Millennials have become a dominating group in the workforce, alongside Generation Xers. Millennials are shaping the way the 21st century labor force lives and works, and are one of the best educated generations on earth; subsequently, they have transformed the labor market into an employee’s market rather than an employer’s market, forcing employers to compete for the best and brightest of a generation.
Millennials value a great many things when it comes to their work that their forebears, the Baby Boomers did not – from workplace perks and shorter work hours to work-life balance and integration. Here are five recruiting tips to attract Millennials to your company.
Create a Flexible Work Environment
Millennials value change as well as integration, and like greater stimulation in the workplace than their older counterparts. Create a work environment at your company that allows them to be at their most productive. Try open seating areas instead of cubicles. Try work nooks and bean bag rooms in addition to the standard desk and chair setup. Try offering a remote work option on certain days or even every day. By creating a flexible work environment, the employee force will feel less constrained, and can move about to where they can best focus on their productivity – and you may even find your older employees getting into the groove.
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Offer Company Perks
Snacks, coffee, weekly office pizza, gym memberships or on-site fitness centers – all these are examples of company perks. Millennials don’t just value their salaries – they’ll often take a little bit less if it means they’re offered perquisites they already value. Some of the best company perks aren’t just Clif bars and coffee when your employees come in the morning – Millennials also value mental health allowances, parental leave, company stock options, and other perks that help them improve their quality of life and work-life balance. If your company doesn’t offer these already, it should – it’s one of the things Millennials look for in a workplace.
Emphasize Quality over Quantity
Despite what older generations may think of them, Millennials are willing to work hard at their jobs – as long as they don’t have to do “busy work.” Millennials value meaningful work, and they also value it when, at the end of the day, you allow them to leave early if they’ve finished everything they needed to accomplish that day. Some older managers view this attitude as laziness, but nothing could be further from the truth. If a team member finishes their allotted tasks at 3:05, what’s the point in making them stay until 4:30 or 5pm? Millennials value quality over quantity when it comes to their work hours, and adapting a similar attitude will help your company attract bright and hardworking Millennials.
Give Back
This generation values compassion – and they expect the companies they work for to do the same. Whether it takes the form of paid time off to do volunteer work at a local charity or sponsoring a 5K race for juvenile cancer patients, Millennials are attracted to companies that give back to their communities in meaningful and helpful ways.
Create a Culture of Transparency
Above much else, Millennials value transparency in the workplace. They expect that their company will keep everyone on the same page, not keep things under wraps, and create a culture of open communication and zero secrets. This is especially vital for companies who are experiencing a turnover in management as the Baby Boomers retire; Generation Xers and Millennials will be the ones to take their place, and if that culture is not already present, they’ll ensure that it takes shape, and quickly. By creating a culture of transparency, you will earmark your company as an upstanding force and one that Millennials can be proud to work for.
Millennials represent a third of the workforce and within the next decade will be the clear majority of it worldwide. These recruiting tips will help you to attract hardworking and educated Millennials to your workplace – and to ensure your company’s future.
