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Attracting millennials is among the top priorities for companies looking to recruit new talent. Not only are they demographically the present and the future of the workforce, but as the newest generation to the market, they are full of energy, exciting ideas and potential for the future. Harnessing their capabilities now can put your company at the forefront of development, growth and innovation. But millennials don’t do things quite like previous generations. Raised in an interconnected, device-driven atmosphere, they have different values, desires and beliefs that they want to be valued in their place of work. There are plenty of basic principles of recruitment that are important for every generation, but some of these are particularly important to millennials and they even have a few unique quirks of their own.
It’s always been important to offer employees at least some opportunities for promotion and advancement, but many from older generations were happy to stay at one stable job with a middle-class income for most of their careers. These jobs paid enough to afford a home, two cars and four kids. But the market is different today and millennials are both ambitious and eager to prove themselves. Nothing is more demeaning for a millennial than to be passed up for a promotion in favor of recruiting someone externally. Odds are, the people you already have working for you know the job and have both the skills and motivation to accept the challenge. Even if you know you don’t have the talent internally to fill a position, give out a few new responsibilities to those you aren’t promoting – they won’t take your investment in them lightly.
Most millennials are fed up with the stereotype that they’ve had everything handed to them and expect to be hand fed their entire lives. The vast majority have learned the importance of a good work ethic and believe in working hard for what they have. So don’t baby them, simply give them opportunities to apply their talents and use their skills. Then, reward their efforts. It’s that simple.
Money is great, and most millennials are just as driven by making some as previous generations (if not more so), but they have also come to understand that a balance must be struck between profit and morals, work and life. Your company isn’t Stalinist Russia and the Party is not the be all and end all:) Respect your employee’s personal lives and your company’s morals as much as you value your profits and you’ll be on the right track.
Millennials are the gaming generation. They often learned in school through games and computer games dominated many of their adolescent lives at home. Now, before belittling this experience, think about the unique qualities games have taught them, especially that failure is not the end. Games have helped normalize failure without desensitizing millennials to it. They still feel the sting when the stumble, but they know that if they get up and try again with a new strategy, they’ll eventually come out on top. They’ve grown comfortable with this concept, so we say lean into it! Get creative and think about what you can reasonably gamify in the workplace to keep them motivated and make them feel at home.
Millennials have seen communication change more than anything else in their lives and they’ve embraced the new ways of reaching out, including social media and instant messaging. Let them find ways to use these tools and their communication skills in the workplace and meet them there where you can. Don’t be afraid to send a friendly text message or engage with them on more public platforms like Twitter. Just don’t be too formal about it. Communication has become more relaxed as it’s become easier. So, while you don’t want to invade their private space or make them feel like they’re being watched, respectful jokes and some form of light-hearted personal interaction will help build camaraderie and trust. Above all, remember that millennials are human beings driven by human emotions. Make an effort to get to know some basics about your millennial employees so you can understand where they come from and what their motivations are. Understanding some basic facts about their personality and background can help you figure out how best to approach them and motivate them.
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