Love them or hate them, millennials are poised to become the largest employable sector of society very soon. Businesses need to realize that individuals of this generation don't have the same mindset as their older contemporaries. Companies interested in hiring talented millennials need to have a stronger value-proposition than others.
Cultivating a millennial-friendly workplace is an excellent starting point. Employees of this generation are much easier to hire if they find the workplace culture attractive. To help, 16 associates of Forbes Human Resources Council look at how businesses can create a millennial-friendly workplace and culture to attract the best talent from this fast-growing sector of the workforce.
1. Find Out What They Need
Find out what motivates, stimulates and engages your millennials to perform at their peak and incorporate those philosophies and ideas into your workplace. This includes workspace, leadership style, diversity and inclusion, to name a few. Remember, the tools used to attract talent aren’t necessarily the same ones used to retain it. - Pamela Russell, City Of Murfreesboro
2. Offer More Flexibility
In most roles, we can work from almost anywhere, and millennials value this more than previous generations -- especially as many millennials will now be parents. We also have a greater awareness that different working patterns get the best out of us as individuals. Enabling this will help businesses succeed in attracting the best talent. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden
3. Be Open And Identify Changes
Creating a collaborative working environment will help attract millennials. Companies will want to move toward open and flexible workspaces and create areas in the office where teams can come together and work on projects. In addition, a workplace that is eco-friendly, promotes health and wellness, focuses on community outreach, and is technology-focused is also a big draw for millennials. - Debi Bliazis, Champions School of Real Estate
4. Embrace Equality Of All Kinds
Millennials support equality of all kinds, and leaders and co-workers must behave so they aren't seen as biased or prejudiced toward any one person or group. Millennials expect their leaders to have a genuine concern for equal rights, and we have to show that we are committed to it. - Cameron Bishop, SkillPath
5. Provide Meaningful Work
Millennials are grasping for high evolutionary goals, and now more than ever, meaning and purpose are important to grasp the heart and mind of this generation. Additionally, leaders need to ensure clear communication around expectations so there is no grey area around success, deliverables and bottom-line results. - Tasniem Titus, Dentsply Sirona
6. Focus On CSR And Innovation
Focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and innovation, and show employees that you care about people rather than profits. Use your employment brand to promote your stance on these issues. Additionally, remember to cater to the expectations of every generation with a brand that speaks to the individuality of each group, as today’s workplaces are made up of multiple generations. - Kim Pope, WilsonHCG
7. Offer A Sense Of Purpose
Study after study suggests that millennials prefer purpose-driven work environments where their jobs produce meaningful results both internally and externally to the company. Business leaders can satisfy and harness this need by offering clear paths of career development and growth (professional purpose), as well as social give-back programs such as volunteerism (social purpose). - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, BMC Software
8. Show That Employees Matter
Millennials are different, yes, but not entirely. Companies can offer more flexibility, transparency and feedback, but all workers increasingly value these. What workers (of any age) want is to feel that they and their work matter. This is particularly important to millennials. By supporting an employee culture of valuing employees, companies can retain their top talent. - Courtney Pace, Ph.D., FedEx Employees Credit Assoc.
9. Foster A Culture They Resonate With
It is important to understand the values of millennials. A millennial-friendly workplace should offer an opportunity for employees to grow, take charge and feel independent. The company should also align themselves with a mission that brings value to the world. - Rachel Lyubovitzky, EverythingBenefits
10. Create Open Feedback Systems
Research has consistently demonstrated that people do not get timely feedback at their workplace. It is even more so for millennials who are more open to feedback and are also more comfortable giving feedback to others, including their management. Organizations should adapt to giving and receiving feedback and ultimately improve teamwork, productivity and retention. - Srikant Chellappa, Engagedly | Mentoring Complete
11. Engage Them In Defining Your Values
Engage your workforce, no matter what generation they are. Engage them in defining your work environment, or polices or values of the company. Today's workforce wants to feel purposeful in their workplace and their work. The best way to do that is to give everyone a voice in creating what they are part of! - Diane Strohfus, Betterworks.com
12. Show Them How They Can Make A Difference
Millennials are highly societal-based. They want to make a difference in the world, even above such things as compensation that were drivers for earlier generations. Make sure that your employees understand how your organization contributes to society, how what they do makes a difference for that vision, and give them opportunities to lead projects so they personally feel they are providing value. - Alvin Piket, Saudi Aramco
13. Update Your Definition Of Success
As millennials take a stronger hold on the workplace, businesses should adapt their expectations of what demonstrates an employee's value to accommodate the younger generation's desire for a productivity-based environment that promotes flexibility and encourages efficiency. Your definition of success can no longer be who works the most overtime, but rather, who produces the best results for your bottom line, regardless of where they are located or what hours they are working. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc.
14. Review Your Employer Branding
Doing some research on this topic myself, one of the most surprising outcomes for me was that most of the "benefits" we offer to attract millennials are deemed as standards by them. For example, the ability to work from home, or work from anywhere -- that's just expected and not a benefit. Instead, they are more interested in personal growth opportunities and -- another interesting result -- job security. - Reinhard Guggenberger, Soaring Fox Consulting
15. Offer Rewards And Recognition
Millennials, as a group, are used to receiving recognition and expect to continue that trend once they reach the workplace. Having recognition and reward programs in place will ensure that they feel they have the constant upward mobility that they are striving for. Programs can be as simple as badges earned for skill sets or competencies or quarterly awards for meeting team goals. - Sherrie Suski, Tricon American Homes
16. Use Tiger Teams To Give Them A Voice
Programs and policies can no longer be created in the backroom. Use Tiger Teams representing diverse groups of experts to solve problems and recommend solutions to workplace practices. For example, benefits plan design and investments, work-from-home and leave policies, and collaborative computing technology. The earlier employees get a voice, the better the buy-in and advocacy. - Karen Crone, Paycor, Inc.
