6 Steps Companies Can Take to Successfully Recruit Millennials
By: David Rosenzweig
Tags: Human Resources, Recruitment, Next Gen, Young Professionals, Millennials In Workplace

Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash

Re-Published From My Blog, Next Gen Today.

According to PwC, Millennials, those born between 1981–1996, will form 50% of the global workforce starting this year and 75% of the global workforce by 2030. As members of Gen-Z enter the workforce as well, these two groups are in high demand and will reshape workplace dynamics for years to come.

The time is now for companies to prepare for this next generation of talent and address their unique needs in the workplace. While companies struggle to boost morale and retain these early professionals, a company’s first impression can either build a foundation of trust or cynicism with ripple effects down the road.

With that in mind, here are 6 steps companies can take to make a strong first impression during the recruitment process:

A Strong Mission Statement. According to Deloitte, less than half of Millennial employees believe corporations behave ethically and are committed to societal improvement. Companies can change this perception by developing a strong mission statement that emphasizes its core values and how they align with bettering the world. A Diverse Workplace. As social change, from the Black Lives Matter movement to immigrant rights to LGBTQ rights, shifts to the forefront of daily life, Millennials particularly are demanding a more diverse workplace, especially in positions of leadership. While over two-thirds of Millennials are motivated by workplaces with diverse senior management teams, nearly half do not see their leadership as diverse. Ask About Employee Motivations. When companies and managers fail to understand what motivates employees in their work, they are often hamstrung or misguided when trying to retain them down the road. Thus, some companies have made asking about employee motivations a part of the application process, ensuring that they can be more proactive in addressing their individual needs. For instance, they may provide options such as work-life balance, work flexibility, pay, leadership opportunities, and recognition as reasons behind workplace motivation. Be Communicative and Provide Feedback. Not every applicant is the perfect fit for a position. However, an HR or Hiring Manager’s ability to be communicative about where an applicant stands in the hiring process or provide feedback on how they could improve their application or interviewing can be enormously helpful to them. Even for companies with fewer resources to be proactive, managers should be receptive and responsive when an applicant reaches out with a question. This can play a major role in how an applicant views a company and whether he or she may be interested in applying to another position there in the future. Promote Key Perks. Early professionals want to know what sets a company apart from others they may be interested in. While pay will always be a motivator, Millennials tend to prize other factors just as or more importantly than money. These include work flexibility (both remote work opportunities and flexible hours), professional development, community service opportunities, happy hours, and personal days. A commitment to perks like these can provide a company with a competitive advantage in the recruitment process. Prepare a Possible Career Roadmap. While I have only hired interns in the past, a common question I was asked was whether the internship could help land them a full-time job or other opportunity at the company down the road. From my experience as an applicant and discussions with hiring managers, this is a question they hear constantly as well. Even if a company does not have a formal career pathing process, it needs to be prepared to answer this question and provide a framework for what they can envision an employee’s career development looking like. This gives early professionals the impression that they are a valued contributor to a company’s long-term success.

While each of these steps is backed by research, they have also shaped my own decisions around companies I’m interested in, companies I have left, and companies I have not been hired by but would apply or not apply to again.

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