Millennials: Hey, they do have a strong work ethic

Seems that the recession has knocked a little sense into younger employees. Too bad hiring managers haven’t gotten the message.
Conventional wisdom says the group of employees known as Millennials — those born between 1980-’95 — doesn’t view work the same way older workers do. They’re far more interested in what they’re doing off the job than on. They expect to be paid a lot of money. And work isn’t the chief way they achieve a sense of accomplishment.
All wrong, according to new research. But employers don’t seem to be aware of Millennials’ shift in attitude.
Communication gap?
The grim realities of the recent economic slump appear to have pulled those 21-to 31-year-olds into a more-realistic mindset about work, according to a survey from the Career Advisory Board and DeVry University.
The survey indicates Millennials believe doing work that is personally meaningful to them and achieving a sense of accomplishment are just as important as earning a high salary for a successful career.
In fact, 30% of Millennials identify meaningful work as the single most important measure of a successful career.
Here’s the rub: The hiring managers who took part in the research said they believe high pay plays a greater role in Millennials’ perception of career success: 48% ranked high pay as the number one way Millennials measure their career success.
Only 11% felt meaningful work would be the No. 1 measure of success for the 21-to-31 crowd.
The survey canvassed 500 employees and job seekers between 21 and 31, and 523 hiring managers.