How to attract millennials to your company
Some companies are ahead in the race to recruit young workers. This new generation of workers wanted to work differently, and they weren’t planning to wait around for things to change.
- Forget the 9-to-5 schedule. Creating flexibility within the workplace has been the most important aspect for this group. In a recent surveys, 95% of respondents said that work life balance was more important to them and more than a quarter of these young workers said they were disappointed by the level of balance they were able to maintain. Employees in successful firms are now encouraged to individualise their schedules, maybe even working from home if they don’t have client meetings or slipping out for an hour of Zumba during the workday.
- In order to attract millennials you need to offer them training opportunities. Two thirds of millennials expect to have left their current employers by 2020. Of the workers who wanted to leave their jobs within the next two years, more than 70% said it was a due to a lack of leadership development. Millennials are not afraid to disrupt their career paths to get that growth and development they need for their careers, even if that means leaving and working for someone else. You had better create opportunities and frequent ‘check-in’ conversations.
- Don’t wait for next annual review for feedback. Once upon a time, a review would occur once or even twice a year a in the calendar, sometimes not even aligning with their cycle or projects. Employees would set goals in January ‘check-in’ with the supervisors mid way through the year and be assigned a performance goal and a review would occur at the end of the year. Many successful firms are now have rolling checkpoint sessions all year round.
- To attract millennials give them purpose beyond the bottom line. 6 in 10 millennials surveyed stated that a ‘sense of purpose’ was part of their calculation in accepting their current jobs. Many of this cohort have declined to perform assignments at work that have contradicted their values. Millennial workers thrive in environments that have a clear purpose for both the organisation and society at large. The company’s without an inherently inspiring mission can give millennials a sense of control and purpose by increasing transparency and demystifying corporate jargon. At the inbound marketing product firm ‘Hubspot’, the company designated every employee as an ‘insider’ a status usually reserved for directors, officers and shareholders. Treat them with respect and transparency as this generation will direct the future of your business.
- The perks matter too! Some organisations have a nap room, free food, pet friendly policies, healthy food options. One awesome cost effective food option for businesses that really resonates with millennials is healthy food vending machine. Arranging a healthy food vending machine from Gecko Vending is absolutely no cost for installation or refilling. The machine can be set to offer fresh food vending options to your millennial workforce. Availability of healthy food in the workplace leads to more time in the work environment which equals greater productivity for your workforce and your company.
While members of Generation X value control and compensation, millennials are driven by how well their team works together, how supported and appreciated they feel, and how much possibility they have for the future.
