Millennials tend to be career-focused in college (50% of recent college graduates say they know exactly what they want to do at work) and yet, it now takes longer than ever for them to find jobs. Despite all the benefits of hiring Millennials, the average job search for unemployed college graduates now takes 27 weeks versus 12 weeks in 1979.
In today’s candidate driven market, an employer needs to take appropriate steps to attract and secure the best Millennial talent.
Adapt Recruiting Techniques for Hiring Millennials
The days of simply offering competitive salaries and benefits packages are over. For example, Millennials are looking for growth potential and the opportunity to learn new skills. They are not only seeking salary and job titles.
Companies need to adapt by using recruiting strategies that will appeal to Millennials. They seek jobs online, through job boards, and social media–but still use personal contacts and print media. What is a huge difference in the way Millennials job search is how much more likely they are to trust reviews and feedback from current employees on review sites, such as Glassdoor, than rely on the word of the recruiter or senior leadership.
Millennial candidates are also likely to be more candid with their recruiters about what they are looking for. This openness can be disarming for people who are used to guarded behavior in work (and interview) situations–but it can benefit you in your recruitment.
Recruiting Millennials Using Perks with a Purpose
Millennials are seeking meaningful perks that affect their lives–they choose workplace satisfaction overcompensation. 76% of Millennials in the workforce say that they would be more likely to accept a job that offered college loan repayment assistance. Some companies are more creative with their perks, like paying part of the premium for pet insurance or by offering onsite physical and mental wellness programs. Flexibility is another popular perk. Are you offering any of these? Are there others that make sense for your company, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of Millennials?
Remember Millennials want to make an impact in this world. Perhaps consider offering paid volunteer days or charitable opportunities as a team. The team days benefit both the local community and your company.
While many of these perks will have appeal across the generations, one feature that is particularly suited to Millennials is the opportunity to work as a group: they will likely want to hear about group training, team-building activities, and other group activities (such as a softball league).
Evolve Your Workplace Culture
Your millennial employees are your best recruitment tool for hiring millennials.
Appealing to Millennials may mean some evolution in your corporate culture, which will likely benefit all employees. For example, Millennials want on-the-job training and the opportunity to gain more skills. They are happy to wear many hats and take on “other tasks as assigned,” if they feel that these will add to their skillsets. When you recruit, it’s important to let them know that they will have opportunities to grow with the company.
The Millennial Brand Ambassador
To attract (and retain) top Millennial talent, it’s critical to focus on branding for your employer brand just as you do for your company brand. 77% of Millennials choose a company that provides a sense of purpose.
Your current employees may be your best recruiting tool. When you are creating your dynamic media, consider using your staff’s actual photos instead of stock images or use them in your recruiting videos. This is a fun way to provide authentic testimonials about your workplace.
Empower your employees to be your first line of brand ambassadors. Millennials share their experiences online, so create a corporate environment where they will express their positive experiences with other job hunters on social media or adapt how you hire Millennial talent.
Finally, ask your Millennial employees what attracted them to your company and why they like working there. You will learn a lot from them about how to attract others. They will likely share something about changes they’d like to see — and that may make this exercise frightening. It is possible that everyone in your company will benefit from this corporate culture evolution. Your current staff will enjoy the opportunity to share their feelings openly and honestly, thus cultivating an environment where everyone thrives. And who knows — maybe you’ll finally get those nap pods, on-site massages, and even climbing walls.
Check out the rest of our recruiting Millennials series here:
Understanding Millennial Characteristics in the Workplace.
