Millennials, also known as Generation Y, have now become the largest group of professionals in the US workforce, making up 1/3 of employees. ¹ These are people who were born between the years 1981 and 1996. While I was surprised to hear that millennials now have the largest population in the workforce, it makes sense. Generation X and Baby Boomers are retiring and millennials are starting to take over.

However, what many employers may not be thinking about is how this affects hiring and retention strategies. The traditional tactics that would attract Generation X and Baby Boomers no longer work for this new generation. This means a exchange is needed Companies need to recruit, attract and retain candidates in a completely different way than has been done in the past. In this article, we’ll look at some of the values ​​millennials have in an employer and how to keep them engaged during the hiring process.

Attract millennials and know what they want

To attract millennials to a company, you need to know what they want and what they value in an employer. What millennials want is completely different from previous generations. Salary and healthcare benefits are important, but there are many other factors that are now coming into play, such as paid time off, job flexibility, working at home, company culture, opportunities for growth, etc. Although these conditions are important to attract talent, they are also important to retain it. Millennials are notorious for changing jobs. They stay with a company for a couple of years for experience and then yearn for an exciting new opportunity. A Gallup study revealed that 21% of millennials reported changing jobs in the past year, which is more than three times the number of non-millennials. When you hire a candidate, you expect them to work for a long period of time. That is why knowing your wants and needs is extremely important.

Work flexibility and work at home

As hard as it may be to believe, many millennials don’t believe in a standard 9 to 5 job. They think they’re more productive working outside of regular work hours and mixing in breaks along the way. If they do the work and meet the deadlines, why do they have to work between 9 and 5? Millennials want flexible hours and a work-life balance. According to a Gallup study, flexibility is one of the highest-ranked benefits, ahead of student loans or tuition reimbursement. A Gallup study also found that 50% of millennials reported that they would change jobs if they could work remotely part of the time.

Work flexibility and work-from-home opportunities may not be standard at many companies, but statistics suggest these are benefits the new workforce is seeking. In order to attract good millennial talent, all employers should consider offering some of these benefits.

Company Culture and Professional Growth

Company culture is also important to millennials. They want to work in a culture they can trust. In fact, millennials are 22 times more likely to work at a company for a long time if they trust the culture, according to research by Great Place to Work. They also want to be committed to the company. A Gallup study showed that millennials are more engaged with the employer when managers hold regular meetings and provide feedback. Feedback lets millennials know what they need to improve and what they can do to grow professionally within their company. Millennials are motivated and want to advance their career quickly. In addition, millennials value training and education. Offering them classes, workshops, seminars, and certifications will help attract and retain them longer.

In general, when it comes to culture, it will be important for employers to highlight the culture millennials are looking for, this includes non-job related benefits. Do you celebrate birthdays? Do you have summer outings? Do you offer free snacks and drinks to your employees in the office? These are all aspects that define a company’s culture and can help differentiate an employer. By focusing on benefits millennials value, employers will be able to attract and retain more millennial candidates.

educate customers

Lastly, what is also important to note in this section is the importance of educating your customers. As recruiters, you have behind-the-scenes access to what millennials are looking for in an employer. However, the companies you recruit for may not know what millennials want. They may have outdated practices that they didn’t even know were outdated. They might even get frustrated if they’re trying to recruit younger talent and no one wants to work for them. By educating your clients, you will help them understand that they need to change some of their practices. They will appreciate your inquiry if it means attracting better talent to your company. It will also help you as a recruiter to bring them better talent. It’s a win, win for both of us.

Keeping Millennial Candidates Engaged in the Recruitment Process

So far, we’ve immersed ourselves in understanding what millennials are looking for and educating their customers about their needs and wants. The next challenge is keeping candidates engaged during the hiring process. There are several different ways to do this.

Make the application process simple and mobile friendly

Millennials value technology and are the most tech-savvy generation, so ease of use when completing an online application is critical. It will deter them if the app is cumbersome and not easy to use. You also want to make sure your app is mobile friendly. 85% of millennials access the internet from their phones, according to a Gallup survey. Millennials are always on their phones and always multitasking. It’s critical that your job application be mobile-friendly so candidates can complete it no matter where they are or what device they’re using.

ease of communication

Ease of communication is also key to keeping millennials engaged. If your recruiting and staffing company is not yet send text messages candidates, then it is essential to start. Millennial candidates want to be able to communicate with you easily, and texting is the preferred form of communication. There are also many benefits from a recruiter’s point of view to texting candidates. One of them is faster response time. When candidates see a text message, they are more likely to respond immediately compared to receiving an email with the same information. The average response time for an email is 90 minutes, but only 90 seconds for a text message. ² This allows you to get your answers faster and move on to other tasks. Also, text messages are a good way to communicate with candidates who work in an office. Candidates cannot easily accept phone calls during work hours, especially if it is about a job opportunity. However, a text is much easier to respond to.

In addition to sending text messages, cat boxes on websites are popular with millennials. Many prefer to chat with a robot or person on their website and then call the office. This is a good way to attract new candidates you are not yet working with. If they visit your recruiting and staffing company’s website and have a question, they can easily ask it via chat. There are many cheap chat box providers who can easily install the chat widget on their website.

When it comes to communication, you also want be responsive and provide regular updates. If they send you a text or email, try to respond within the same day so that their question doesn’t hang up. They will lose interest if they don’t hear from you. Also, continually provide updates. Even if a candidate didn’t land a job or the next interview, you want to notify them and not leave them wondering. This will help your reputation as a recruiter and strengthen your relationship with the candidate so you can continue to work together.

Stay active on social media

93% of US millennials say they use social media to connect with friends and family. ³ This means you want to be in the social space. This is where millennials spend much of their time both day and night. As they scroll through your news feed, you want to be there and grab their attention. To do this, you first need to make sure that you encourage candidates to follow your company on social media. Second, you want to post relevant and interesting information. It’s great to post about job opportunities that might pique their interest as they scroll down their feed, but it’s also important to post resources for them. Job post after job post can become stale and eventually they can all mingle where your followers lose interest in your content. Post a healthy mix of blog articles, tips, videos, etc. that candidates would find useful. Anything related to interviewing, job hunting, finding the right job, and more would grab their attention. The more they see and interact with you on social media, the more engaged they will be with your business and seek your services.

Personalize your experience

Everyone feels good when a conversation is about them and personalized to their experiences. Sometimes if you communicate with a candidate on social media or in an email, they can easily tell that it’s a message you’re sending to a lot of people. Try to find ways to tailor your message to each candidate, especially when you first contact them. Connect your experiences with the job opportunity in your message. Make the message more about them and how you could help connect them to the next opportunity they’re looking for. Talk about the job opportunity in your message, but also ask what they might be looking for. If this is your first time contacting, you really don’t know what they’re looking for. A job may seem like a good fit for them, based on their experiences, but they may be looking to go in a different direction. The more personal, sincere and conversational you make the message, the more likely they are to respond.

In addition, sending video emails is also popular. This is a new and unique way to connect with candidates when you first reach out or tell them about a job opportunity they may be a good fit for. In the video message, be sure to say their name and tailor it to them. It’s a great way to stand out and show that you care about making a video just for them.

the new age is here

Whether companies are already doing many of these things or changes are needed, what we know is that millennials aren’t going anywhere and will continue to make up the largest population in the workforce for the foreseeable future. Efficiency, hard work, and dependability are all traits that companies want their employees to have in order to produce results and grow as a company. However, to have good talent, we must adapt to the new workforce. The new era is here!

Quotes

  1. daily business news

  2. CTIA Study

  3. Gallup Study: How Millennials Want to Work and Live