Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2015 | Page 74
People BY ADAM PIERNO
Now Hiring!
Recruiting and retaining the best Millennials
S
o, you’re hiring again. You have
positions open and want to make
sure the employees you bring in
will meet your goals—or exceed
them. No matter what position you’re trying
to fill, your hiring pool probably consists
of those aged 18 to 34, otherwise known
as Millennials. As the Millennial group
matures, we have seen that
they have a unique outlook
on work and corporate life,
but can be great employees
when properly motivated
and understood, based on
a few key insights.
1) Transparency
The job market has not exactly been great for Millennials as they graduated college
and joined the workforce.
This has had a few different
effects on their perspective
on jobs and careers. One
is that they have become
less trustful of corporations,
meaning they’re less likely
to take things at face value.
They expect transparency and are likely
to reject someone they feel is guarded or
protective of critical information.
To win over Millennial candidates,
provide them with access to the information they’re seeking. Traditionally,
brands looking to hire have had a simple
employment page on their website with a
link to an application. Instead, build out
a featured employment section and give
them the information they commonly ask
about. If it’s more-sensitive information,
ask for an email address and provide them
with access through a link in a confirmation message.
Millennials have grown up during a recessionary period, but they’ve also grown
up in the digital age. They will research
your company and employment one way
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or another. Offer the information on your
terms. Consider linking to employment
review sites such as Glassdoor.
Just as with customer communications,
you’ll never control all the conversations
happening about your company across
the web. Don’t try to. Instead, displaying them with pride and making an ef-
fort to mediate any issues you find will
demonstrate the transparency valued by
this generation.
2) Entrepreneurial ways
Another effect of the difficult job market
Millennials faced during the Great Recession is that they have developed some
of the skills of an entrepreneur. They’ve
sought out ways to make income beyond
the traditional job or career track. They
may be more willing to take on unconventional roles or combine tasks that have
been separate in the past.
3) How to communicate with
Millennials
• Freedom: There are two ways to
speak to this insight as you recruit Mil-
lennial candidates. First, communicate
how much freedom you’re willing to give
them to chart their own success. They
were limited during the slowest growth
periods of the recession. Find examples
inside the company of people who have
been successful going above and beyond
their core responsibilities. Consider incentives for achievements met outside
base-level expectations. Do what you can
to make each employee responsible for
running what you position as an “independent business” within your business.
• Flexibility: Second, give them the
flexibility to add or subtract
some responsibilities within
their job description that tilt
toward their individual skills
and interests. To uncover
these skills and interests, during the interview process ask
them what other jobs they
may have applied for, and why.
By giving them a voice in the
job description at the outset
(provided it meets the needs
of your company) you’re
communicating to them that
you value their contribution,
are willing to invest in their
career growth, and are not a
rigid organization.
Writing these things is
simple. Of course, for all
positions within all companies, executing them may not be. Find ways your
company or your team can become more
desirable for Millennials. Ask your best
Millennial employees what they like and
don’t like about working with you. Doing so won’t just help you recruit better
employees, it also will help you retain the
best ones you have.
Adam Pierno, director of
brand strategy and planning
at Santy, unearths Millennial insights at the convergence of med ia, technology,
and the marketplace. These
insights lead to positive and revenue-enhancing change for clients. Contact him apierno@
santy.com or 480-710-4243.
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