To succeed in a competitive marketplace, it’s clear your company needs to both attract and retain the best talent available – and part of your success will come down to how well your company’s opportunities connect with the talent you’re trying to attract.
Millennials are generally described as those born between the 1980s and 1990s and according to TheBalanceCareers, they will make up 50% of the workforce by the time 2020 rolls around. On the average, they are technology gurus, extremely creative, focused on making a difference, chasing growth opportunities and they often times require freedom and trust to generate the best results possible. Work-life balance and flexibility are greatly important for them and they like to keep things honest and real.
As more Millenials rise through the workforce and take on more senior roles, their impact on companies and company culture is becoming profound, so it’s a worthwhile exercise to study some of the elements they can bring to a dynamic work environment. Even though 79% of them hold a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, around 89% would choose when and where they work, rather than being placed in a 9-to-5 position. Keeping this in mind, let’s explore more ideas for creating the perfect working environment for this dynamic group of employees.
Having a Clear Mission
A purpose-driven company attracts purpose-driven people… like Millennials. Did you know that according to Forbes, 64% percent of this demographic say that “making the world a better place” is their top priority? Knowing the “why” will definitely be a motivation boost for them, and it will perhaps align some personal goals with professional ones.
When that happens, you will have the chance to hire some extremely motivated and passionate employees who love their jobs and have a great set of skills and experience in that field, while getting personal satisfaction knowing that they can achieve their “bigger-picture” ambitions. Be honest and true to the fact that more often than not, some employees will need to be reminded of the mission they are working for, so organize visits, events, meetups, discussion groups, and team-building exercises. It’s also helpful to ensure that the mission coordinates with your organizational culture.
Growth and Learning opportunities
It’s part of human nature to strive to evolve and become better. But this demographic in particular is very hungry for knowledge and challenge, so they won’t settle for doing the same thing over and over again. During the recruitment process, make it clear that they will attend courses, training, demanding projects, switch teams and work in a dynamic environment.
When it comes to the talent you’ve already acquired and want to train further, keep in mind that 44% of Millennials are ready to leave a job because they didn’t have the skill development opportunities they wanted and two-thirds wanted to be their own boss, according to Forbes. Therefore, make a habit of regularly checking their expectations, do your best to match them in challenging positions, and even consider offering them the space needed to foster more entrepreneurial endeavors, such as managing their own teams, tackling into project management or human resources, or even finding business partners or collaborations. Keep in mind that Millenials like to move around and think outside the box, which may be a great asset for your business! Encourage collaboration and input, to foster greater innovation, and contribute to the sense of ‘belonging’ we talked about earlier.
Flexibility And Work-Life Balance
Another unique trait of Millennials is the fact that they place a higher value on spending time with family and friends than previous generations. They believe that they work to live, not live to work. They want to have time for their personal endeavors, take care of their health and happiness, and keep their stress levels low. Being open to remote jobs and telecommuting will enable the choice, flexibility, and responsibility they need for self-managing their tasks and time and having an outstanding performance while living a happy and balanced life.
As the employer, it’s worth exploring non-disruptive opportunities to incorporate such candidates. There are many reasons that an ambitious company would want to maintain a culture of regular working hours and presence in the office – ease of communication, oversight, and simpler management are just a few of them. But integrating more ‘remote’ or ‘flexible’ opportunities can come with increases satisfaction, and even savings for employees, so consider accommodating to these requests when it doesn’t interfere with company goals.
Authentic Leadership with Frequent Feedback
For better or worse, this generation is used to getting frequent feedback and immediate response. Create a culture in which expectations are clear, and give feedback on their performance often – informal feedback sessions, or just quick comments and emails, and offer clear lines of communication within the company. These will earn respect for company leadership, and build loyalty. Plus it feeds into the millennial desire to constantly learn and grow.
Simply put: informal sessions of goal and expectation setting, creating meaningful bonds through growth opportunities, enabling a positive change in the world, and fostering a flexible results-oriented culture, is the ideal recipe to ensure that this dynamic group of employees will always do their best.
