5 Tips to Recruit Millennials

Millennials today form the largest segment of the workforce and the fastest growing group of potential recruits. Millennials bring with them an advantage of their knowledge of technology and unique viewpoints to the workplace.

Millennials and what is important to them

Generally, millennials are defined as those individuals born between 1981 and 1997. They are often very misunderstood; and people believe that they are enigmatic, non-committal and difficult to please. They are perceived as those that move between jobs every three years and therefore add to the turnover rates of companies when compared to employees of other generations.

Millennials have a unique outlook on work and life. They are extremely comfortable and fluent with using technology and automation. They are also very achievement-oriented and thrive when they have a clear set of goals to achieve. They prefer working as a team and have a good rapport with co-workers. They do not like to have business-like transactions like generations before them had and prefer to have a personal relationship with colleagues. They crave positive stroking and value any input and feedback about their work.

Most millennials are like this although it is wrong to stereotype them. General characteristics of the millennial generation are:

1.     Millennials are very open about asking questions. They don’t hesitate to ask and so answering them will involve detailed explanation and soft-handling by a leader.
2.     They are open about asking for accommodations at work and will not just keep their head down and work
3.     They like inclusive and equitable workplaces.
4.     Due to their exposure to social media, they often seek validation. Hence they need both positive feedback and constructive criticism for jobs done.
5.     They place greater value on the culture and values of a company.

Talent acquisition and retention strategies for millennials

Unique recruitment process

Today’s millennials are no more looking for job opportunities through ads in a newspaper. A lot of young people today look for jobs on platforms like LinkedIn because it gives them a personal touch and direct access to a recruiter. These platforms allow the recruiter to assess the background of the individual before beginning communication with them which is very attractive to the millennials. Millennials live a large part of their lives online and hence they use social media and mobile phones to search and apply for jobs. So, if you are serious about recruiting millennials, you have to ramp up your social media recruitment strategy and your employer branding. You also have to optimize your online presence to the mobile experience.

Fulfilling career roadmap

Millennials love it when they have a fruitful path of growth within the company. While they are invested in the company, they want to be sure that the company is invested in them too. They want to see how they fit into the long-term future of the company and how HR and the management will assist them to get there. They do not appreciate it if their manager behaves like a supervisor. They prefer to view their managers as their professional coaches. Since most millennials change jobs every three years, instead of getting them to focus on the long-term, it may be better to focus on work-life balance and the experience that they gain within the company.

Company culture and diversity

Apart from good compensation, millennial workers look for cultural fit and alignment with their values. They wish to be associated with companies that have a good work culture and like to have deep connections with co-workers and often treat their managers as their “best friend”. Millennials also like to work for companies that have a good CSR focus and are invested in making the community around them better. Millennials value equity and diversity and place a lot of importance on how minorities are treated. Communicating how you do this during recruitment is a smart move.

Millennials and benefits

Traditional benefits that companies offer are not very attractive to millennials. They are looking at what matters to them at this stage in life. So, traditional retirement plans and health insurance may not seem as attractive to them as probably a wellness program or a chance to be part of a community initiative. They may not ignore the traditional benefits fully but a better work-life balance and flexible work schedule will be very attractive to them. 

Assessing their ability

You need to let millennials know how they can make positive contributions to the company. You will need to assess their abilities like deconstructing complicated things or even their ability to work under pressure. You can do this using personality questionnaires, role-play, skill tests and behavioral interview questions. That way you can assess whether they have it in them to stay on top of your company’s learning curve.

Conclusion

Like job candidates from any generation, it is important to know how to connect with millennials, understanding their expectations and priorities. To be a top employer of millennials, you must showcase your company as one that offers a total package which includes good wages, benefits and perks that will make their life better.

Visit Xpheno, our website, to find the best job opportunities in India. We are a staffing firm that aims to organize opportunities for skilled and unskilled Indian talent. We have been aiding the scaling journey of high-growth sectors like Fintech, Agritech, Edtech, Logistics, Pharma and D2C in India.