Contrary to popular belief, HR officers and recruitment firm are not having difficulties finding great millennial talents for start-up companies. They will never run out of applicants who are hungry for work experience.
Regarding salary, this generation knows their value, so they don’t usually ask for huge salaries from the get-go. Instead, they let their knowledge grow to become worthy of bigger packages.
The trick to attracting these applicants is knowing and applying the work practices they look for. Keep in mind, though, that millennial practices can be disruptive when it comes to the corporate setting, so some of these may not really be traditional working habits.
Flexible work environment
Forcing employees to stick to an eight-hour schedule inside the four corners of a cubicle is an antiquated practice that millennials tend to stay away from. They believe in work-life balance and working in a comfortable location, as these can help them produce quality work.
Fortunately, most start-ups have already adapted the millennial flexibility. Give your employees the option to work during hours when they are more productive, and in places where they can be more creative.
Being confident that they can do the work with minimal supervision gives them the motivation to do better.
1. Progress
Millennials don’t always just look for career advancement, they also go after personal growth. According to Millennials at Work: Reshaping the Workplace, a report from the PwC, they value training and development the most and look for more challenging work when they are ready.
For them, not getting personal development while in a company is reason enough to leave. Make sure to let your employees know how they can progress. Lay out the conditions and schedule for promotion and salary increase.
You can also consider smaller position jumps instead of large moves, as it will allow you to recognize excellent performance more often.
2. Office culture
Instilling the Internet culture that millennials are very familiar with will instantly give your company points. They like it when their company is very active in social media, so don’t forget to regularly update your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.
But more importantly, millennials actually prefer an office culture of teamwork and nurture. Creating a tight-knit atmosphere can help you attract this group to your company. Be more welcoming of their feedback to make them feel more appreciated, valued, and ultimately, motivated.
3. Mentorship
For millennials, a manager or supervisor is more than just a leader, he or she should also be a teacher that they can learn from.
In the study “Maximizing Millennials in the Workplace” by Sun Microsystems, employees who were mentored have a 23% higher retention rate than those who were not, with the mentors themselves having a 20% higher retention rate.
Mentorship shows that the immediate managers genuinely care about their employees’ career paths and skill growth. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it can actually foster long-term loyalty.
4. Sense of purpose
The way for small businesses to attract a more socially-aware generation is to openly express how their job can contribute to society.
Millennials don’t just want to bring in the profits, they also want a more profound sense of purpose for themselves. As much as possible, don’t give them a job that goes against their values.
These conditions are generally reasonable and are placed to motivate millennials to be better at their job to ultimately make them stay with a company for a long time.
