The modern workforce is changing as rapidly as the world itself, and one of the biggest changes is the increased use of technology. No group of workers is more attuned to this new style of work than millennials. However, for those from prior generations, it can be difficult to get a handle on what makes a job appealing to millennials. If you’re interested in attracting millennial talent to your company but are left wondering what do millennials want at work, here are nine simple tips to make your next hiring search a successful one.
1. Define the Position Clearly
One of the most important elements in attracting millennial talent is clearly outlining what the job you are offering entails. Millennials enter the workforce knowing what they are looking to do and what they want to do to get there. By giving a clear description of the position you are offering, you will attract potential employees who are excited to work at your company.
2. Stay Flexible With Their Time
The daily grind of a nine-to-five is not appealing to the modern millennial worker. While there is a common misconception that millennials don’t want to work hard, the actual explanation is that they don’t want to work inefficiently for more time than is needed. By offering a flexible schedule that allows for shifting their hours forward or back in the day to accommodate, you make attracting millennial talent easier. Offering telecommuting work is another great way to add appeal when hiring millennials.
3. Don’t Fear Social Media
Social media is here, and it isn’t going anywhere. This matters twofold when attracting millennial talent. First of all, you should be using your social media to build an engaging story about your company. This isn’t just great for hiring but a good practice in general. You should also consider loosening restrictions on employees’ social media use, if you have any. With it being so important in many millennials’ lives, this makes your job posting more appealing.
4. Put Your Faith in Them
Millennials are a driven generation who know what they want and strive to achieve it. That means they work much better when given a task and some faith, rather than micromanaged. By showing that you are willing to give your prospective hire responsibilities, you increase your chances of success in your search.
5. Lay Out a Pathway Forward
A route for advancement is also important in attracting millennial talent. When you sit down with potential hires, be sure to mention where you see them growing in the years to come. If possible, have success stories you can point to in order to demonstrate the routes for career progression available for your new hire.
6. Show Them What Your Company Believes In
Another thing that millennials are passionate about is working for a company with beliefs that align with their own. That means you should strive to make a company with its own beliefs and goals out in the open and easy to see. If your company brand is one which aligns with your prospective hires, the chances of them choosing to come on board are higher.
Graph from: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/11/millennials-largest-generation-us-labor-force/
7. Keep Things Sociable
Many young workers prefer a workplace that has a more informal approach to business. That doesn’t mean you should not be handling things responsibly, but instead be open to a more relaxed approach to discussing the job and life at your company.
8. Build a Responsible Workplace
Many young professionals today care a great deal about social and environmental causes. By building a responsible workplace, you make it more likely to succeed in attracting millennial talent. This means not only having environmentally conscious business practices but also having a diverse workforce. By adding people from differing backgrounds, you don’t just become more appealing when hiring millennials but also add new voices to your company to create better, fresher ideas.
9. Don’t Hide Things
Openness is important to millennial workers. When you’re attracting millennial talent, you may be inclined to conceal some elements of your company that don’t fit in with the above points. Don’t count on them to stay secret, however. Between online research and asking around, the things you are hiding will get out, so it’s better to be honest with potential hires and address any areas that may be hang-ups, and seek compromises or solutions.
