Welcome back to our new hiring series! Today, we’re focusing on Millennials – with birth dates spanning between 1981 – 1996 (and we know, this is subjective), this group is anywhere between 1 and 15 years older than their Gen-Z coworker counterparts. So, if you fall into this age group, or if you’re an employer advertising position towards this age group, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to find out how to hire and retain this generation of professionals!

Let’s… Recruit Millennials!

“Purpose Over Paycheck”: Historically, motivation has been fueled by incentive which is salaries and wages. There has been no greater reason to achieve results than by your expected compensation. However, this trend differs among millennials. In fact, these professionals actually prefer to feel a greater purpose for their work and being over a simple paycheck. It is when their responsibilities appear valuable and worthwhile that the greatest results and levels of motivation are achieved.
- Extra tip: If you own or work for a company that is unsure of how to prove its purpose to its employees, make sure that you are aligned with the higher mission and vision guiding your initiatives. Is your direction toward a higher goal clear? Are your aspirations felt throughout your company? Can any given employee states the company mission with confidence? If the answer to any of these is ‘no’, consider re-assessing the company’s purpose.
Mentors, Support, and Employee Relationships: Millennials have proven to be less responsive to traditional supervisors, and more receptive when appointed caring mentors. Where the image of a “boss” usually coordinates with a visual of someone hovering over employees, enforcing deadlines or reminders, and in several instances enacting disciplinary actions, mentors are illustrated in a majorly different light. Mentors teach accountability, responsibility, and diligence with a stronger sense of support and care. This attitude is much more effective among the millennial generation.
Using Failure as a Part of the Process: Understanding that failure brings ultimate success is a vital component of the “recipe” for retention. It is most meaningful when employers help their millennial employees “get back up” after symbolically “falling down” after a failed assignment that may not have reflected the true effort. Collaboration is a key component of this process so that the final presentation of a project is not the first time it is being evaluated.
- Extra tip: If you’re managing Millennials, make sure to always leave room for failure and for your team to learn from its mistakes. Whether this means kicking off projects earlier to extend the deadline, having ‘mock’ presentations before sharing with leadership, or hosting weekly ‘check-ins’ to track project progress, make sure to offer opportunities through which your employees can begin getting comfortable with trying new things and sometimes starting over.
Coaching and Promoting Growth: Instilling a level of freedom among these employees will allow them to activate their unique senses of creativity. This same culture built on healthy flexibility, as opposed to a more structured design, will help these crucial figures in completing their responsibilities with a necessary level of comfort and confidence in their work. Additionally, making employees aware of their potential for upward mobility will allow them to work even harder to reach greater success.
Work-Life Balance: Ultimately, remember that these employees come from a younger generation with values infused in their own preferences. Many of these employees expect to clock out after 5 PM and log on right before 9 AM – so, meet your employees where they’re about! Ask them about their work schedule, in-person structure, and daily preferences so as to meet them in the middle and compromise your company outlook with the attributes that will steer them towards being motivated to achieve success.

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