by Crystal DeGoede*
The “Trophy Generation” also known as Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) have possibly figured it out…the majority of young professional women, like myself, believe they will have gratifying careers balanced with fulfilling personal lives, according to research released by Accenture’s Millennial Women Workplace Success Index.
The Accenture’s Millennial Women Workplace Success Index results are generated from an 
online survey of 1,000 millennial women, ranging in age from 22-35, who are employed full-time in the United States. (In the U.S., women will soon comprise half the workforce and Millennials are now one-third of the working population.)
Since most Millennials have that “can-do” attitude about responsibilities at work and look for feedback about how they are doing frequently – sometimes daily – Millennials want a variety of tasks and challenges and expect that they will accomplish every one of them. Positive and confident, Millennials are ready to take on the world. (As a Millennial, I agree completely with this. If I am not challenged every day at work I end up getting bored, and I feeling as though I haven’t contributed anything.)
The study goes on to say that, Millennials need to see where their career is going and they want to know exactly what they need to do to get there. Two primary qualities as key to workplace success: the ability to balance personal and professional lives and a job where they can make a difference. And, since we are use to balancing several activities such as teams, friends, school, and part-time jobs we want flexibility in scheduling and a life away from work.
Some drivers of workplace success for Millenials:
- Medical benefits
- Good work atmosphere
- Open and honest communication with supervisors
- Flexible hours
- Classes and training for professional advancement
- Secure employment
- A workplace that encourages work/personal life balance
- Opportunities for bonus and investments
- Close to home/short commute
Three major factors for career success
- Doing the type of work you want to do
- Able to successfully balance work and life
- Being compensated at the level you think you deserve
However, what is most important to Millenials and their success? 66 percent cited family life, compared to 29 percent who cited career success. Millennial women choose quality of life over the perks of a job.
“In pursuing both a satisfying career and personal life, Millennial women will benefit from setting priorities and regularly monitoring both their progress along the way,” said LaMae Allen deJongh, Managing Director, U.S. Human Capital and Diversity, Accenture.
Almost half (46 percent) of Millennial women surveyed said they would be willing to give up some of their salary if it meant spending more time on personal life, while slightly more than half (54 percent) said they would be willing to give up time spent on their personal life for more income. On average, women seeking more time have somewhat higher incomes and are willing to forego 15 percent of their income, while respondents willing to sacrifice time want a 32 percent increase in salary.
Do you think the mentality of other generations is the same as the Millenials? If you were born before 1980 what is your driver for work/life balance? Do you consider family life the most important to being successful? Would you be willing to take a salary cut in order to have more personal time? Please share your thoughts with the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.
*Bio: After graduating from East Carolina University with a Marketing degree in 2005, Crystal DeGoede moved to New Jersey. In her four years as a member of the BurrellesLuce marketing team and through her interaction with peers and clients she has learned what is important or what it takes to develop a career when you are just starting out. She is passionate about continuing to learn about the industry in which we serve and about her career path. By engaging readers on Fresh Ideas Crystal hopes to further develop her social media skills and inspire other “millennials” who are just out of college and/or working in the field of marketing and public relations. Twitter: @cldegoede LinkedIn: Crystal DeGoede Facebook: BurrellesLuce
Yesterday, we kicked off our end of the year wrap-up with part one of the 20 Top BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas posts in 2011. Today we will be counting down the top ten.
Is Digital Media Changing PR’s Role in News-Gathering?
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010Flickr Image: yago1.com
The Oriella PR Network issued their 2010 Digital Journalism Study recently. The survey consisted of 770 journalists across 15 countries, and is used to find out how digital media has changed the nature of news-gathering. In reviewing this study, I naturally paid the most attention to those items that directly affect public relations and media relations practitioners.
For example, according to the report, “interest in traditional news content remains healthy.” Results showed:
Interestingly, demand for social media news releases (SMNRs), chosen by 19 percent of journalists in 2008’s survey, and 15 percent in 2009, has leveled off at 16 percent in 2010.
The report notes it is possible that these declines may be due to the fact that publications have the capabilities to produce their own multi-media content now. Previously they were more reliant on content from third parties.
Considering the international reach of this survey, I was curious if our own U.S.-based media followed suit. I set-up a (very un-scientific) three-question survey on PollDaddy and asked my Twitter and LinkedIn journalist connections to respond. There were only a handful of responses, but the poll answered my question.
When I asked for additional comments, one respondent replied, “I wish press releases had original quotes instead of marketing-speak.” Another responded, “Short, sweet and to the point. Make it catchy. Make it actually newsworthy. Make it interesting. And don’t send something that’s happening that day. Timing is EVERYTHING.”
Jessica Pupillo, freelance writer and editorial director for St. Louis Sprout & About, opined: “Put the news release headline in the subject line of an e-mail. Also put the text of the release in the body of the e-mail, and ALWAYS include copies of the release and access to photos on your online press room. Include a phone number where you can be reached during reasonable hours (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.). If you don’t answer your phone when I call, I may just skip your news.”
The author of the Digital Journalism Study results report surmised, “Time pressures remain – it is down [sic] to the PR community to facilitate access to relevant stories so they can turn it into a compelling story as efficiently as possible.” And, goes so far as to state, “While the communications landscape has become increasingly complex, journalists continue to rely on PR professionals to address the basics of news gathering in the content they produce. Communicators that overlook this essential need do so at their peril.”
If you’re a media professional, do you agree with the survey findings published in the Digital Journalism study or from my poll? What do you wish public relations professionals would do better? If you’re in PR or media relations, how are you tailoring your strategy to meet the changing needs of journalists? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.
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