Two financial firms earned spots on a list of top U.S. workplaces for Millennials, according to a survey by The Center for Generational Kinetics, a research and Gen Y strategy organization.
The Millennial, or Gen Y, generation born between the mid-1980s and the mid-2000s continues to enter the workforce, so employers need to know how to attract and retain members of this demographic, according to the center.
The center conducted a study of 3,000 companies and ranked the top 75 places that fit millennials’ desires as good places to work. Greenleaf Trust, a wealth management and retirement planning firm in Kalamazoo, Mich., ranked 25. Commonwealth Financial Network, a privately held independent broker-dealer in Waltham, Mass., ranked 75.
Millennials top priorities for the workplace are to feel valued in the organization and to have confidence in the leadership of the company, the center says. The center partnered with Barnum Financial Group, an office of MetLife, to conduct the study.
Millennial workers also want an understanding of how their company is doing financially, they want their employer to have adequate staffing levels and they want room to advance, the center says.
“Generational inclusion is essential to the success of our business both now and in the future,” said Karen Baldwin, vice president and director of human resources at Greenleaf, where 45 of the 95 employees are Millennials.
“We have a communication and culture workgroup to ensure we are meeting the needs of all team mates," she added. "The collaboration amongst all generations has allowed us to share knowledge in both directions and has made us a better company because of it.”
“From boomers to millennials—working in all facets of our business—we have found that the different generations love to tap into the best of each other," said Kate Creagh, managing principal of human resources at Commonwealth Financial Network.