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In HR circles, everyone is talking about millennials because by 2025, they’re expected to make up 75% of the working population. To attract and keep the best millennial talent, employers need to move away from traditional recruitment approaches.
This is the generation that began entering the workforce from 2000 onwards (hence the name). Born in the decade from the mid-80s onwards, demographic commentators describe millennials as confident, tech-savvy and concerned about inclusiveness and equal rights.
So, what should recruiters be doing differently?
1. The formal language that companies have adopted for decades doesn’t resonate that well with millennials. They respond to more transparent and direct communication and they’re looking for employers that share their values and approach to life. This isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ – these are young people who actively avoid dealing with companies if they don’t agree with their values, political stance or business practices.
It’s also worth considering how you could use one of your most compelling assets – your current staff. Rather than hiding behind anonymous corporate statements and professional photos, many forward-thinking businesses are using their own people in their brand communications. Why not talk to your staff about what they enjoy about their work and the company culture – and then see if that can be used on your website or social media pages for example.
HR Action: Avoid corporate speak and be genuine
2. A defining factor of millennials is that they grew up whilst the technology revolution took hold around them. This generation can’t actually remember a time before mobile phones and the internet, so non-digital practices seem rather quaint to them.
Millennials look for jobs and assess potential employers online. They’re most likely to search for jobs on their smartphone so take care to ensure your job adverts are mobile-friendly. And be aware of websites such as Glassdoor (which allows employees to anonymously review their own workplace). Every HR recruiter should regularly review what contributors are posting. Positive comments are welcomed; it’s also important to be aware of negative views, as these can indicate potential issues which HR can resolve or counterbalance in other ways.
HR Action: Encourage and monitor online activity
3. Millennials enter the workplace with high awareness of technology and its huge potential. Their daily life is already digital, so they naturally expect the workplace to be the same. If your company still relies on paper and admin heavy processes, they’re likely to be baffled by the inefficiency.
HR can ease the way with HR software which provides advantages such as online onboarding processes as well as self-service tools for employees.
HR Action: Actively embrace technology rather than avoid it
Finally, remember that we all want to work in an environment where morale is good, colleagues are positive and satisfaction levels are generally high. And it’s exactly that sort of company which finds that employee referrals (online and offline) give fast and easy access to like-minded candidates.
To discover more about HR software, take a look at the Access Workspace for People demo videos and see how different roles across your business can benefit.
