Millennials at Work: Investigating the Specificity of Generation Y versus Other Generations

Abstract

The present study intends to discuss the psychological profile of Generation Y versus other generations. The differences between Millennials and other generations are addressed in terms of values, personality characteristics, and reactions under stress. The topicality and relevance of the research theme are supported by the fact that most of the people who are currently employed in companies all over the world are members of the Generation Y. This situation requires a proper investigation of the characteristics and specificity of the so-called Millennials with a view to provide organizations with pertinent inputs for designing well-informed policies and for smoothly integrating Millennials in the workplace. To this end, Hogan Assessments personality inventories were applied online to more than 1000 persons from Generation Y (up to 29 years old) and more than 3000 persons from other generations (above 29 years old). Among others, the findings show that Millennials are motivated by recognition, public acknowledgment, instant and frequent positive feedback and gratification. As they need balance between personal and professional life, as well as a comfortable environment, they require a flexible work schedule, resent staying after hours. Being motivated to become part of various social networks, work in various teams, Millennials are able to easily find satisfaction in missions that involve interactions with new persons coming from different cultures and geographical areas. They are motivated by work in a nonconformist environment without strict rules and traditional work approaches, they tend to challenge the status quo and they will not be patient to keep the same job many years.

Headnote

Abstract. The present study intends to discuss the psychological profile of Generation Y versus other generations. The differences between Millennials and other generations are addressed in terms of values, personality characteristics, and reactions under stress. The topicality and relevance of the research theme are supported by the fact that most of the people who are currently employed in companies all over the world are members of the Generation Y. This situation requires a proper investigation of the characteristics and specificity of the so-called Millennials with a view to provide organizations with pertinent inputs for designing well-informed policies and for smoothly integrating Millennials in the workplace. To this end, Hogan Assessments personality inventories were applied online to more than 1000 persons from Generation Y (up to 29 years old) and more than 3000 persons from other generations (above 29 years old). Among others, the findings show that Millennials are motivated by recognition, public acknowledgment, instant and frequent positive feedback and gratification. As they need balance between personal and professional life, as well as a comfortable environment, they require a flexible work schedule, resent staying after hours. Being motivated to become part of various social networks, work in various teams, Millennials are able to easily find satisfaction in missions that involve interactions with new persons coming from different cultures and geographical areas. They are motivated by work in a nonconformist environment without strict rules and traditional work approaches, they tend to challenge the status quo and they will not be patient to keep the same job many years.

Keywords: Generation Y, Millennials, Hogan Assessments personality inventories, workplace.

Introduction

Most of the people who are currently employed in companies all over the world are members of the Generation Y. They have different occupational values than previous generations, they have different expectations related to the job and their particularities influence the recruitment strategies of the companies to a great extent.

The theory regarding generations is based upon the idea of cohorts - groups of people with particular beliefs and attitudes, who experience similar problems and share similar experiences in a certain period of time. Each generation is shaped by powerful external forces (that is, not intrinsically linked to the personality of each member): media, economic and social events, popular culture, values shared by families and friends and used as guidance in action, etc. These forces create unique sets of values that help researchers understand the differences between various generations.

According to the literature concerning this topic, the Generation Y comprises people born between 1977 and 2000, but there is no general consensus regarding the date. For example, for Twenge, Campbell, Hoffman and Lance (2010, p. 1120), this generation is born between 1982 and 1999, but for Tapscott (2009, p. 16), the years to be taken into consideration when trying to delimitate this generation are the ones between 1977 and 1997. Further differences come from the fact that the authors who have addressed this topic have come with a variety of names for the age group. The more frequently used denominations are "Nexters" (Zemke, Raines & Filipczak, 2000), "Millennials", "Echo-Boomers" or "Thumb Generation" (Huntley, 2006), "MySpace Generation" (Rosen, 2007) and "NetGeners" (Tapscott, 2009). Still, although there are many names give to the members of this generation, all of the authors stress upon the fact that the use of the digital technology impacts their lives to a great extent, the technological coordinate standing for a distinctive and paramount feature.

It should be underscored that most of the studies regarding the Generation Y have been undergone in the United States of America. Thus, the characteristics depicted in the following section of this paper are mostly representative for the people in this generation who live in the American culture. Speaking of the Romanian Gen Y members, there are few studies to relate to, but the extant research results encourage us to state that the youngsters in Romania share similar values to the ones in the US or Europe. A recent research shows that Romanian youngsters feel that they share certain things with their coevals from all over the world (Petre & Savulescu, 2015). However, there are elements specific to the local context that influence the way these youngsters think and act, and perhaps the most important of the factors that put a gap between the Romanian Gen Y members and the members of the same generation living in other parts of the world concerns the Romanian lag in the realm of digital technology use, compared to other western countries.

Against this backdrop, the present study intends to discuss the psychological profile of Generation Y versus other generations. The differences between Millennials and other generations are addressed in terms of values, personality characteristics, and reactions under stress. To this end, the paper was structured as follows: the first section brings to the fore extant theoretical insights on the topic as a prerequisite for the hypotheses development; next, the material and method are depicted, followed by results illustration, discussion and conclusions.

Literature review

The Millennials are considered to be digital natives, as opposed to the so-called digital immigrants, who are members of other generations, who did not have access to digital technology early in life, but who currently use digital technology as means to pursue their interests, even though they do not envision this type of technology as indispensable. Millennials find themselves in the middle of a fast-paced information society and this fact shapes their aspirations, needs and behaviors. Tapscott (2009, p.27) believes that the Internet acts as a globalizing force that flattens the world, makes distances shorter and eliminates distinct local characteristics youngsters might have had in other times. This idea is supported by Palfrey and Gasser (2008, p.5), who state that "digital natives have known only the life where they are connected to each other and to the bits world". All these lead to a certain digital sophistication of the Gen Y members, that encompasses multitasking and multi-screening. In short, youngsters and technology have become inseparable and this fact has deep consequences in every aspect of their existence, including or perhaps starting with their workplace.

The extant studies portray the Generation Y in rather paradoxical images: on the one hand, they are pointed out as individualistic and too much cantered on their own needs (Twenge, 2009), but on the other hand, they are presented as activists who are interested in the general good (Greenberg & Weber, 2008). For a better understanding of their profile, the influence of the families on their evolution should be discussed. At this level, many research reports show that Generation Y members have had helicopter parents, who educated them to believe that they are better than others, while they got to control many aspects of the lives of their children. While raising them to be competitive, they pushed them to take part in various activities in children clubs and after-school classes. The whole self-help literature and the focus on the self, which are a cultural trend that started in the 80s and continued until this day, also influenced the way the youngsters behave. However, the effects of the helicopter parenting and of the focus on self-discovery lead them to building high levels of self-trust, but also to be dependent on others (Lythcott-Haims, 2015). Here, the most important generation feature is narcissism (as Twenge, 2009 writes), leading to the "Generation Me" synonym for the Generation Y. This also led them to be more extravert and more anxious and prone to depression (Twenge, 2009, p.400).

The social and cultural changes that Gen Y faced during their formative years have been described as a good medium for a high IQ to develop, but it is believed they also influenced them to become less disciplined and to generally reject formal hierarchy (Twenge, 2009). The generation appeared in a post-communist period, without heavy differences between states, which led them to reject the idea of us versus them thinking, at a global level (Havas Worldwide, 2011, pp.4-5). In addition, they grew in a more egalitarian society, where preconceptions started to be put aside (Twenge, 2009, p.399). These elements are reflected by the values of the Generation Y members, who are more tolerant, more open and more diverse than any other known generation in the US (Greenberg & Weber, 2008, p.133), a generation that stresses upon the importance of sustainability, peace and cultural diversity.

Gen Y members are flexible and want to be offered various options to choose from (Huntley, 2006, p.16), but they want things to develop only as they wish and they have a sense of entitlement, which is obvious in their demands from the educational institutions and from the employers. They reject strict rules and they are willing to innovate and to use the workplace not as a safety belt, but as a launching platform. They like to be provoked, to be allowed to make their own decisions, to implement and test their own decisions, to be listened to and to receive positive feedback regarding the successful initiatives they have.

Generation Y members do not accept inequality and, as far as taking a job is concerned, they do not imagine they could be refused a promotion or any other job opportunity on gender criteria (Cassells & Harding, 2007, p.4). It is often possible for these people to be naïve and not prepared for the work field, but Twenge (2009, p. 403) shows that universities often consider two categories within Gen Y: the crispies, who reach the burnout point because they are perfectionistic and work in excess, and the teacups, who can be easily crushed by the colleagues or the boss, although their appearance does not show the inner fragility.

Millennials face a paradoxical situation at work: 45% of them have a utilitarian approach to work, while other research results underline the fact that they need to find the purpose of their work related to the purpose of their life (Havas Worldwide, 2011, p.25). Millennials need to find balance in their personal and their working lives (Huntley, 2006; Zopiatis, Krambia-Kapardis si Varnavas, 2012). They prove to be more mature in their approach to handling money than other generations (Mihalcea, Savulescu & Mocanu, 2014) and they prefer a pleasing job (Zopiatis, Krambia-Kapardis & Varnavas, 2012). They favour a workplace where they can entertain themselves and where they would not feel work as a burden (Twenge, 2009, p.400). In their view, the traditional workplace does not exist; they prefer horizontal communication and collaborative working, based on projects and clear objectives, not on a strict working schedule (Erickson, 2008, p.60). This information points to a change that companies need to make in their policies, along with implementing meritocracy (Havas Worldwide, 2011, p.24). Some companies already understood these needs, and the studies signed by Reynolds Lewis (2015) mention the names of the companies offering a flexible working schedule, volunteering work opportunities, extra benefits and encouraging creativity and innovation. Managers who tend to favour the do as I said perspective while working with their employees would face great challenges in the near future, as more and more youngsters from this generation will come of age and enter the work field (Cassells & Harding, 2007, p.4).

In Romania, we consider that the youngsters aged 29 and less belong to this generation, and we use for this delimitation the criteria of ITC development in Romania and the age group that the European Union uses in its official documents to refer to the NEETs (15 to 29 years old). These youngsters are genuine digital natives who are exposed to the same risks in the matter of graduating from formal education, gaining professional training and employability. Although there are studies, such as the one signed by the GfK and launched in 2013, that point to the year 1989 as the starting point for the Romanian Generation Y, as they use the socio-politic criteria to separate generations, we believe that such a reduction in the age group is too restrictive.

A report of the European Commission (Europa.eu, n.d.) shows that on average, it is 2.5 more likely for a youngster below 25 to be unemployed as compared to an older person, while in Sweden it probability goes up to 4 times more likely and in Great Britain, Belgium and Poland up to 3 times more likely. However, by the year 2025, 75% of the employees will be part of the Generation Y, and their exaggerated optimism, their need for constant feedback and their lack of knowledge, in some cases, will heavily influence the working environments (Nikravan, 2013).

The characteristics that the literature presents as relevant for the Romanian Generation Y members, in relation to the work field and their attitude towards work, points to an unrealistic self-image, which could be summed up in the phrase I am beautiful and smart, I should be given a prize because I exist. This belief is caused by the behaviour their helicopter parents had towards them. Their parents were mostly emotionally unavailable during their formative years and they concentrated upon gaining social status and money, in the context of an economic crisis (during the 80s) and in the context of a transitioning economy (during the 90s). This way, they taught their children that money and social recognition are important; they taught the children that they are entitled to have these assets, but they also controlled their children, so they taught them to be dependent upon them or others for positive feedback and for guidance. Entitlement is easily recognizable in the unrealistic expectations youngsters have from their friends (who should love them no matter how they behave), from a life-partner (who should be perfect), and from the work field (where they expect to find the job that fits perfectly their socio-professional needs and aspirations). These expectations have been cultivated at home, by their families, and by the popular culture, and they exceed reality by far (Urban, 2013; Leonte, 2014).

A recent study (see the interview with Andreea Coca, GfK representative, in Calei, 2013) concerning the Romanian youth portrays them as superficial and adepts of speed over depth. Youngsters do not have patience and they ask for constant feedback. One significant difference between Romanian Gen Y and the people belonging to the same generation who live in other countries is that they are lazy and prefer to spend all their time with their friends, online or offline. Their friends seem to be able to help them maintain a desirable self-image, which contrasts with their rather fragile self-esteem. At work, they expect managers to embrace their proposals, to allow them to work on a different schedule, if they ask for it, to create their own list of responsibilities at work. Over 50% of the youngsters who took part in a survey stated that they would not work at all if they had enough money (Leonte, 2014).

Although general tendencies can be observed when trying to depict this generation, different profiles have been identified among the youngsters under 29. A study conducted by Mitan (2014b) using Schwartz Value Inventory (the 52 items variant) brought to light the idea that there are two categories of Romanian digital natives: the Revolutionaries and the Guardians. Revolutionaries want to discover the world; they are dominant, curious and independent, with a great deal of self-esteem. They do not expect help from others and they want to become influential in the society. They are prepared to work a lot and to create a desirable public image for themselves. They are hedonistic and they search for unusual life experiences, so the author called then daunting thrill seekers. They reject any constraint that religion and culture could impose over them, they distance themselves from their cultural roots, but they also value security and stability. They are pragmatic people and they have a utilitarian approach to life.

Guardians are moderate individuals who accept their place in the world, who do not have professional ambitions and who focus mainly on the community they come from. They respect religion and tradition and they do not search for adventure. They are disciplined, they value wisdom and they search for beauty in everything around them. They believe in friendship and they are willing to work for the good of their families and communities they belong to. They are open-minded, they love nature, they are tolerant and they do not understand the need for social status. To them, security is the most important thing and they believe that belonging to a hive is the best way to be secure.

As regarding the particularities Romanian youngsters have in a working environment, there are some differences from the profile Tapscott made in 2009 (Mitan, 2014a). There are at least three profiles: the Enthusiasts, the Rebels and the Pessimistic Individualists. The Enthusiasts are attracted by the use of technology and they share the characteristics of Gen Y members as pointed out by foreign literature: they are keen on using technology; they are always connected online, even when they relax, they have chaotic work schedules and they do not respect formal hierarchy, but they prove to be competent. They need constant feedback from their managers and they need leaders. Rebels are attracted by ITC and they are keen on using it, but they are idealistic individuals who want to work for CSR oriented companies and they want their work to bring a change in the world. They are more independent than Enthusiasts and less interested in receiving feedback at work. Pessimists are passive, disconnected from the ITC world and not interested in personal development. They do not understand technology well and they use it only superficially. They do not expect managers to trust them and they do not ask for feedback, they are most likely invisible employees, conformists who respect formal hierarchy and do not want to do teamwork.

Studies show that managers often have unrealistic expectations from Millennials, like expecting them to do more than they were told they would be required to do when they first got the job (Giang, 2013). Further problems rise from the use of technology. Although they are keen on technology, they do not know how to operate older devices and managers who do not understand their primary visual mind-set, tend to tell them what to do instead of showing them (McBride, 2013), thing which creates friction at work. Millennials believe that elder managers are wise, that they could provide expertise and that they are willing to become their mentors (Millennialbranding, 2013). Conversely, managers have a rather negative perspective: they say that youngsters search for unrealistic recompenses, that they lack ethics at work and that they are easily distracted. A recent qualitative research conducted in Romania shows that Romanian managers working with youngsters understand that they do not respond well to coercion, but they are ready to follow a leader who inspires them to be proactive. Also, youngsters tend to be motivated to work when they understand why they are asked to do something and when they understand that their work helps them to develop at a personal or professional level. When they are in a crisis situation, they manage to get things done, discover what they have done wrong and learn from the experience. The cited authors show that according to Romanian managers, youngsters from the Gen Y believe that all the other people around them must help them grow and they do not make specific efforts at their job, being rather superficial. The situation changes only when they feel their colleagues appreciate them and when they understand the meaning of the work they are supposed to do. A remarkable increase in productivity is present when they are allowed to make their own decisions in their area of expertise.

Resuming the profile of the digital natives, we conclude that: they do not want to follow a strict work schedule, they try to identify more efficient ways to get things done, they feel they can give more than they are asked to and they do not always feel respected by their older colleagues. This situation upsets them because they prefer to work in teams, they expect their manager to be their mentor, but not in an intrusive way; they believe in meritocracy, although they do not believe in formal hierarchy, they ask for transparency from the companies they work for, they promise more than they deliver and sometimes they use the companies they work for as launching platforms for their careers. Furthermore, they believe they know better how things should be done and refuse the directions their superiors give.

Hypotheses development

Starting from these insights, the present study intends to discuss the psychological profile of Generation Y versus other generations. The differences between Millennials and other generations are addressed in terms of values, personality characteristics, and reactions under stress.

In this vein, consistent with Twenge (2009) - who describes Millennials as being more extravert, but more anxious and with Calei (2013) - who portrays Romanian Millennials as superficial and adepts of speed over depth, with Twenge (2009), Urban (2013) and Leonte (2014) - who identify narcissism and an unrealistic self-image as a characteristic of Generation Y, we infer that:

H1: Millennials will get higher scores than other generations for the scales indicating the ability to open and maintain relationships (Sociability and Interpersonal Sensitivity) and lower scores for the ones referring to emotional stability (Adjustment), results and processes orientation (Ambition, Prudence), openness to ideas and learning (Inquisitive, Learning Approach).

H2: Millennials will display higher scores for all behaviors / reactions under stress and pressure compared to people belonging to other generations.

H3: Millennials will have a higher need for recognition, hedonism, affiliation and a lower need for tradition compared to other generations.

The advanced hypotheses are indicative of the Gen Y's need for flexibility, recognition and work-life balance (Huntley, 2006; Zopiatis, Krambia-Kapardis & Varnavas, 2012) and are in line with the imperative that organizations create an environment where Millennials can bring their best contribution (Havas Worldwide, 2011; Reynolds Lewis, 2015).

Material and method

Participants

The convenient sample of this research was selected from among persons with higher education, working in the urban environment, in private companies, mostly multinational ones. The sample comprised over 1000 persons from Generation Y (up to 29 years old) and over 3000 persons from other generations (above 29 years old). The number of subjects for each personality inventory varies and, as such, the exact details or each sample will be specified when discussing the results of each category.

Procedure

The study was conducted by a research team from the Faculty of Management within the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA). The database was provided by Hart Consulting (the Romanian company owning the rights for distributing Hogan Personality Inventories in Romania). The Hogan Assessments personality inventories were applied online during several months.

Measures

The research employs psychological testing using Hogan assessment tools. Hogan Assessments advance a multi-dimensional approach of the personality targeting three key areas: individual values, strengths, and risks. Scores are expressed into percentiles, allowing pertinent comparisons to be performed.

Firstly, Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) assesses personality and predicts performances. The dimensions of the instrument are thoroughly depicted in Table 1.

Secondly, Hogan Development Survey (HDS) assesses personal characteristics associated with derailment and dysfunction. The dimensions of HDS are thoroughly depicted in Table 2.

Thirdly, the Hogan Motives Values Preferences Inventory (HMVI) looks at people's core values essential for organizational and cultural fit. The dimensions of HMVI are thoroughly depicted in Table 3.

Results

In order to test the three hypotheses, T tests for independent samples have been computed. The first hypothesis was partially confirmed: the millennials (N=2255) had higher scores for Sociability and Interpersonal Sensitivity compared to other generations (N=5343); they also displayed lower scores for Adjustment, Ambition, and Prudence. Contrary to the initial expectation, they had a higher score for Inquisitive, and there were no significant differences for Learning Approach (p>0.05). The results are presented in Figure 1.

Examining the results for Adjustment, t(7596)=-3.975, p<.01, the mean score reported by Millennials (m=50.11, sd=29.48) is significantly lower than the mean score registered by people over 29 years old (m=53.03, sd=29.16). For Ambition, t(7596)=-6.147, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=53.91, sd=31.26) was significantly lower than the mean score of the people over 29 years old (m=58.68, sd=30.69), and for Prudence -t(7596)=-4.300, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=53.39, sd=28.02) was significantly lower than the one of people belonging to other generations (m=56.43, sd=28.12).

These results indicate that Millennials might show a lower level of sustained energy, low resistance to pressure and stress, a more fragile self-esteem, less determination in achieving results (especially when faced with barriers), impatience when dealing with less appealing tasks or tasks requiring a sustained effort, poorer attention for details and work quality.

Exploring the results for Sociability, t(7596)=9.673, p<.01, the mean score of Millennials (m=59.85, sd=28.23) is significantly higher the mean score of people over 29 years old (m=52.78, sd=29.43), and the same pattern is kept for Interpersonal Sensitivity t(7596)=2.499, p<.05, where the Millennials" mean score (m=56.67, sd=30.26) is significantly higher than the one of people belonging to other generations (m=54.76, sd=30.50). These results support the hypothesis that Millennials have better abilities to open and maintain relationships, to make a good first impression compared to people belonging to other generations. The relationships they open and maintain are not necessary face-to-face, they use technology in order to interact. At this level, the findings are in line with Twenge's (2009) evidence that Millennials are more extravert, but more anxious.

Contrary to our initial expectation, the results show that for Inquisitive, t(7596)=2.243, p<.05, the Millennials' mean score (m=56.02, sd=28.62) is significantly higher than the average of the people over 29 years old (m=54.38, sd=29.35). It underscores that Millennials are quick learners of new things in their area of interest, able to learn more easily with the support of technology, and they are able to work on projects involving intellectual challenges.

The second hypothesis was partially confirmed: Millennials' (N=1401) mean scores for 9 out of 11 measured behaviors under stress were significantly higher than the mean scores of the people belonging to other generations (N=3623). For two dimensions, there were no significant differences (p>0.05): Reserved and Colorful. The results are presented in Figure 2.

The results of Student T test for independent samples showed the following: Excitable - t(2409)=4.065, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=52.42, sd=29.04) is significantly higher than the mean score of people belonging to other generations (m=48.76, sd=27.27); Skeptical - t(2631)=5.763, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=56.76, sd=28.12) is significantly higher than the mean score of people belonging to other generations (m=51.61, sd=29.17); Cautious - t(2617)=5.353, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=58.64, sd=28.08) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=53.87, sd=28.96); Leisurely - t(5022)=2.015, p<.05, Millennials' mean score (m=58.16, sd=29.42) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=56.28, sd=29.67); Bold - t(2679)=6.507, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=63.98, sd=29.71) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=57.79, sd=31.43); Mischievous - t(5022)=5.751, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=60.67, sd=29.37) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=55.35, sd=29.39); Imaginative - t(5022)=2.394, p<.05, Millennials' mean score (m=56.41, sd=28.81) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=54.24, sd=28.83); Diligent - t(2713)= 7.687, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=63.42, sd=29.77) is significantly higher than mean score of other generations (m=56.07, sd=31.91); Dutiful - t(5022)= 8.271, p<.01 Millennials' mean score (m=57.10, sd=29.18) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=49.48, sd=29.32).

In the area of low to medium risk, Generation Y employees are more susceptible to 'derail' towards the negative side than their older workmates, exhibiting a higher propensity to egocentrism and self-promotion, to dominating those around them according to their own values, to risk and challenges, being often more cynical. The findings are in line with the international literature (Twenge, 2009) and local studies (Urban, 2013; Leonte, 2014) emphasizing the narcissism and unrealistic self-image of Generation Y. Furthermore, these results predict one of the following attitudes displayed by Millennials in the workplace when they have to cope with stress and pressure: easily aggravating and emotional under pressure or when faced with overloaded intervals at work; excessively susceptible to criticism; easily finding arguments to anything and therefore may appear hard to persuade; avoiding to take responsibility or make decisive decisions in equivocal situations are which may lead to criticism/failure; being arrogant, sometimes behaving according to the "if not me, then who?" principle; may be seen as resistant to suggestions and feedback, especially when they perceive these as disputing their knowledge and capabilities; may have a narcissistic attitude, overweighing their talents, experience and knowledge, manipulative when dealing with failure or when trying to obtain something; however, on long term such individuals are liable to "achieve" a reputation of unreliable persons; may promise more than they can deliver or may indicate impracticable deadlines only to obtain the immediate appreciation; full of unusual, innovative, out of the box, but not practical ideas; may slide to minor details which can have a negative impact on the prioritization abilities and the focus on overall vision; becoming dependent on authority, excessively compliant but, at the same time, experiencing a feeling that they deserve more, are better or equal than/to the top persons, that their opinion or solution would have been better (highly arrogant).

In what concerns the third hypothesis, this was fully supported: Millennials (N= 1206) had significantly higher scores for Recognition, Hedonism, Affiliation and lower scores for Tradition compared to other generations (N= 3474). The results are presented in Figure 3.

The results of T tests for independent samples showed the following: for Recognition, t(4678)=6.281, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=55.61, sd=29.16) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=49.47, sd=29.30); Hedonism, t(2174)=7.848, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=58.01, sd=27.53) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=50.71, sd=28.65); Affiliation, t(4678)=3.027, p<.01, Millennials' mean score (m=59.10, sd=29.00) is significantly higher than the mean score of other generations (m=56.19, sd=28.58) whilst for Tradition, Millennials' mean score (m=51.42, sd=30.18) is significantly lower than the mean score of other generations (m=55.89, sd=28.93), t(2024)=-4.487, p<.01. There were not significant differences (p>.05) between Millennials and their colleagues in terms of Power, Altruistic, Security, Commerce, Aesthetics, and Science.

These results show that Millennials are motivated by recognition, public acknowledgment, instant and frequent positive feedback and gratification. As they need balance between personal and professional life, as well as a comfortable environment, they require a flexible work schedule, resent staying after hours. Being motivated to become part of various social networks, work in various teams, Millennials are able to easily find satisfaction in missions that involve interactions with new persons coming from different cultures and geographical areas. They are motivated by work in a nonconformist environment without strict rules and traditional work approaches, they tend to challenge the status quo and they will not be patient to keep the same job many years. The results are in line with the international studies (Huntley, 2006; Zopiatis, Krambia-Kapardis & Varnavas, 2012) that showed the importance of balance in the personal and working lives of Millennials, as well as their preference for a pleasant job.

Discussion and conclusions

This study supports and brings to the fore specific details on the Millennials'profile as defined by Twenge (2009), Calei (2013) and Mitan (2014a, 2014b). Putting together the results of this study, a better understanding about the personality profile of Millennials emerges, including key drivers, strengths, and risk areas.

Millennials' key motivational drivers are recognition, comfort and interaction. They are usually focused on being in groups; they are outgoing and succeed in achieving a good exposure within their social interactions. Such persons are rather seeking to get involved in several various work-related projects with social impact which can provide them with the opportunity to enjoy themselves, to experience interesting circumstances and to have time for personal hobbies and recreation (pronounced hedonism).

They need a large variety of tasks and are easily bored in the absence of diversity, new people around, new opportunities (which are not lacking on the current labor market), it is natural that most members of Generation Y are leaving early the entry level jobs (which are precisely involving those behavioral attributes that are poorer in vase of these individuals). Also confirmed by the international studies, this generation's high level of narcissism may point to more pronounced tendencies to overrate the skills, knowledge and capabilities of its members, as well as their ability to achieve a good exposure in short interactions, but with difficulties in their future behavior.

Millennials will challenge the status quo; they will show adaptability, openness to change and ideas. Being less focused the processes, rules and work procedures, not appealed by projects and tasks involving details and monotony, it is possible for this generation to be one with difficulties in delivering correctly and on time at the work place, in establishing a reputation of trustworthy persons who are delivering as promised, good and quality results. The high emotional fragility of Millennials leads to a low resistance to long term activities in work environments involving pressure, stress and overload. Organizations have to understand that it is necessary to provide a lot of support in the on boarding and daily management of this generation.

All in all, Millennials seek freedom and guidance, they prefer clearly defined items in the tasks given, and they get easily bored and prefer diversity. They require work-life balance; they have a high level of arrogance and a lower resistance to stress compared to their colleagues belonging to other generations.

The findings of this study, in addition to the theoretical contribution, have practical implications for organizations, offering them inputs for designing well-informed policies in order to smoothly integrate Millennials in the workplace. The tendencies presented based on the current research do not replace nor ignore the individual differences that we encourage organizations to measure scientifically, but they provide insights on the expectations and preferences of an important portion of current and future workforce.

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Received: February 22, 2016

Accepted for publication: May 24, 2016