Dive Brief:

• EurekaFacts, a Maryland-based market research and analysis firm, released a report showing that millennials think their Gen X and Baby Boomer managers are stifling their advancement.
• "Millennial Work Engagement: An Unmet Desire" provides millennials' opinions and attitudes on work-related issues. The report shows that millennials are passionate about what they do and look for employment that offers meaningful work. But they feel that they lack the support of Gen X and boomers in the workplace.
• The report particularly highlights how millennials are looking for opportunities to learn new skills and create career development plans that they feel older workers are not accommodating.

Dive Insight:

Employers who don't focus on development will have a hard time recruiting and retaining good employees. Opportunities for growth are among the top reasons job candidates accept employment offers. Laurie Bienstock, Willis Tower Watson’s (WTW's) global head of talent management, told HR Dive in January that WTW's research shows that career management is a top driver of attraction, retention and sustainable engagement for employees. And that includes millennials.

Millennials might see their careers stalled because older employees are staying in the workplace longer. Many boomers don't have enough money saved for a comfortable retirement and feel they have to keep working. Others see work as a way of staying active. Employers who want to make room for younger workers to move up must avoid violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and avoid losing older workers' skills and knowledge in an organizational "brain drain."  

Allowing for horizontal movement within an organization could help. Horizontal career moves aren't a move up the hierarchy, but can be a way to allow young workers to learn new skills and work experiences without leaving the organization. Through programs like that, employers can demonstrate that they fully support employees who take advantage of opportunities to grow, even when advancement may not be immediately possible.