Millennial Myths vs. Reality: How to Engage and Hire Next Gen Talent
The business case for harnessing Gen Y's energy, talent and yes, values
By 2014, Millennials (ages 18-35) will make up 36% of the workforce (75% by 2025). To those who buy into the common perceptions of millennials -- they're entitled, self-absorbed, lacking commitment/loyalty -- this must be highly unsettling. Particularly from the perspective of senior management looking to build an invested, focused, competitive workforce.
But take a quick mental survey of your company -- the 28 year old telesales rep who was your top performer last quarter...the 30 year old marketing associate who helped come up with last quarter's successful campaign...the 26 year old programmer who spent the weekend developing a more customer-friendly web interface...Anecdotal, sure, but right in front of you millennials are assuming leadership positions, they are being groomed to assume leadership positions, and they are increasingly becoming the backbone of your organization.
All of which begs the question: how accurate are these common (mis)conceptions? Yes, there are common behaviors (increased use of digital technologies, reliance on social media) and broadly shared wants and expectations (a social and enjoyable work environment, flexible hours, creative input). But are millennials entitled to the point they are comparatively unwilling to work beneath their skill and educational level...or is it merely a matter of them wanting more recognition for working beneath their skill and education level? If they are self-centered and lacking commitment, why are 91% of millennials registered to vote, why do 68% participate in community service and why do 53% consider themselves politically active?
Business leaders need to think more about how to exploit the millennial generation's natural talent for social connectedness, technology, ambition, and creativity. This paper addresses how you can successfully engage millennials, identify the top performers, improve retention and job satisfaction, and improve your ability to manage them.
How to Engage Millennials
"Millennials see themselves as building entrepreneurial careers whether they work for someone else or freelance – they don’t necessarily have to start their own businesses. In fact, more than half (58 percent) already classify themselves as entrepreneurs." (Millennials Are Rewriting the Rules of Work and Entrepreneurship, Employment Trends, Rieva Lesonsky)
Once you see beyond the stereotypes, and realize the energy and passion Millennials can bring to drive your business forward, the next step is to consider a system that enables you to identify top Millennials, and, as importantly engage them -- or, to put it in terms a millennial would respond to, "excite them."
A Model for Engagement and Talent Acquisition.
The following provides a cross section of quotes taken from The Savvy Intern blog where millennial job seekers were asked to weigh in on their pet peeves concerning the job search process. It pairs their comments with key components of a "best practices" engagement and talent acquisition model.
· "Inefficient recruitment systems I am REQUIRED to fill out to apply. If I have to fill them out, you have to keep them up to date."
Most of today's "solutions" are formulaic, requiring applicants to fill in forms and submit resumes. There are, however, automated solutions that can engage each Millennial candidate in a meaningful, relevant, one-on-one interaction -- which are actually ideal for vetting call center candidates as the interaction follows paths similar to those of a typical CRM-type exchange. The flow of questioning can adapt to the way the applicant responds, providing each applicant with a customized engagement best suited to his/her individual skill set, interests, behaviors, and background. This promotes a natural user experience that is far more flexible and interactive than the standard static process.
· "My biggest frustration with recruiters is when they don’t do their homework on recruits. It starts with a non-personalized message and ends up in either the job being a bad fit or the recruit not being qualified for the position. Either way, it leads to false hope and wasted time for both parties simply because the recruiter was too lazy to spend a little more time on initial research."
You can avoid this by choosing a system that gives hiring managers the ability to load a realistic job preview video that articulates the scope, challenges and opportunities of the position. This gives candidates a far more accurate sense of the responsibilities and skills required to determine up front whether it's a good fit and worth pursuing.
· "My pet peeve is when jobs do not tell you when the job closes or post the salary. The unknown can be torture when the process is long."
Transparency and timely communication is essential not just to win the trust of Gen Y candidates, but for all candidates. In addition to providing short-term closure by notifying candidates that they have completed the process, it’s critical to keep them engaged for the long term. There are solutions that enable you to deliver content-specific correspondence scheduled for distribution via e-mail to specific candidate pools based on a range of time and/or event-based triggers—whether it’s a message from the hiring manager, general company news, or an invitation to schedule an in-person interview.
· "My pet peeve, and, I think, even recruiters would agree, is that the length of the recruitment process can be taxing. Sometimes great candidates are lost to other employers as a result of this process."
The hiring process normally spans 6 to 8 weeks and proceeds in fits and starts. As the above states, candidates opt out due to the inconvenience and length of the process. You need to allow candidates to jump right into the system and couch a realistic job preview, the prescreen, interview, assessment, and scheduling activities within a single 15-20 minute engagement -- while giving the applicant the option of disengaging and later reengaging at the point (s)he left off.
· "I want to make sure a future employer takes the time to answer all of my questions, and most importantly, gives me the feeling that I am a strong asset to the company and my work is going to be appreciated!"
Fluid communications at each key stage of the process is crucial, from setting realistic expectations at the outset, to communicating the level of interest post-interview, to keeping the candidate "warm" when there are no immediate openings. But another key aspect in communicating that the candidate will be appreciated -- clearly a key concern among Millennials -- is providing a sense of the company culture. Taking this a step further, it's important to ask questions that allow the candidate to determine whether he/she will comfortably fit the company culture -- which conveys a sense of the value an organization puts on an employee's contribution, the opportunities an employee has to express him or herself (which you can demonstrate during the eval process by inviting a candidate's opinions), and the ways in which the candidate is recognized, rewarded and advanced.
Conclusion
The consensus on Millennials is that they're entitled and from a company's standpoint, unprepared. We trust that we've punctured some of the myths and stereotypes of Millennials, and showed how they can be a huge asset driving your company forward. Gen Y is much more productive than they are given credit for -- they know how to use technology efficiently, they are invested in work when it aligns with their passions, committed when their contributions and ideas are encouraged and recognized, are inherently effective "networkers" communicating your brand -- making them natural recruiters for top talent. An assessment/hiring solution that incorporates the elements outlined above will enable you to more effectively and reliably identify top talent...and tap the limitless reserves of Gen Y energy, technical skill, collaborative tendencies and "entrepreneurial" zeal to drive your organization forward.
Author:
Larry Cummings – Chief Connector
Human Resource Management Center, Inc.
205-821-3039 – @Chief_Connector – @TalentPlatform – www.HRMC.com
~Championing Talent Acquisition Key Performance Indicators~