Article By: Erika Woods 

Infographic By: Rachel Mathison

We sat down with Aurora Geis, the Director of National Strategic Partnerships at Digital Creative Institute to discuss how millennials are shaping their communities and workplaces. She gave us great insight into what top characteristics really stand out for this generation. These are eight key values that shape the millennial mind.

Source: Alex McFarland and A GO Strategy

1. Meaningful Work

For millennials to find meaning in their occupation, their work must have a greater impact on society as a whole. They value the opportunity to shape their communities because it gives them a sense of purpose. Millennials have seen previous generations work as “a cog in the wheel”, without much satisfaction that what they were doing was making much of a positive difference in their communities and have decided to steer away from that narrative.

2. Collaboration

Working together is something that millennials have been taught to excel at in an early age. So, it’s no surprise that it has become an integral part of the working environment for them. Millennials are adept at collaborating with towards a goal.

Whether it be playing in sports or group projects in school, they have developed a skill that has surpassed that of previous generations. Millennials know that there is strength in numbers and that every person brings something different to the table.

3. Staying Connected

With 75 percent of them having at least one social profile, millennials are often referred to as the most connected generation. This constant need for connection drives millennials to seek out and prioritize new ways to communicate through various means, including social media, email, chat, apps, and more.

This has been vital in understanding how millennials drive the workforce. From knowing where and how to reach them, to knowing how well they communicate within the working environment, employers are using this information to adapt to the changing workforce.

4. Social Justice

Millennials recognize the impact one person can make on the world. Almost every millennial has a cause they support, a position they stand for or an organization they promote.

Even when they can’t do much, they do what they can to help. Whether it be volunteering at pet rescue shelters, or donating to nonprofits, it is a desire for millennials to help in some way.

5. Diversity

In recent years, there has been a shift in the racial diversity of the population with over 40 percent of college-age millennials self-identifying as a race other than white. Because of this, there has been a greater acceptance of different races and cultures throughout this age group. Even with recent tensions, millennials have been seen has more “progressive” when it comes to standing up for racial injustices.

6. Spiritual but Not Religious

Millennials have started to move away from standard religious practices and embraced a spiritual mindset. They have shown mixed feelings towards modern Christianity and have been more open about spiritual discussions. Although they have shown less interest in the structure of religion, they still maintain a belief that there is a higher power.

7. Education

Higher education has been taught as an important goal for millennials to achieve. With the advancement in technology, the automation of various manual tasks, the shift in focus to ideas and innovation has forced many millennials to embrace advanced degrees and certifications in order to compete in today’s market. Millennials are most likely to become the most educated generation in American history because of this!

8. Skepticism

Millennials have been raised in a time where invasion of privacy and terrorism have become a norm in society. Where evidence has proven the ulterior motives of government officials and entities, companies and organizations. Millennials are, as a result, highly skeptical of information they receive. This has given them the strength of knowing how and where to find credible information.

The level of skepticism in millennials has also attributed to the lower number of marriages in recent years. This is said to be due to the general lack of trust in relationships.

These values have deeply influenced how millennials interact and shape the world they live in. Their impact is clear. By 2025, 75 percent of the workforce will be made up of millennials.

With these values, this generation has the potential to change the world.