Recruiting for the Next Generation
Recruiting Millennials
Millennial, it is a word that keeps popping up on our radar more and more often these days, but who does it actually refer to?
A millennial is anyone that was born between the years of 1980 and 1999. Yes that is a 19 year gap including the current ages of 36 to 17.
It is almost impossible to go a day without seeing something on the news or in the paper about millennials. Everything from how they are the laziest generation, to the most technology focused generation, to the ones that focus more on what a job can do for the world than for their bank account. Just like any generation of human beings there are good characteristics and traits about them and some not so good ones. (Just like any generation for that matter!) Millennials now make up a significant amount of the work force. It is necessary that companies and managers learn the best techniques in recruiting millennials.
1 – Social Recruiting, the way of the future
Hiring is changing. It is less about a candidate spending hours pouring over ever sentence of their resume and cover letter before emailing it to an HR representative. Hiring is becoming more and more about who you know. Candidates post on Facebook or LinkedIn about a specific company they are targeting and see if they can get one of their friends to mak
e an introduction.
So if candidates are not taking the typical route to get to you, what are you doing to find them?
Millennials spend an increasing amount of time on Social Media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The statistics are different for each social platform but Facebook is by far the winner of time and attention by every age group.
So why not update your reach in recruiting millennials through Social Media? I’m not talking about a brief glance at their profiles. I mean why not post about an open position on your Facebook page and ask your staff and friends to share it with anyone they might know who is looking. You might be surprised by the results.
Or if you have a candidate with a great background why not check out their Twitter or Instagram profiles, see what their interests are and then send them a Direct Message on that social platform that starts out talking about one of their posts? It will be significantly more useful than wasting an In-Mail.
2 – Mobile is Necessary
Millennials are on their phones, ALL OF THE TIME. Whether it is when they are walking down the street, riding on the bus, waiting in line for food, and now playing Pokemon Go, it is impossible to be in a public place today and not see people on their phone. What that means for you? Your website, application process, and social media profiles must be mobile accessible. If they aren’t you are missing out on a huge piece of the pie. While it might take some time and effort to bring your company up to speed, it is necessary in recruiting millennials.
3 – Texting
Texting has been around for 20+ years, yet it is more popular today than ever before, thanks to unlimited and affordable texting plans. The biggest moments of life are now shared over text messaging, break ups, engagements, births, job interview results, job offers, etc. On a human level we have chosen texting as one of primary ways to interact with each other. It’s time that companies see the power texting has in the hiring process.
It is convenient for candidates that want to be contacted… instead of having to step out of the room to take a recruiter or HR person’s call, they can respond with a quick text. This method is actually gaining traction across all generations as mobile adaption continues.
Texting offers another type of communication with less focus on propriety and it becomes 2 people talking as they would in person. It gives you a good sense of the person’s personality and character.
4 – Make them feel like they have “ownership” of the company and its success
More than any other generation Millennials want to know that their work is contributing to something bigger. They want to know that when they put their head down on their pillow at the end of the night that they did something important, they made a difference, and they are helping to make the world a better place.
In the interviewing process with millennials you can’t just focus on the experience they will gain or the compensation they will receive, it doesn’t matter to them as much as other generations. Instead make the focus be on what sets your company apart, what are you doing in your industry or the world at large to make it a better place, to make an impact? And how can you make millennials feel from the very beginning that they are a part of that process as well?
“84% of Millennials say that helping to make a positive difference in the world is more important than professional recognition.” – American Staffing Association: Staffing Success March/April 2016
Remember great people make companies great! In the end Millennials are just like everyone else, they are people. And just like any large group of people you will never be able to successfully apply stereotypes to each and every individual. There are some that will change the world, there are some that will make huge mistakes, some that will be slackers. It’s your job to be able to tell them apart, because a company is only as good as the people it contains.
