I had my dream job once. I worked at a small company where I could utilize my skills and interests from both my college major and minor. I was located in a lively downtown area, a short walk from my apartment. There were no cubicles. Instead, the company embraced an open-office floor plan. I was given projects and responsibility right away. Free peanut butter sandwiches were available to all employees. I had good benefits and three weeks of vacation. It was great.
Except that I hated it.
Looking back, I see I was easily caught up in the bells and whistles companies implement to attract Generation Y workers, while ignoring some of the more important things. Here are some things to look out for:
1) Know the difference between a visionary leader and a good manager. A visionary person will easily sweep you off your feet with their grand ideas, but they can often be a difficult person to work for. People with just a vision will want things a certain way – without explaining how to get there – instead of giving you the autonomy, trust and guidance to do well in your position. Listen carefully to how your coworkers describe working for your boss. It will reveal a lot early on.
2) Money does matter. My first salary was hardly anything to wipe the floor with, let alone live on, but I was passionate about the job so I thought it was okay. It wasn’t. When you start a job, make sure you’re at least negotiating enough to live on, because the truly rich have both – money and passion. Money may not seem important, but it is likely to become a source of resentment later on when you expect to be rewarded for your hard work.
3) Be grateful for your office, if you have one. While open offices seem to provide a space for maximum collaboration, sometimes it’s nice to be able to shut the door. There are times you will need privacy and you’ll work better if you have it. If your workplace has an open office plan, find out if there is a private area you can use.
4) Make sure you have the flexibility and freedom to get the job done. The company I worked for said they endorsed flexible schedules to allow for the ability to go to a doctor’s appointment, attend networking events, and have lunch with a friend if needed. And I had three weeks of vacation; it said so in my contract. But I was never made to feel it was acceptable to use these benefits. I was stuck recording every minute of work, and might as well have been punching a time card for the amount of rigidity in my schedule. Moreover, I was told if I wanted to make it big, I needed to be prepared to work insane hours after work, otherwise, I wasn’t committed enough.
No thanks.
Make sure your employer walks the talk. Will you be expected to come in at 9:00 am every day or will you have more flexibility? What is the policy if you have outside commitments? Is there an “it will all even out” or “you must make up every minute” mentality? Will you have to dress up every day or can you wear jeans when you don’t have meetings?
Seemingly insignificant, these personal freedoms will become increasingly important the more you take on inside and outside of work.
5) Be weary of turnover. Within a few months of my start date, all of my co-workers announced plans to leave. I thought it was just a natural progression, but since I left, the company has since experienced a similar turnover. Yes, millennials are known to be job-hoppers, but only because we are searching for the right position. Companies with the lowest turnover are usually ranked among the best. That means if the faces at a company keep changing, take it as a bright red flashing signal to get the heck out of there.
In choosing a position, look beyond the typical things companies do to attract millennials to determine if the culture is right for you. Most importantly, know yourself. Only you know how you like to work best.
11 replies on “Look beyond millennial-washing benefits for happiness at work”
Ahh, the “flexible schedule” issue. I had a similar problem on a job of mine a few years ago, Rebecca. During the interview, the owners were quite clear about there not being set hours. It would be up to me to manage my time and workload.
But by a few months later, the owners seemed to have forgotten that pledge. I think that the flexibility they touted in my interview wasn’t really embraced by all — or any, as I recall — of the other employees, so it created conflict when I tried to take management up on its original word.
What might I have done differently before taken the job?
1) Asked some tougher questions about their meaning of “flexible” and gotten something in writing.
2) Asked some and tried to get a sense of whether a flexible work day was part of the company culture.
Great point, Bryan. In the future I would ask for something in writing as well, and try to talk to potential co-workers prior to accepting a position. In my current position, I take advantage of a flexible schedule more than anyone else, but that’s how I work best. My boss understands that sometimes I just work better at 9 o’clock at night or outside at a coffee shop, because he’s often the same way. It is worth noting that most of the time, however, I work best sitting directly in my office, something that’s hard to remember when it’s a nice day outside : )
[…] Modite – Look beyond millennial-washing benefits for happiness at work I comment about an experience in a previous job where “flexible” work hours had been touted in the interview but didn’t become a reality. (tags: commented happiness_at_work) […]
I had a great company once. The problem was that they were in MN and had no clue what was really happening in the day to day matters at the office. My immediate boss wouldn’t let me ever have off. He always left two hours early. I was doing property management and had to live onsite. I was really sick one day-left early a hour after arriving at work to go to the doctor. I called and told them I was taking my meds and going home. He came knocking on my door and told me I had to come into the office-he had a bike ride planned and needed to leave early.
@ JP- What a nightmare! I’d be interested to hear how you moved past this position and found something you enjoyed. Sometimes it’s hard to realize that not everyone is as unhappy as you when you’re in a situation like that. You keep holding on thinking it will get better and it never does. Knowing when to fish and when to cut bait can be a talent!
[…] Going to grad school is not having the guts to get on with life. You’re not telling corporate America anything by indulging in a larger map. You’re just making it harder to figure out which road to take. Want to give the finger to the establishment? Go blog. Go start your own business. Go to work every single day and rock every single day. […]
I can attest to the need for a door that closes! (#3)
At my day job, which I’ll be leaving soon, I’m everyone’s go-to guy, in the middle of the office, with an open workspace. Good for me! But, there are CONSTANT interruptions, and for some reason, EVERYONE thinks that I am ALWAYS free to do whatever they need at a moment’s notice.
Not very efficient. =)
@ Cody: I’ve too found that those interruptions are always the worst. People work on their schedules and you can’t do much about it. Unless you can close the door! =)
[…] 5) You have to pay dues. No one gets to skip paying dues all together. I didn’t like my first job, but I moved on. Good things are learned from bad experiences. The key is to learn those things and move on as soon as possible. The real world isn’t all that great sometimes. Young workers shouldn’t have to pay dues to a workforce that is often dirty, unethical and shameful. […]
Working remotely is sometimes considered a millenial hook, and it sure hooked me. But open floorplan workspaces? I would never get anything done. And I know this because when I work from my company’s office (a few days per year) I am constantly pulled into the exciting things going on around the office that I cannot focus at all on my work. On the flip side, 99% of the year I work from home and it’s so dull I can’t help but dig deep into my work. So I get to work remotely *AND* I’m more productive that way. Win win.
Ha, I am so the same way Carlee! I’ve been working remotely long enough that when I’m in an office, it is very distracting! I love getting into my zone in my own (private) workspace. Thanks for the comment!