Millennials. So much research has been conducted at this point about this generation that it almost seems ridiculous. They’re lazy... they’re technically savvy... they need instant gratification faster, etc. Some feedback has been good, while the majority has been focused on the negative aspects of this generation. In recruiting, however, it’s a known fact that this generation is handled differently than previous generations. Here are three best practices to appeal to our current day Millennials (from a Millennial perspective) while recruiting them:
1. Texting
Research varies, but here in 2016, I’d guess that at least 90% of working professionals own a cell phone, and at least 80% of those individuals use texting on a regular basis. In my business, I almost always ask candidates if they would respond to me by text for quick questions/coordinating interviews.
Think now to our target generation of the Millennial. Texting is more common amongst Millennials than actual phone conversations. As a Millennial myself, I would say that 75% of my personal communication takes place between texting and other messaging services. In comparison, about 20% of my professional communication occurs via texting, 40% by phone, and 40% by email. Many of the candidates I’ve worked with view texting as the new email, which is a great progression amongst working professionals.
The quicker that the rest of the workforce becomes comfortable with texting (or mobile messaging in general), the more efficient we will all become.
2. Social Media & Internet Presence
This should go without saying in 2016; Having a presence on both Social Media outlets (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) and an updated, functional webpage are absolutes when it comes to a Millennials’ attraction to a company. In addition to just being updated, having relevant, updated content is also a must. Millennials are less concerned that your company was a Top Workplace 5 years ago, they want to know about you today.
3. Be ‘New’ School
What I mean here is to be progressive, especially when it comes to culture. Being open to feedback from your employees to make changes, then actually give credit where it’s due for new ideas. As it’s often stated, this generation needs instant gratification, or else there is no actual reinforcement of the behavior.
To stay attractive to Millennials, changes to the workplace and culture should be fluid. You can continue to have metrics/goals/tasks assigned, but be open to new ideas to achieve these areas. This will not only keep the Millennials engaged, but keep them interested in the work they are doing. It’s not always that Millennials are lazy, they just get bored faster than others.
In the recruiting process, this factor is more difficult to show until you bring them in for an interview. Make sure to drive this home; bring another Millennial into the interview process to discuss what attracted them to the company, and make that connection early on in the process.
These are obviously only a few aspects to consider when working on recruiting Millennials. There are countless other resources out there, but these are a few I find to be most impactful when it comes to day-to-day operations. Enjoy!
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