Millennials Want to Dive In

Who Are Millennials?

Millennials are made up of individuals who were born between the years 1980 and 2000.  They are referred to as Generation Y, a product of Generation X and the Baby Boomers. These individuals are essentially what they are referred to, the children of the new millennium.  

Millennials have been raised connected.  They've been fully immersed in new technologies, gadgets, and social medias so much that these things have helped to define who they are as a person. "Roughly a quarter of those under age 30 [millennials] say that technology is what sets their generation apart" (Taylor, 2010)- and it is.  

Growing up in this millennial time has not been all rewarding for millennial job seekers. Unfortunately for recent grads and the recently unemployed, recessional setbacks have made job opportunities less plentiful.  However as a result, Millennials are on track to becoming the "most educated generation in American History" (Taylor, 2010).  More and more millennials are taking the time they would be "wasting" not finding a job to concentrate on beefing up their resume- making themselves the most wanted candidates for the jobs that aren't available yet to them. Millennials are known to aim high, expect a lot, and make things happen.  They are thought of by previous generations to have a sense of entitlement, and a weaker work ethic, however around 25% of millennials attend school full time while holding a full or part time job.  They find information faster, learn information more efficiently, and apply information in more creative and innovative ways that make them an attractive candidate to recruiters.  

What Recruiters Should Be Prepared For

Millennials are in a society where technology constantly evolving.  As a result, they are constantly learning new things. Millennials have a hunger for challenge and change. These individuals want to work for a company that speaks to the "inner animal" and markets itself accordingly.  It's been proven that millennials tend to stay away from companies that require them to put in their time and work their way to the top.  They want to use all of the skills they've been working to acquire and master to enter the market at the top and contribute immediately. (Downing, 2006)

According to Claire Raines, there are 6 things recruiters should know in order to attract, retain, and motivate millennials:

1. You Be the Leader

"This generation has grown up with structure and supervision, with parents who were role models. Millennials are looking for leaders with honesty and integrity. It’s not that they don’t want to be leaders themselves, they’d just like some great role models first."

2. Challenge Me

"Millennials want learning opportunities. They want to be assigned to projects they can learn from.They’re looking for growth, development, a career path."

3. Let Me Work With Friends

"Millennials say they want to work with people they click with. They like being friends with coworkers. Employers who provide for the social aspects of work will find those efforts well rewarded by this newest cohort. Some companies are even interviewing and hiring groups of friends."

 4. Let’s Have Fun

 "A little humor, a bit of silliness, even a little irreverence will make your work environment more attractive."

5. Respect Me 

“'Treat our ideas respectfully,' they ask, 'even though we haven’t been around a long time.'"

6. Be Flexible

"The busiest generation ever isn’t going to give up its activities just because of jobs. A rigid schedule is a sure-fire way to lose your Millennial employees."

(Raines, 2002)

My advice to managers?

I would recommend that managers and organizations focus on two things when it comes to recruiting millennials.  First, marketing themselves accordingly to their target audience, and second, succession planning in their recruitment processes. Susan Vitale,chief marketing officer of iCIMS* states,

"We're seeing more and more of millennials fitting into a bit of a stereotype that they're obsessed with social media, and this doesn't only apply to how they communicate with their friends and families. Sending them pamphlets or handing out hardcopy brochures at job fairs is not well-received by millennials. They like to communicate by seeing information and flagging it for later" (McGrory-Dixon, 2012). 

If managers and recruiters focus on marketing themselves accordingly to millennials, they will respond. 

Succession planning is another key part of the recruiting process that will attain success. Millennials are bringing key skills to the table and seek to enter in the position that will allow them to capitalize on these qualifications in order to elevate the organization in the best way possible.  What succession planning does is essentially find the right people to fill key positions in an organization.  It ensures that the top talent in an organization is managed for the good of the company. 

As Kris Dowling writes, there are only 3 things to keep in mind that can be applied to succession planning in recruiting millennials: set direction, create alignment, gain commitment. 

Setting Direction

Millennials strive to link their daily work with goals.  They not only strive to achieve the goals of the company, but often aim above and beyond the good of the company. "Leaders should recognize the emphasis Millennials place on con- tributing to the greater good and should seek to link their day-to-day work with a higher cause" (Downing, 2006). 

Creating Alignment

Millennials have grown up in a team-oriented environment.  Many of the projects and activities that they completed in school have been in a multi-person setting. They thrive on feedback, communication, and the saying that "two brains are better than one." In this respect, leaders should aim to recruit millennials into environments that encourage and inspire collaboration. 

Gaining Commitment

"82% [of millennials] cite flexible working arrangements as a factor that influences their commitment and motivation [in the workplace]" (Downing, 2006). There are many different motivators when it comes to millennials in terms of commitment. Two extremely attractive motivators besides stature of the position and pay include flexible scheduling, and integration of technology in the workplace. What these two motivators do is give employees to opportunity to spend time at home, creating a family, developing their work, and/or taking time to avoid stressors. By integrating technologies, organizations give employees the opportunity to complete work faster, and not in the office. 

Organizations and managers that wish attract these progressive millennial workers should aim to incorporate these three aspects of successive planning in to their recruiting process.

All in all, as working environments continue to develop and evolve, so do millennials.  Successful managers and organizations will find a way to accept, embrace, and highlight the talent that millennials bring to the organization to achieve synergy between employees, managers, and organizational mission. 

Want To Find Out How Millennial You Are? 

Follow this link and take the "Quiz!"
How Millennial Are You?

Works Cited:

Taylor, P. (2010). Millennials a portrait of generation next confident. connected. open to change. Pew Research Center, i-140. Retrieved from http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2010/10/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change.pdf




Downing, K. (2006). Next generation: What leaders need to know about the millennials. Leadership in action, 26(3), 1-3.




Raines, C. (2002). Managing millennials. Connecting Generations: The Sourcebook , (1), Retrieved from http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm

McGrory-Dixon, A. (2012). Recruiting millennials takes different approach. Benefits Selling.Breaking News, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1115361808?accountid=12924

*iCIMS is a provider of talent acquisition software solutions that has had success recruiting and maintaining millennial employees.