On Friday, April 22 FEI Chapter members joined the Analyst & Associate Board (A&AB) for the second edition of the C-Suite Breakfast, a roundtable discussion with a focus on Millennials in the Workplace. The breakfast was kicked off by CNA’s CFO, Craig Mense, who discussed CNA’s talent strategy and his experience on developing and taking chances on talent. His insights primed the discussion by providing real life examples on CNA success stories and demonstrated the power of appreciating and developing leaders.
Following the introduction, the A&AB focused on feedback consistently heard from FEI Chicago: that members want to understand how millennials make decisions and what their values are – are millennials that different from past generations?
That question guided the Breakfast and was one of the first polling question. This C-Suite Breakfast featured a live polling element, where a myth about millennials was directed towards the audience of 40 and the attendees were able to answer from one of the multiple choice responses presented. Not surprisingly, the audience believed that millennials’ career goals and expectations were largely different than previous generations; it turns out (based on a study done by IBM), that millennials have very similar career aspirations to older generations. A key takeaway from the discussion is that, while career expectations are similar, millennials demand more from their employers – a result of reduced friction in finding a job (due to technology) and less strings being attached to employment (pension plans). This high level of expectation from millennials, and subsequent willingness to move companies, seems to be the root of the myth. Most millennials at the breakfast actually described a desire to find a company where they could be challenged, feel appreciated, and most importantly, grow a career.
Other topics that were discussed were methods of communication and decision making habits. Overall, this breakfast was a two-way flow of information yielding highly beneficial insights. An interactive experience was achieved through the chance to rotate tables 3 times throughout the morning, leading to high exposure and unique conversations. This, paired with the polling, created a fun, yet meaningful environment and dialogue.
The A&AB would like to thank CNA Insurance for hosting and everyone that attended the breakfast. Be on the lookout for future conversations on this important topic. Please join our LinkedIn group which will serve as an extended and live version of this conversation. Email [email protected] or comment in the group if you have any feedback on the event or have ideas for future discussions!