Hispanic Millennials’ Biggest Challenges at Work [INSIGHT]

In an earlier post, we showed how Hispanic Adult Millennials aren’t yet where they want to be in their careers. As they work their way toward landing their dream jobs, many are employed in low-wage professions they’ve taken just for the paycheck.

So when it comes to their current jobs, what are their biggest challenges?

Tr3s asked this question as part of its recently-released its 2014 study, “Hispanic Adult Millennials at Work and Play.” This project included quantitative and qualitative explorations of nearly 1,000 Hispanics and non-Hispanics ages 19 to 34, as well as information from Simmons, Pew Hispanic Center, Nielsen, and numerous Viacom studies.

Here are key insights from “Hispanic Adult Millennials at Work and Play”on the subject of workplace challeges:

1 in 4 Millennials with jobs worry about performing well at work. Among those who are employed, job performance is a concern for 23% of Hispanics and 28% of non-Hispanics. In spite of their often less-than-ideal circumstances, doing a good job is still really important to them. The main challenges for Hispanic young adults are improving their skills, feeling valued/noticed/appreciated, and communication issues (driven by the Spanish-dominant segment).

15% are concerned about the economic challenges they face. Hispanic and non-Hispanic Millennials worry about money in equal measure. Low wages and feeling that they are unfairly paid are by far the biggest concerns for both groups. They also worry about getting health insurance and other benefits.

Hours and schedule are a challenge for 14% of Millennials. Getting a full-time, permanent job is by far the top concern among Hispanics and non-Hispanics, followed by schedule issues (hours that are convenient) and either experiencing a reduction of hours or not having enough to begin with.

Making their jobs fit with their personal lives is a concern for 13% (14% of Hispanics, 11% of non-Hispanics). Not only can it be tough to find work, it can be difficult to land a job that’s a match for one’s personal circumstances. Transportation/long commutes, job security and stability, and balancing family with work are the top issues in this area.

For 7% of Millennials, workplace-related issues are the main challenge (8% of Hispanics and 5% of non-Hispanics). The most common specific concerns are dealing with customers (especially rude ones), discrimination, and workplace policies or politics.

Source: Tr3s Hispanic Adult Millennial Study (2014)