Currently, Millennials make up the majority of the workforce. If your organization struggles to attract, develop, and retain Millennial talent, meeting your recruitment and retention goals is far more challenging. As a result, knowing how to recruit, lead, and inspire them is essential for a company’s success.
Ultimately, understanding what Millennials want from their careers and their employers makes the process of recruiting, leading, and inspiring Millennials easier. Here’s a look into the values, work approaches, and priorities of this generation.
An Emphasis on Culture and Connection
Millennials prefer workplaces with positive cultures where they can build connections with their colleagues. The strength of their workplace relationships matters to Millennials, as well as having a supportive, inclusive environment that helps them succeed. That allows them to have a sense of community, making their work more pleasant – even when tasks are challenging – and meaningful.
Feeling appreciated is another key component. Millennials prefer a culture where efforts and achievements are recognized. As a result, leaders and managers need to focus on showing their gratitude when leading Millennials, as that will boost engagement, job satisfaction, and more.
Meaningful Work and Social Responsibility
For Millennials, earning a paycheck alone isn’t enough to keep them motivated. Instead, they want to know that their efforts are meaningful, preferably connecting to a greater mission and their values. They prioritize that sense of alignment, as well as the intrinsic benefits of knowing they’re making a difference.
Additionally, Millennials favor socially responsible employers. Precisely how this unfolds at an organization can vary, but supporting the broader community and acting in ways that benefit others is typically at the core.
Opportunities to Grow and Advance
Millennials often have a reputation for job hopping, one that isn’t wholly deserved. Often, what spurs their exit from a company isn’t purely change for its own sake; it’s the desire to grow and advance. Essentially, if a Millennial feels stagnant in a position, they’ll look elsewhere to keep their career moving forward.
As a result, offering opportunities to grow and advance is critical for recruiting and inspiring Millennials. That includes having training programs, offering mentorships, and developing clear pathways for promotions. Additionally, offering constructive feedback is typically part of the equation, as that assists with ongoing development.
Managers with Coaching Mindsets
Similar to the point above, Millennials favor workplaces where managers adopt a coaching mindset. They want personalized guidance that helps them excel without the input veering into micromanaging territory. Essentially, they want to know what it takes to meet or exceed expectations without managers diving so deep as to control every aspect regarding how tasks are performed. By creating that sense of balance, Millennials feel supported without being stymied, resulting in higher productivity and greater job satisfaction.
In the end, the tips above can help you recruit, lead, and inspire Millennials in the workplace. If you’d like to learn more about how your company can effectively attract and retain Millennials or are working to fill a vacant position, The Squires Group wants to hear from you. Contact us today.
