Millennials more focussed on personal skills than managerial

Globally, just 22% of millennials rank aspiring to leadership roles as a top career priority, while in India, it stands at 34%

'Being the boss' is on low priority for millennials as they are more focused on learning the technical and personal skills to ensure long-term career security, says a survey.

According to a study released today by ManpowerGroup, millennials, those born between 1982 and 1996, do not prioritise leadership as their top career goal. They are eager to learn individual skills and they prefer IT, interpersonal and technical expertise over managerial skills.

"They're (millennials) looking for jobs that give them a sense of fulfilment, offer opportunities for learning and growth. They want to do meaningful work and be a part of something that will have a positive impact on the world," A G Rao, Group MD of ManpowerGroup India, said.

Globally, just 22% of millennials rank aspiring to leadership roles as a top career priority. In India, it stands at 34%.

Around 63% of Indian millennials want to develop their technical, personal skills in the next year (globally 68%), while just 37% want to improve people management or leadership skills (globally 32%).

Further, in India, 82% of millennials would change jobs for the same pay, but more skills training opportunities.

Asked about their top career goals, 18% of Indian millennials said to be a recognised as an expert in their field, making a positive contribution was cited by 17% and working with great people (16%).

"Millennials see traditional managerial paths as less appealing than learning technical and personal skills," said Mara Swan, Executive Vice-President, Global Strategy and Talent at ManpowerGroup.

The study noted men aspire to leadership more than women. The United States, Singapore and Switzerland have the largest gender gaps. In India, only 1% gap exist which states an equal aspiration among men (34.7%) and women (33.80%) for leadership roles.

The global study covered 19,000 working millennials and 1,500 hiring managers across 25 countries to understand what millennials want now and in the future.