Millennials in government

Understanding Millennials
in government
Debunking myths
about our youngest
public servants

Deloitte University Press | Understanding millennials in government: Debunking myths about our youngest public servants @DU_Press @DeloitteGov #Millennials
Copyright @ 2015 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.
With the proportion of young employees in government workforces shrinking,
there is a great deal of anxiety over how to recruit and retain Millennials for
careers in government.
Deloitte’s Public Sector Research Team used new data
sources and techniques to examine four pieces of
conventional wisdom about Millennials in the
government workforce. It’s time to take a fresh, data-
driven look at Millennials in public service.
Are millennials in government really different from
prior generations?
Much of the public discussion of how Millennials employees
may differ from other generations is based on anecdotes or
haphazard surveys of self-reported Millennial characteristics.

Conventional wisdom:
Millennials have
higher turnover rates*
What the data says: Turnover rates for Millennials
in government are actually lower than they were for
Gen-Xers at the same ages.
*Deloitte Services LP analysis of US Census Bureau, Quarterly Workforce Indicators

Millennials are less
passionate about
government careers*
*Deloitte Services LP analysis of Office of Personnel Management, Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and National Opinion Research Center General Social Survey
What the facts say: Once Millennials join the
government workforce, their pride in their employers
and their engagement scores are as high as previous
generations.

Millennials will decamp to the
private sector in a heartbeat*
*Deloitte Services LP analysis of US Census Bureau, Quarterly Workforce Indicators
What the facts say: Millennial government workers are
actually holding on to their jobs longer than Gen-Xers did
at the same age. And when they do change jobs,
Millennials tend to choose other jobs within government.

Millennials are harder to
recruit for government jobs*
The data says:
Jury’s still out
*Deloitte Services LP analysis of Dice Hiring Indicators and US Department of Education degrees awarded data’
What the data says: No direct evidence for or
against the theory that Millennials are harder to recruit
than other generations.

What agencies and state governments can do
to recruit, develop, and retain Millennials:
Base human
capital strategies
on established
customer
segments, not a
doubtful
generational
characteristics.

What agencies and state governments can do
to recruit, develop, and retain Millennials:
Publish more data
on recruitment,
retention, and
employee
development.

What agencies and state governments can
do to recruit, develop, and retain
Millennials:
Ensure existing
benefits programs
are accessible to
Millennial
employees.

Peter Viechnicki
Manager, Public Sector Research
Deloitte Services LP
pviechnicki@deloitte.com | Twitter @pviechnicki
Share your thoughts with the hashtag #Millennials
Follow @DU_Press and @DeloitteGov on Twitter
Meet the Author

About Deloitte University Press
Deloitte University Press publishes original articles, reports and periodicals that provide insights for businesses, the public sector and NGOs. Our goal is
to draw upon research and experience from throughout our professional services organization, and that of coauthors in academia and business, to
advance the conversation on a broad spectrum of topics of interest to executives and government leaders.
Deloitte University Press is an imprint of Deloitte Development LLC.
This publication contains general information only, and none of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, its member firms, or its and their affiliates are, by
means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not
a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your finances or your
business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult a qualified professional
adviser.
None of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, its member firms, or its and their respective affiliates shall be responsible for any loss whatsoever sustained
by any person who relies on this publication.
About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each
of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP
and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
Copyright © 2015 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.
Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
Sign up for Deloitte University Press updates at http://www.dupress.com
@DU_Press

Millennials in government

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Millennials in government

More from Deloitte United States

Recently uploaded

Millennials in government