Hiring millennials who remain in your organization can be a challenge.
And yet, hiring millennials is also near the top of many managers’ to-do lists. They bring enthusiasm, innovation, and technical skills. The trick is to keep millennials on your team long enough to make a difference. It turns out that there are ways to hire mobile, ambitious millennials who are willing to stick around.
1. Recognize Millennials’ Accomplishments
First, millennials want to know that they matter. That’s why it’s so important to recognize millennials for their efforts. Offer accolades for a job well done. Publicly recognize millennials when they complete big projects. Honor their hard work and praise their accomplishments. Millennials are more likely to stay on your team when they know they’re appreciated.
When you’re hiring millennials, make sure that applicants can see public employee recognition. Include success stories in the careers area of your website. Recognize employees of the month in your public-facing social media. Talk about your employees’ accomplishments during interviews. You need to show millennial job seekers that they’ll be valued members of your team.
Millennials who respond to this hiring approach are likely to thrive in an appreciative atmosphere. They’re also more likely to stay with your company for the long haul.
2. Use Millennial Restlessness To Your Advantage
Many millennials get restless easily. There’s an itch to do new things and make new relationships. As a result, restlessness without an outlet can lead to employee turnover. But it doesn’t have to.
Advertise your company’s advancement program throughout the hiring process.
Provide a career path within your organization that includes extensive hiring from within. Upward mobility is attractive to millennials. It scratches the restlessness itch before millennials leave your organization.
More than that, added responsibility motivates millennials to give their best effort. Promotions should include raises and increased authority. Base promotions on employee merit, and watch millennials excel to earn advancement.
The most important thing is to advertise your company’s advancement program throughout the hiring process. Millennials are more likely to apply for jobs that advertise promotion opportunities. And all things being equal, a job offer with advancement potential will probably beat out competing job offers without it. Best of all, the millennials you attract are more likely to wait for a promotion in your company rather than look elsewhere for career advancement.
3. Help Millennials Learn
Millennials are hungry for information. Most like to learn. So, if you’re in a position to provide tuition reimbursement, that can be a huge motivator. Make sure job applicants know that your company offers it.
Even if you can’t provide tuition reimbursement, find a way to provide some sort of specialized training. Let millennials know that your company will teach them new skills. Use promotions to unlock access to training programs.
Let millennials know that your company will teach them new skills.
Managers can also create a general atmosphere of learning. Give millennials the tools to learn new things. Hold training seminars. Invite employees to teach each other about topics that matter to them. Then make that part of the published job description.
Most organizations already have some kind of a training plan. Tell potential employees about it. You’ll attract millennials who are eager for development. And the employees who join your team to learn are less likely to go elsewhere to expand their skill set.
4. Let Millennials Be Flexible
Millennials crave freedom. Offer it to them. Avoid micromanaging millennials, and entrust them with autonomy appropriate to their job. Try to let new hires work remotely if they want to.
Millennials will like the sound of a company that makes them feel in control.
Finally, whenever you post an open position, list as many options as you can. Millennials will like the sound of a company that makes them feel in control, from dress code to work-life balance. Once they’re hired, millennials are more apt to stay on your team for fear of losing the professional freedom they enjoy.
Keep in mind that millennials also tend to like specific instructions. That’s why it’s important to communicate your expectations clearly. Millennials have a low tolerance for ambiguity. Therefore, if you have trouble retaining millennials, consider how well your management style balances freedom with instruction.
Help Hiring Millennials
ProEdit works with clients from a host of industries to staff talented communicators. If you’re struggling with hiring millennials, then we can help.