Why do millennials find personal development so important? 4 explanations

In the labour market you can clearly see that generations differ from each other. Whereas it used to be common to work for one and the same company all your life, this is hardly ever the case now. Employees often change employers every 3 to 5 years. The desire for personal development is also subject to change. Millennials (the generation born between roughly 1980 and 2000) deal with personal development in a different way than their parents, and the generations after 2000 also deal with development in their own way, of course.

Careerwise has conducted an extensive survey among 3,300 millennials. This shows that especially this very career driven generation chooses massively for personal development. More than 64% indicate that personal development is by far the most important element to be found at work. Among the female respondents this is even 68%. Discovering my talents' and 'investigating what I really want and can do' are the most frequently mentioned motivations.

The Careerwise study also mentions a number of reasons why this generation is so emphatically looking for personal development.

The crisis years

Because of the crisis years, many millennials opted for 'safe' studies where there is always sufficient employment, instead of the studies where their real interest lies. That is why people now often want to look for the real passion and interest.

Performance print

This generation is under high pressure to perform, partly because of the consequences of the economic crisis of 2008 observed in this way. People are used to having to compete with dozens if not hundreds of other applicants. Developing yourself and doing something extra is therefore very important.

Flat organisations

Organisations are becoming flatter, and there is more and more attention and appreciation for specialism than for generalism. But in order to be a specialist, you need to develop yourself.

Accessibility

Developing yourself has become much more accessible in recent years through all kinds of online seminars, tutorials and short training courses. E-learning plays an important role in this. 

So if you have employees who fall under the millennial generation, then a tailor-made, personal development plan is really crucial. Even more important than salary. As an organisation, it is very important to respond to this, because for many companies the generation of millennials will largely determine the image of the company in the coming years.