In the last game of the 2017 premier league campaign, Manchester United fielded the club’s youngest ever Premier League player, Angel Gomes, at a baby-faced 16 years and 263 days old. These occasions often remind us that we’re not getting any younger and prompt the question “What were we doing at the age of 16?”
This made us realise that businesses are now dealing with Millennials entering the workplace. A generation that has not known a time when they couldn’t update their status on Facebook or post a picture on Instagram. This digital native generation is set to drive innovation in the next 10 years as they share their skills and knowledge with the businesses and organisations of today – should we be scared or excited?
Chances are you may even have some of these ‘young gunslingers’ in your workforce already. But to continue attracting the next generation of talent and tap into their knowledge, resourcefulness and capabilities, businesses need to ensure that the right infrastructure, environment and opportunities are available from the offset.
So how can organisations create a culture that attracts the best Millennial employees?
Attracting the best Millennial talent
If businesses are to attract the best Millennial talent and create a culture that keeps them on the payroll, they need to understand how Millennials work and then develop the right processes to help them flourish and succeed.
Today’s generation is looking for greater work flexibility, a better work/life balance and professional development opportunities. In fact, very few workers these days come to work, to just ‘work’, earn a pay check and leave. Many want to learn more, progress or support a cause.
In a previous blog, we highlighted the importance of building the work environment and processes around people.
Ignore Millennial demands at your peril
Millennials respond well to environments where they can learn and develop as and when they need to. Unstructured, without the constraints of business cultures of old, somewhere they can ask questions, get continuous support and collaborate with colleagues.
In essence, the more development opportunities a business can offer, the more their Millennial employees can give back. This means:
- More professional development opportunities
Millennials continuously strive to improve themselves, and according to a survey by Deloitte, Millennials would like to have at least 4.5 hours of professional development a week – a significant increase on the average 2.7 hours dedicated by employers.
- Offering training resources
Outside of the professional development scheme, businesses should offer additional resources. Not just to Millennials – to all employees. In offering these resources, employees can take charge of their own professional development
- Providing regular feedback
Millennials desire regular feedback from managers and senior colleagues. Not (necessarily) because they want an ego boost, but to understand how they have performed and what they can do to improve. Growth, both professionally and personally, is key for Millennials. Recognise their contributions and encourage them to push themselves further and businesses will get the best results out of them.
- Giving them a purpose beyond ‘coming to work’
Often cited as the most ‘purpose-driven’ generation, Millennials are keen to work for businesses that performs meaningful work – and for them, purpose and satisfaction are far more important than a hefty pay check.
Millennials are growth, value and development-orientated – so if your business wants to get the most out of the hot, young talent in your workforce, it’s vital that they consider and implement the elements outlined above if they are to remain competitive in the future.
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