Recruiting MillennialsWhen it comes to recruiting Millennials, it’s a whole different ball game. Also known as Generation Y, Millennials were born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. This new generation of workers is already starting to reshape the workplace. They have grown up with more information at their fingertips than any other generation and have a unique perspective on what they want out of their career.

The key generational differences listed below are changing the way we recruit Millennials, and ultimately retain this growing segment of the workforce.

 

Tech-Savvy & Socially Minded

Having been raised with laptops, smart phones, social media and instant messaging, Millennials love technology and are fiercely independent. Not to mention, connected 247.

  • Stay up to date on technology and utilize social media to recruit Millennials.
  • Make sure your career site is mobile-optimized.
  • Work your network. Get employees to share job postings and talk about your employer brand. For example, taking your staff to a baseball game? Post pictures of the game and tag employees.
  • If your employees love working for you they will tell everyone. The opposite is also true, if they hate their job they won’t hesitate to complain to their networks.
  • Encourage employees to openly talk about interesting projects they are working on, better yet, video tape them talking about it. Then share it.
  • Improve the technical skills of your existing workforce. This is an opportunity to engage Millennials by having them teach more seasoned colleagues how to leverage tools like social media in the workplace.

 

Growth & Recognition

Millennials strongly believe in continuous training and are motivated by positive recognition. According to PwC, 35% of Millennials consider excellent training programs to be the top benefit they want from their employer.

  • Communicate opportunities for training, growth and advancement internally and externally.
  • Design a blended training and onboarding approach utilizing tools like web-based learning, mobile apps, gaming, as well as traditional classroom training.
  • Recognize and praise Millennials for their accomplishments publically. This increases job satisfaction and motivates this generation to work hard.
  • Be proactive about transferring institutional knowledge to your millennial workforce.  After all, they are the future of your company.

 

Flexibility

Most Millennials have a work hard, play hard mentality and aren’t willing to sacrifice their personal life in order to advance their careers. They also don’t respond well to cookie-cutter management approaches.

  • Tell candidates how your organization values work-life balance and talk about your employee sponsored events, charity and volunteer work, health and fitness programs and any other benefits provided to employees.
  • Show employees how the work they are doing contributes to the overall goals of the organization.
  • Millennials want instant access to information so leverage technology to give employees 24-hour access to company information.

 

Have a “Why”

Recruiting Millennials involves digging deep. They want a challenge and a sense of purpose.

  • Share your corporate vision and provide a career path of empowerment and self-discovery. When candidates and employees feel connected to your why, they are much more likely to dig deep, work hard and be loyal.