Millennials
are CONSUMERS of the workplace. This is one of the definitive research findings
shared by Gallup during its summer conference on Millennials in the Work Place
and Life Space. The implications of such a statement are profound and has me
thinking out loud about how organizations and corporations will need to
approach recruiting and retaining top talent.
The
Millennial cohort now comprises 38% of the workforce which makes them the
largest cohort now working. Among the research, there is general agreement that
this the most technologically connected generation who depend on social media
and on-line resources for just about every aspect of their daily lives. From
purchasing (e.g. Amazon), transportation (Uber and Lyft), to hotel stays (Airbnb),
the list is endless with emergent technologies debuting daily.
When it
comes to the job search, the expectations of how to obtain information similar.
Millennials will use the web to research a company, obtain reviews from other
sites, and connect with social media to learn first-hand about experiences from
new hires. The issue is that most companies and organizations that want top
talent are lagging in terms of how to use their portals to both INFORM and
ATTRACT.
According
to Gallup scientists, here are some of the essential considerations that must be
incorporated into any recruitment strategy:
- Omni Channel and Omnipresent – millennials expect to be able to learn about a prospective employer using the tools they are comfortable with (i.e. video, ALL social media platforms, websites, etc.). Further they want to both apply for jobs and know their status in the search process or the status of their application through automated messaging, application portals, etc. and that all such information is current. Further, they want to be able to find that information on multiple platforms such as their phones, tablets, computers, etc.
- Value-added - millennials do not need to hard sell (they have been marketed to their entire lives and are very savvy consumers!). They want to find information about what the organization does well in terms of their marketplace competitiveness and where they do good in their community. An organization that just communicates their WHAT but not their WHY will be disadvantaged.
- Growth Potential – millennials want to know ON THE FRONT END how they can benefit FROM and add benefit TO a potential work place versus just waiting to find out this information after they have been hired.
- Positive Experience – from start to finish, millennials respond best to a very personalized experience. Even if they do not proceed through the selection process, organizations that make efforts to complement their credentials, time on task, etc. leave more of a positive impression. Going the extra step of encouraging future applications and providing free career development modules will earn an organization a lot of “social credits”. Unfortunately, most companies rely on terse, automated messages that just communicate that their credentials and experience was not sufficient. There are a variety of review websites where such negative experiences are widely shared among millennials and can quickly hurt a company’s brand image.
The point
to remember is that millennials view the application process as a “mutually
selective” process where they are evaluating the prospective organization as
much as they are being evaluated!
Leaders and companies that attend to the points above will be much better
positioned in the “talent war” to come as older cohorts start to retire out of
the work place. One great example of how an organization to utilize technology
to attract talent is to develop or outsource informational videos that appeal
to this cohort. Recently I met a representative from an innovative group called Sizzle. This group of innovators will produce recruitment and brand image videos for a client that
remind you of college recruitment videos! See an example below:
I have no
connection to this group other than I think they have a great approach that
will only be replicated by other organizations. For more information on how I
can assist your organization in reviewing current efforts on this topic and
aligning generational efforts, I urge you to go to my website link below and
click on THE STUDIO tab!
As always if I can help you and the
people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE
guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such
an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant –
Out Loud Strategies
Independent Coach,
Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
Feel free to “LIKE” our
FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc
No comments:
Post a Comment