It is often said that youth is wasted on the young. Many twentysomethings are taking that on board — and are taking action by leaving corporate life while they still can.

In recent months the lack of loyalty among millennial staff has been causing headaches to employers, with the financial sector in particular facing an increasing number of deserters. According to a recent survey by Deloitte, 44 per cent of millennials are looking to leave their jobs within the next two years, while a whopping 66 per cent expect to be gone within five.

Are millennials simply entitled whingers, so used to a lifetime of excessive praise that they expect high pay and high-profile work from their first day in the office? Or is the problem more fundamental: are these young people simply motivated by different concerns?