not your

parent's interview

Ashley Cowden-Cope | Taylor Gajan | Cassidy NicholasSarah Patton| Alexandra Prater |Connor Davis

Millennials and Interviews

The topic for our research method project is “Millennials and the Interviewing Process.” We strived to “extend and emulate” the Nielsen research and studies for Express Employment Professionals to better the knowledge of millennials and their thoughts on the American Dream. We wanted to know where millennials stood on the totem-pole of interviewing for a professional career. Our studies show millennials job hunt approach is different than other generations, what types of interviews they prefer, their knowledge of interview etiquette, the job-hunting knowledge gap, and how millennials feel toward companies asking for more experience than they obtain.

abstract/ executive summary Introduction

to the Study,

Literature

Review,

Problem

Definition

abstract/ executive summary

This group consists of seniors graduating in May 2016, so we wanted to explore where our generation stands in the interview process. Many of us have had internship experience, so we are familiar with doing interviews for companies. We hope this research will reveal the dedication that young adults have toward obtaining a certain job and how consistent they will be with that job. We hope to gain information on all aspects of how millennials approach an interview and which type of interview they prefer. Also, our group wants to find what millennials see as the “perfect job” to tie into Express’ research on the American Dream and our generation. We want to know the importance of starting a family compared to starting a job that requires relocating to a different city/state. This matters because it will portray how individuals feel about applying for jobs that require a relocation within the first five years or earlier. We want to depict the type of employer or companies that millennials will be looking to work for.

Introduction

to the Study,

Literature

Review,

Problem

Definition

The main objective is to find out where millennials stand in the interviewing process compared to other generations, and how getting a job relates to the norm of the original American Dream. We want to find out what strengths and weakness millennials have when it comes to applying for their first job. “The top five interview mistakes millennials make include: inappropriate interview attire, questionable previous posts on social media, not researching the company before an interview, not asking enough questions in the interview, and overconfidence in themselves,” Jenna Goudreau, from Forbes Magazine, said.(Goudreau) A survey was taken in 2013 by Adecco, and it states that employers are three times more likely to hire someone 50 years of age or older rather than hiring a millennial. Based off of this study and our insights about our generation and the interviewing process, we obstructed these research questions to find how this generation can improve.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How much preparation do you think is required before an interview?

2. What kind of interview do you prefer?3. What do you think is the importance of cover

letters?4. What is the appropriate attire for a business

professional interview?5. If you are asked a question you are unsure of in an

interview, do you think it's appropriate to answer "i don't know" or would you prefer to

answer something else?

For our one-on-one interviews, we selected 20 random people and asked them the same 6 questions.

1. Would you feel comfortable interviewing for a job that requires more

experience than you have?

2. Would you prefer to be interviewed by someone older or younger than you?

a. Would you prefer to be interviewed by a male or female?

3. What do you think our generation has the most trouble with when it concerns the interviewing process?

4. What are your thoughts on cover letters/portfolios/resumes?

Do you think they matter or not?

5. What type of interview do you prefer?

6. If you don't know an answer to a question being asked in an interview, would you say

"I don't know the answer" or strive to come up with an answer to the question?

Our group conducted surveys, interviews and focus groups to research for our topic. We contacted students at OSU and Tulsans who ranged from the ages of 18-24. We collected a variety of gender and racial representations to get several different insights and opinions about millennials and the interview process. We first created an online survey that featured various questions about the interview process, including our research questions, and posted it to various social media sites. We conducted three focus groups for fifteen minutes each that ranged with a minimum of 8 people. Our first focus group was a field, natural focus group with all boys ages 18-20. It was held at Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and it was spontaneous participants. Our second focus group consisted of a random sample of people we asked to participate from the Oklahoma State Student Union. The age group ranged from 18-23. Our third focus group was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We each brought friends from Tulsa to participate. It was all girls because the first focus group consisted of all boys. We each switched off being different types of team roles such as being a host, a moderator, an audio/video recorder, or note takers.

methodology & Sample

Findings & Solution We did a survey on millennials and the interview process and were lucky enough to have around 356 responses varying from question to question. Our survey showed us that about 18.99% of our audience was male and 81.01% was female. About 0.84% of our responders were 17 years old or younger, 24.93% 18-20 years old, 51.26% were 21-29 years old, 2.24% were 30-35 years old, 8.40% were 36-49 years old, 8.12% were 50-59 years old and 4.20% were 60 years old or older. These numbers were overall very successful because most of our audience and responders were millennials which is who we are targeting the most, although we did want to hear what all generations thought of interviewing and millennials. The last demographic question we asked was what ethnicity they were. 90.50% of our audience were caucasian, 1.40% was african american, 3.35% were american indian or alaskan native, 1.12% were asian, 0% were hispanic, 0.84% were native hawaiian or pacific islander, 1.40% were multiple races and 1.40% were some other race. After asking the demographics our research questions, we started asking various questions about interviews and the individual responders personal experience and their views about interviews. The first question we asked was what is your favorite type of interview. 84.68% answered in-person interviews were their favorite, 1.61% chose skype, 4.84% chose group, 7.26% picked phone and 1.61% responded with other and wrote in they preferred email. Overall in our survey, focus groups and one-on-one interviews our audience almost unanimously chose in-person, one-on-one interviews to be their preference of interview type. We then asked our audience “What is the best attire to wear for an interview?” 2.38% responded with casual, 30.16% said business casual and 67.46% said business professional. When we asked this question in our focus groups and one-on-one interviews it was almost split down the middle between business casual and business professional as the best attire to wear for an interview. After this, we asked if they had a preference of being interviewed by a male, female or had no preference.14.29% of respondents said they preferred male, 27.78% female and 57.94% had no preference. From our research, most people had no preference and (typically) if someone picked male or female as their preference they picked the same sex as themselves. We then proceeded to ask if they had a preference of being interviewed by someone who is younger, older or had no preference. About 6.35% said they preferred younger, 55.56% older and 38.10% said they had no preference. Most people responded they would rather have someone older than them because it seemed more professional this year. Others also responded they would like to have someone the same age interviewing them because they have a common bond, similarities and are easier to relate to.

We also asked for the respondents to check as many boxes next to what they should bring to an interview; 0% said coffee, 97.56% said resume, 62.60% said cover letter, 64.23% said business card, 15.45% said cell phone and 20.33% said briefcase. Overall, everybody could agree that your resume is the absolute best option to bring to an interview, and the concept of “more is less” does not work for interviews. It is best to bring the minimal to interviews and only bring the necessities. 74.60% of our respondents said if they have not heard back from an employer they do feel comfortable contacting them, while 25.40% did not feel comfortable. We also asked if they sent follow up emails or thank you notes after an interview; 72.00% responded yes and 28.00% responded no. One of the questions with the most interesting responses was, “If a company requires more experience than what you have, would you apply for the position?” On our survey 78.40% responded yes and 21.60% said no. In our focus groups and one-on-one interviews, almost everyone responded that they would apply for the job because their qualifications, personality and eagerness to grow and learn would outshine needing that experience. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.” (Smith)One of the last questions we asked on the survey was if they had heard of Express employment professionals; unfortunately only 19.42% have and 80.58% have not heard of Express.

We also asked several open ended questions. Although we had a few random answers that were mostly jokes, (such as answers about star wars, hawaiian clothes, etc. overall) we had lots of really great, useful responses. We asked our audience the hardest part about preparing for an interview was. Some of the answers we received were: researching the company and learning about the company and background of the interviewer, not knowing, anticipating and practicing for questions that may be asked as well as finding the answers interviewers want to hear, knowing how to pitch yourself, being prepared without sounding too scripted, having good questions to ask them, making sure answers align with company’s vision and goals, what to wear, deciding if you can pull out jokes or be serious, staying calm, not being nervous and being confident and sincere. We also asked how the participants prepared for an interview. From our findings, we learned that our respondents typically try and find out what the interview is like, research the company, the company’s policy and culture, background, project’s, mission and vision, as well as read interview questions online and prepare answers, get a good night of sleep, study, practice and think out answers, think of questions to ask them, go over possible scenarios, have pep talks in the mirror, go over his or her resume and key points, eat a good breakfast, have a good outfit, or according to one respondent, have a “stellar” outfit and make sure your suit is ironed and clean, come up with strengths and weaknesses, shower, pray, relax and call their mom.

The characteristics our respondents believed that an employer wants in an employee are: clean and neat, situational adaptation, results, ethical, hardworking, interpersonal skills, communication skills, experienced, well-informed about company, loyal, honest, integrity, drive, good work ethic, good personality, people skills, eager to learn, gets along with others, punctuality, responsibility, passionate, dedication, optimistic, patient, organized, confident but not cocky, dress appropriately, dependable, compassionate, self-motivated, a leader, experience, competent in the job responsibilities and has charisma.

“Did you know 45 percent of Millennial employees would choose workplace flexibility over pay? Even if you’re throwing money at your workers, many would much rather have a work-life balance than be slaving away at the office until all hours of the night. If your organization doesn’t have telecommuting or remote working options, Millennials may find these flexible options elsewhere,” (Why are 60% Percent of Millennials Leaving Their Dream Jobs?).

Our respondents said the characteristics they would want in a future employer are: future advancement potential, good salary, intrinsic value, professional, respectful, stability, vision, flexibility, friendly environment, relaxed environment, high standards, wants me to be successful, passion, loves his/her job, effective communicator, philanthropic, hardworking, good benefits, challenging job, a place that will support me in my goals as a professional, good training, good company culture, people you can grow from, company allows for expansion and learning in order to become stronger and move onto different positions, positivity, happy, inviting, leadership, team player and an employer who takes care of their employees.

What is the dream job for millennials? Their answers varied from self-employment, when money is no longer an issue and they can do fulfilling stimulating work, working with hurting people to give them hope, when working doesn’t feel like working, enjoyable, working with sports team, teaching whether that may be college or elementary, somewhere I fit in and am able to be myself, work creatively, not a lot of overtime, something I love, philanthropic, knowing I am making a difference, a job in the medical field, job security, being able to travel, a position where I can broaden my horizons, being able to grow for example from a lower position to potential CEO, looking forward to going to work and others said working is hardly a dream, that they would like to sit on their couch making millions or even be the royal family’s babysitter. “Sixty percent. That’s the average percentage of Millennials who are cutting ties with what they thought were their dream jobs. In fact, many are checking out in three years or less. Whether this is due to loss of interest or unhappiness in their jobs, turnover not only costs you more money — between $15,000 and $25,000 to replace each lost Millennial employee — it also doesn’t look good on the part of your organization.”(Why are 60% Percent of Millennials Leaving Their Dream Jobs?)

The hardest question for our survey respondents to answer about themselves is 44.44% said what are your strengths/weaknesses, 4.27% said are you a follower/leader, 17.09% said where do you see yourself in five years, 29.91% said describe a difficult challenge and how you have overcome it, and 4.27% said other and wrote in the explain yourself in 3 words question or behavioral questions.

What three words describe a staffing company to you? Our responses we received were both positive and negative. We heard knowledgeable, helpful, dedicated, passionate, seeking, easy,efficient, beneficial, specialized, active, never dealt with one, risky, seems like a scam, decent, questionable, impersonal, ambiguous, sketchy, unpredictable, expensive, not exactly sure what a staffing company is, middleman, temporary, I don’t know, headhunter, quick, short-term, persistent and annoying.

The concept of the “American Dream,” is different for everyone. According to millennials the “American Dream” varies from:

- doing what you love

- getting paid well

- working hard

- living frugal

- being rewarded

- being married

- having kids

- owning a home/ car

- comfortably providing for family

- enjoying their daily job

- achieving their set goals

- working at a job that they have set for themselves with extreme dedication

- more than just a stable job with a beautiful family and white picket fence There is not a specific way to explain how millennials feel about the “American Dream.” Some think it is making something of yourself, being able to accomplish everything you have set your sights on, getting out of debt. Personally, and as a nation, the American Dream is described as a typical rags to riches story, or a happy healthy couple that both have stable jobs and are able to create a family under the freedom and accessibility the US has given to citizens. It is everyone having equal opportunity to make something of themselves, being happy with their job, having a healthy life, and the freedom to work hard and earn the ability to reach goals in society. Some views of the “American Dream” describe values that aren’t allowed in other countries, like being a stay at home wife or living in contentment whatever that may be for the individual having freedom and peace.

TO WRAP IT ALL UP.... Based on our research, we concluded that millennials need to fully research companies before an interview and touch up on their interview skills in general. Even though times are changing, millennials should try to appeal to the older generation that is interviewing them so they can be seen as confident and not cocky. Majority of our respondents to our survey were female, caucasian and between the ages of 21 to 29 years old. Millennials picked one-on-one in-person interviews to be the easiest kind of interview, and group interviews to be the least favorite kind. We agreed multiple type of mock interviews would be appropriate to brush up on different kind of interview skills. Business professional seemed to be the go-to dress code for millennials, although most participants didn’t define what they think business professional attire means to them. Majority of millennials would feel more comfortable interviewing with an older employer to make the interview seem more professional and real. They didn’t necessarily have a preference on being interviewed by a male or female future employer. Overall, everyone agreed that a resume is most appropriate to bring to an interview, or just bring the ultimate necessities. In conclusion, millennials could improve their interviewing skills by practicing questions before the interview, doing mock interviews and researching the company they’re applying for.

Works Cited Goudreau, Jenna. “Top 5 Interview Mistakes Millennials Make.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. Smith, Jacquelyn. “30 Motivational Quotes For Job Seekers.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Jan. 2013.Web. 2 Dec. 2015. “Why Are 60% of Millennials Leaving Their Dream Jobs?” Thehiringsitecareerbuilder.com. 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.