Disclaimer-mark
This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
Disclaimer-mystory

18 Effective Ways to Attract Millennials to Your Company

18 Effective Ways to Attract Millennials to Your Company

Friday December 13, 2019,

9 min Read

18 Effective Ways to Attract Millennials to Your Company

Older generations usually don’t have a positive opinion on millennials. They may call them lazy or uninterested. This is actually far from the truth. Millennials are creative, innovative, ambitious, and motivated. Companies may usually make more profit when they employ millennials than before. Millennials are young, hard-working, and willing to be a part of the community. They do everything whole-heartedly and they're responsible. Attracting millennials to your company may be a great thing for the business and the ways to do that aren’t that strange.


Use social media

The one thing closely related to Millennials is social media. If you want to attract Millennials to come work for you, look for them in social media. This is the easiest way to reach them. Post ads on various websites since younger generations prefer search engines. Internet is the number one means of communication today, especially for millennials. An even better idea is to allow using social networks during working hours. Tweeting about the benefits of your products or services can be very helpful for the business.


Foster collaborative environment

What matters to millennials is a good atmosphere in the workplace. You should focus on creating a collaborative environment, rather than a competitive one. Team-building activities can help create a perfect atmosphere that will motivate everyone. Organising social gatherings like trivia nights or wine tastings would be a great idea to get the team together. Even weekly drinks or barbecues can be useful in creating a better work atmosphere.

Casual dress code

With millennials, everything is about comfort. They want to work in the best possible conditions. Those conditions aren't some insane ideas. With food and positive ambience comes a casual dress code. Finding the best outfits for a job can be exhausting, especially if your employees don't care about fashion. This is logical if you consider the fact that they come to work to do the best they can and not to show their fashion preferences.

Allow breaks

No matter the type of work, the chances are your employees are going to be tired and lose focus all the time. This just applies to all kinds of work. Millennials appreciate some time provided for them to relax. Any kind of break would be great. Social media is probably going to be a big part of these breaks, but it shouldn't be a problem for you, as long as it helps them get through the working hours concentrated. Provide them with some well-equipped break rooms in which they’ll have the opportunity to rest for a minute before getting back to work.

Surprise them with snacks

Another way to improve the atmosphere in the office is constantly providing your employees with snacks. Make sure that all your employees are happy and never hungry. Occasionally bring some sweets, doughnuts, for example. Provide them with lots of fruit and coffee to help them concentrate. Next to the break room, you should have a nice kitchen too. Place some coffee machines there with easy-to-use coffee pods and your employees will be a click away from delicious coffee whenever they need it. This way they’ll concentrate easier and do the work more efficiently.

Grant autonomy

Millennials will like your job offers more if you grant them autonomy. They should feel free in the workplace. They should have opportunities to adjust their deadlines or select their own goals. You can show them some bigger picture and let them work the details on their own. Having the opportunity to adjust their schedules on their own is bound to be beneficial for the job.

Offer flexible hours

Traditional working hours can be forgotten. Allowing your workers to have more flexible working hours can actually be very beneficial. Getting up early can be great for the work to be finished earlier, but that doesn't guarantee any quality. Time management is very important to millennials. They generally want to do the most with their time. Not letting them organize can have some consequences. These consequences don’t have to be huge, but they’ll still matter in the long run. By offering flexible working hours you’re telling that you value them as much as the work they do for you.

Offer creative perks

Offer creative perks to your future employees. Millennials care a lot about them. They’re trying to manage their private and professional life as well as they can. If you offer them flexible working hours, you'll help them organize and manage their lives in the best way possible. Unlimited paid time off is also an idea sure to attract millennials. Offer them free gym memberships or the possibility of on-site day-care. Show them that your only interest isn’t making money, but also working with satisfied employees.

Offer telecommuting

Since conformity is the most importable for millennials, do everything you can to make them feel better. One of the more interesting propositions you can offer is the possibility of telecommuting. Working from home allows the workers to organize their time on their own and to do it more carefully. It also saves money that the actual commuting requires. This is beneficial for you too. You don't have to cover the costs of fuel or equip the office for every employee.

Keep them busy

Another thing that will definitely attract millennials is the purpose that a job has. Millennials care deeply about meaning. Their lives revolve around purpose, meaning, and significance. They like to spend their pastime relaxing, but they also like to do some meaningful work when necessary. They’re hardworking and innovative, and they’ll always look for ways to improve themselves. Show them that they won’t be bored when they get to work. Put different challenges in front of them and help them solve everything. That’ll show them that they’re suitable for the job, but also that they can get better.

Coach, don’t manage

Don't be a strict, stiff boss. Don't just give orders. Try to have a trusting relationship with your employees. Millennials will respect you more if they see that you care about them and their feelings. They need to see that you’re not there just to give them instructions, but to help them learn, grow, and make progress. Try to be a mentor, rather than just a boss. Show them what they have to do, but always be there to help them if needed.

Provide feedback

Millennials care about the work they’re doing. They want to know when they’re doing something in the right way, and when they have to change their steps. Make sure to always compliment them on the good work they’re doing. Comment on the bad stuff too, so they can improve everything they should. This will motivate them to keep up the good work or make the work better.

Create a guiding mission statement

A chance to do something larger will immediately attract millennials. They want to do big things. Their goal is to leave something behind them. Making an impact on the world is what they strive to do. Offer them a chance to do something great, even if it’s related just to a specific field. Meaningful and significant work is the kind of work millennials want to do and they’ll do their best to do it right.

Make them feel appreciated

Show to the workers that they’re important to you. Ask them for their opinions; include them in decision-making processes. They don’t want to blindly follow instructions. They are perfectly aware of their qualities and they won’t let you disrespect them in any way. Whenever you can, consult with them. You’ll often benefit from their experience and innovative ideas. Their unique input will get you closer to a new customer base.

Make room for their growth

After you’ve made sure that millennials know you respect them as individuals, you have to ensure that they feel respected as professionals too. They're not coming to work so they could pay the bills. Their motivation is, in the first place, learning. They want to do something meaningful and make a difference. Help them find ways for personal and professional development. Help them expand their skill-set with on-the-job training, mentoring, or continued education. You can offer them job rotation too. Realising that they’ll often have opportunities to earn raises and promotions will provide the, with the kind of enthusiasm that will be very advantageous for you and the company.

Maintain transparency

As it was said earlier, millennials care more about the purpose than the money. Make sure that they can see that your business doesn’t just revolve around money. They will probably respect you more if your business is unique and transparent. They value authentic ideas and strong brand identities. They associate them with purpose and success. Being transparent is everything in a millennial life. Communication is the key to everything. Point out why your brand is authentic and relevant and millennials will definitely notice you.

Practice sustainability

Millennials care a lot about people and their surroundings. They’re usually eco-friendly, they go vegan, or they like to volunteer in their spare time. Saving the environment is important to them. It’s no wonder they care that much since they grew up listening about carbon footprints and gas emissions. They will usually look for greener ways to commute. They may opt for walking, cycling, or using public transportation. To a generation that is conscious of all the environmental issues, the fact that you practice sustainability is very important. If you want the millennials to work for you, you can start with recycling and composting.

Promote workplace diversity

Millennials value diversity. Every kind of diversity is important to them. Race, gender, sexuality, everything is relevant. They value it because they like different kinds of people with different experiences. This makes their personal growth easier. Not only personal, this can be very beneficial for professional growth too. By showing them that you value uniqueness, you’ll earn their respect, and they will be more than happy to work for you.

Conclusion

Millennials can be a great treasure in your office. They will be grateful for the chance to do something meaningful and they will do their best. Make sure to follow at least some of these tips and see how effective they are.