Millennials also know as Generation Y, are a demographic comprising of 18-34-year-olds and number more than 80 million people in the country today. Consequently, more and more millennials are coming into today’s workforce and HR staff should know that they have somewhat different expectations and standards than previous generations in terms of how a workplace should operate. This is especially important, as millennials have no problem quitting their job to find different work if they feel the company does not suit their needs. Below are some ways that you can make your workplace more millennial-friendly to attract and retain new talent.
Flexibility and Time Off
Despite the societal perception that millennials seem both entitled and lazy, they are in fact well-educated, hard-working, and tech savvy. Nevertheless, it should be noted that they do value their time away from the workplace and it would be a good idea to offer a degree of paid-time off to prospective millennial employees. Studies have shown that millennials also tend to keep odd work hours and desire more flexibility in the hours they work. It is therefore a good idea to offer flexible working patterns to attract and retain millennial workers.
Feeling Valued
Many millennial employees are attracted to work where they feel they can accomplish something worthwhile or a role in which they can make a difference. Consequently, employers should try to provide millennials with important opportunities where they feel they can shine. Millennials also need to feel that their opinion is valued at the company so it’s important to encourage a work environment that values and promotes collaboration. A top-down hierarchical administration may not be suitable for these workers and organizing the workplace into a team based setup where employees can work and collaborate in groups is ideal.
Millennial employees feel valued if they are provided opportunities to give their ideas and feedback concerning specific projects or input on how to improve company practices or culture. This can be facilitated by using employee questionnaires during the year to invite feedback from staff. Moreover, managers should set clear and tangible goals for their workers to create opportunities for staff to have their accomplishments measured and recognized. Helping staff to feel valued increases the chances that they will be more committed and loyal to the organization.
Transparency is important
Millennials have grown up in a world of constant connectivity in which information is easily accessible thanks to mobile devices. As a result, Millennials tend to expect transparency in the workplace and this includes having their employers be up front with them in all matters and provide them with comprehensive information. This is an especially important task for HR staff who can display such transparency when communicating information related to salaries, benefits and other compensation. By being completely honest and up front, HR staff and employers can help to build up trust with millennial employees and this can help the organization in terms of worker retention.
With the emergence of a younger workforce, it’s important for HR staff to understand the employees’ values and expectations and employ measures to accommodate this growing group of worker types.
