If you’ve been told to manage your millennials, don’t go to the garden centre for advice.
Yes, they sound like something you’d find between the annuals and perennials but they’re actually a new blossoming of worker taking over the world.
This tech-savvy, smart, well informed generation of 20 to 30-somethings are predicted to make up three quarters of the global workforce by 2025.
And because they’ll soon be the major players in our workforce, HR managers and recruiters are finding they need to adapt their approach to attraction and retention.
Forging your own career in HR? Here’s what you need to do.
Paint a picture
Millennials love visuals so would-be employers need to have an engaging online presence. Attracting potential stars means looking as good as possible so get a well-designed, easy to navigate, mobile-friendly website. Ditch overly wordy descriptions in favour of videos, images and infographics and keep business jargon to a minimum. If you have a blog page then keep it up-to-date. There’s nothing more off-putting than the most recent blog post being older than the peppermints in Granny Ina’s handbag.
Embrace technology
Tech-dependent millennials are never without some sort of device. Think of mobile phones and tablets as the modern equivalent of Linus’ comfort blanket. This means an HR Manager worth their salt will be up to speed with the latest work-enabling technology. Be warned: introducing a millennial into an office that still uses a paper filing system is likely to induce a panic attack.
Have a warm welcome
Thanks to social media millennials are a gregarious bunch and many will be looking to become part of a community as much as land a job. This means if you want to become a top recruitment consultant, you need to highlight a company’s social side such as parties, away-days, sporting events and community outreach programmes.
Offer more than the money
Company culture is important to millennials. A solid salary simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Part-time and flexible working, maternity and paternity leave, volunteering opportunities and a ‘go green’ ethos are all high on the millennial wish list.
Offer access to thrills in skills
Learning and development opportunities can be nearly as attractive as a good salary and fancy job title. Firms that invest time in training, mentoring and secondments are going to be more appealing. It pays to manage our millennials now – remember they’re the bosses of the future.
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