Why high-performing millennials leave the ‘fast-paced’ workplace

Millennials crave stimulating work that supports their professional development. Many assume that a fast-paced environment will allow them to explore diverse aspects of work that will support their aims. But many end up disillusioned after trying out this type of workplace.

A favourite cliché in recruitment must be the term ‘fast-paced environment’. The number of job advertisements using this term is simply astonishing. Used mostly to denote a high-energy, challenging and dynamic workplace, the term is very appealing to high-achieving millennials. But many end up disillusioned after trying out this type of workplace. Two assumptions about the fast-paced workplace are the main culprits for this clash between expectation and reality.

Assumption #1: fast = smart

We live in a culture of immediacy where the assumption is that you must be really smart to deliver something fast. How quick you are becomes a convenient measure to assess how capable you are. It’s a simplistic and no-fuss tool to measure someone’s intelligence. Who has time for nuances, anyway? Fast thinkers are said to be sharp and highly intelligent. It also gives people a sense of deep comfort: if you were quick enough today, perhaps, you could go to bed reassured that you are actually smart and worthy.