
to life.
INNOVATION
is a big theme amongst millennials,
who have a innate desire for
crea2vity and a learning culture.
Millennials work best in a seYng
where they create and invent, this
requires management to be less top-‐
down, and more boGom-‐up.
OPEN
the dialogue to enable young people
to par2cipate int he decision making
process. Inclusion of their youth
opinions from the beginning is
needed to ensure that they are
“bought-‐in.”
REDUCE
hierarchical barriers and power-‐
distance between millennials, they
trust their peers more than
authority figures. To build strong
rela2onships with millennials, this is
a part where you can play a key role
in becoming more of a role model
and peer to youth.
42. Gordon Ching, Author and
Global VP, Digital Marke2ng
AIESEC InternaAonal
gordonc@ai.aiesec.org
YouthSpeak General Inquiries
youthspeak@ai.aiesec.org
Karolina Piotrowska
Global VP, Public RelaEons
AIESEC InternaAonal
karolinap@ai.aiesec.org
Tala Mansi
Global Partnerships Manager
AIESEC InternaAonal
talam@ai.aiesec.org
