Building a Sustainable Governmental Public Health Workforce: A Look at the Millennial Generation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Workforce Studies
• Sociology

Background:

• Millennials are a significant demographic in the US workforce, impacting society and the economy.
• Public health agencies are keen to attract and retain millennials due to upcoming retirements.
• Understanding millennial motivations is crucial for the future public health workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine millennial opinions and workplace expectations in governmental public health.
• To compare these with other generational cohorts (Generation X and Baby Boomers).

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS).
• Included governmental health department employees (state and local).
• Employed bivariate analyses and logistic regression to assess generational differences in satisfaction and engagement.

Main Results:

• Millennials reported similar job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and pay security as other generations.
• Millennials expressed stronger agreement on supervisor respect, technology training, assessed training needs, and rewarded creativity.
• Millennials reported lower agreement on complete job involvement and determination to give their best daily.

Conclusions:

• Millennials in governmental public health may not differ significantly from other generations.
• Public health agencies should emphasize appealing workplace factors to attract millennials.
• Highlighting career opportunities in public health is essential for millennial recruitment.