HR must rethink approach to talent acquisition and retention

HR must rethink its approach to talent acquisition and retention when working with millennials. 

That’s according to Ade McCormack, Digital Strategist and Near Futurist who tackles the issue in his new book,  ‘Beyond Nine to Five – Your career guide for the digital age’ who warns HR that millennials require a different reward structure and an empowering work environment for happiness at work.

Speaking exclusinvely to HR Grapevine McCormack explains: “Millennials have watched their parents attempting to climb the greasy career pole and acquire the industrial era status symbols of success, which included big homes, flash cars and exotic holidays. But they consider the price paid in terms of lost discretionary time and being in a perpetual state of distractedness as one they are not prepared to pay.

“Thus HR professionals need to rethink their approach to talent acquisition and retention. But keep in mind, not every young person constitutes talent. Talent might be defined as a unique set of capabilities that can be applied to a business challenge, or indeed to redefining the organisation’s overall strategy. Such a set of capabilities do not lend themselves to automation, so talent in its true sense does not mean corporate compliant ‘technology placeholder’ in the factory machine.”