The truth about hiring Millennials
In the brave new world of hiring, Millennials are often interviewing a potential employer as much as they are being interviewed.
Why should we hire you? often becomes why should I work for you?
Traditional recruiting is not going to work with Millennials, they’ve moved beyond that as a group. They are all about social media and sharing. Think about how many people you see each day that could fit into that age group, and think about how many of them have a smartphone, tablet, or laptop handy.
Millennials were born between 1981 and 1997 and are the largest share of the workforce in the U.S. A group that large just can’t be overlooked.
The old days of offering salary, stocks, and vacation as a way to lure new employees are gone. Millennials have different expectations.
Here is what Velsoft’s production team wrote in Closing the Generation Gap in the Workforce:
What Millennials do appreciate, however, is a different approach to benefit plans. When they join a workplace, they appreciate things that they currently enjoy and that they grew up with, including wellness concepts such as a gym membership, financial planning, or access to counseling.
The production team also says that, in a job posting ad, Generation Xers, Y’s, and Millennials will appreciate:
- Short, snappy writing.
- Emphasis on fast-paced work, individual contributions, work-life balance, and opportunities for growth.
- Cafeteria-style benefits packages.
- Technological recruiting methods like Internet job boards, company websites, and social networking.
You also have to consider your company and the face it shows to the world.
In the Bentley University Preparedness Study, 85 percent of Millennials say working for a socially responsible company is a major factor for them.
The study also shows that 51 percent of business professionals and 58 percent of Millennials say that businesses consider Millennials as dispensable workers who move quickly from job to job and therefore they don’t put effort into career development.
So to keep those Millennials in your workforce, you need to give them a reason to stay. Show them they are valued, give them training and chances for advancement and show them that they can make a difference in the company.
It’s a big pool of talented, tech-savvy employees waiting for the right opportunity. Make sure you’re ready for them.