Cranes are lining Milwaukee’s skyline. Our food and music scenes are vibrant. Our transit options are opening up, no longer limited to cars and buses. Milwaukee is doing all the right things to lure the next generation of workers, so why are they exiting the city?
A recent report from Time Magazine highlighting residential and work location preferences shows Milwaukee is among U.S. cities experiencing a decline in the number of millennials moving into the metro region.
There are many factors that go into why anyone chooses to live and work in a specific area, and the digital age has introduced tremendous efficiency and flexibility. However, the workplace itself needs to be an important consideration for employers when seeking to attract and retain talent.
Millennials are expected to make up 75 percent of workers by 2025. Companies need to consider near term recruitment of the millennial workforce, but also weigh that against the eventuality that millennials will get married and start families, and consider factors such as buying a home, education of their children, and the costs associated with it. Therefore, evaluating the geographic location of your business in the metro area, in addition to the immediate surrounding area, its amenities and the design of your workspace are important considerations for businesses.
The Urban Vs. Suburban Debate
It’s not all about “downtown, urban chic” office space. While Milwaukee’s downtown is certainly experiencing a renaissance with a number of incredible new development projects that are great recruiting tools on their own, that doesn’t mean that suburban areas and communities throughout southeast Wisconsin are at a disadvantage.
A joint study by Colliers International and Schroeder Solutions, which examined young professionals in southeast Wisconsin, reports that when it comes to millennial job recruitment “urban isn’t everything.”
In fact, the top priority for choosing an employer isn’t whether it has a city office, but whether it has access to ample and affordable parking, according to the study.
“(Millennials) make choices about where to work based on company culture, transparency, social commitment, and the quality of the workplace design and amenities, including wellness” the study reads. “Both downtown and non-central business district locations that provide many of the same amenities…will have an advantage.”
In addition to parking, what millennials really want, the study adds, is a “vibrant” workplace — an environment that caters to both their work values and lifestyle preferences. These include not only opportunities such as professional development and work/life balance, but also amenities such as easy access to food, coffee and shopping, meeting places and after work activities well within walking distance.
These conveniences may be more readily available in urban spaces than in suburban locations, but they aren’t exclusive to downtown. The rapid rise of suburban hybridization will only continue to blur the lines between suburban and urban office design.
Building to Suit the Millennial Workforce
In some cases, suburban areas may be better positioned to leverage amenities that millennial workers value most: easy acess to parking, restaurants, shopping, and recreational activities.
As new office parks are developed in suburban areas and established office parks are modernized, more attention is being paid to leveraging the surrounding environment.
I have been actively involved in recent suburban development projects at The Corridor in Brookfield and the Milwaukee County Research Park in Wauwatosa. At Irgens, we have spent considerable time and effort planning current and future office projects, and the office parks in which they reside, to meet the new ways people work. Irgens completed the Meadowland Research and Technology Center in June 2016 that is anchored by Zywave, Inc., a successful software company with a millennial-driven workforce. The building was planned to create a collaborative working environment with abundant natural light and a communicating staircase that linked two floors, creating one space that gave the company a sense of togetherness.
Other firms are incorporating outdoor patios, the ability to bring in food trucks, and “collegiate spaces” to inspire collaboration in less formal settings.
It’s not just about outside amenities, either. According to the Collier’s study, the work environment accounts for up to 25 percent of job satisfaction among millennials.
For example, more than half of millennials in southeast Wisconsin “value an aesthetically-pleasing interior” — and more young professionals prefer a workplace that resembles touches of home. This includes working in an office with a modern color palette, an array of ergonomic furniture, and plenty of nature-inspired touches.
Office features millennials seek include wide open indoor spaces, floor to ceiling windows, and flexibility in the form of being able to sit, stand, lounge — anything that allows them to be comfortable and productive.
Both Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin have tremendous assets to attract and retain young, talented workers. Perhaps now more than ever, taking a collaborative approach to grow small companies or attract new companies is most productive to the region — rather than working to lure existing companies across municipal borders.
Leveraging workplace environments, as well as community assets, factor into making southeast Wisconsin a place where workers want to locate, stay and succeed.
Breaking the Myths of Gen Y
There’s no question that millennials are reshaping the workplace. But not everything you hear about millennials is true. We bust some common millennial myths here:
Myth #1 – Generation Y refuses to commute.
It’s true that young professionals hate a long commute — but they aren’t against a short drive. Most millennials are good with a 30 minute trip. Anything beyond that may require some extra convincing (or compensation).
Myth #2 – Young professionals crave collaborative workspaces.
Not exactly. While millennials are behind the swarm of work hives appearing at some companies, studies show they still want the option of private workspaces. Your best bet is to utilize a mix of these spaces in your office to create balance.
Myth #3 – Millennials want yoga studios and on-site gyms.
This doesn’t paint the whole picture. While millennials value opportunities to work out on-site, they are more focused on how a company promotes wellness from within. That may be a company kitchen where they can grab healthy food, sit-to-stand desk options, and safe, walkable areas to take a stroll over the lunch hour.
Tom Irgens is a vice president at Milwaukee-based Irgens Development.
