Say what you want about millennials, but they continue to enter the workforce. Chances are, you are working aside a few of them right now. In fact, there are now more millennials than Gen X-ers in the workforce, according to Pew Research.
With so many young folks flooding into jobs across the country, it may seem unnecessary to accommodate them. However, fail to engage this age group now, and you may find it hard to obtain great talent in the future. Moreover, if you need help forging your way in the digital landscape, millennials are the ideal group to help out. Here are a few ways to open your doors to millennials:
Assess your business
The first step is to determine how millennials perceive your business. Also, be on the lookout for biases in your hiring process. Do you tend to favor a long resume over a fresh perspective? According to Society for Human Resources Management, hiring only people with certain experiences ensures your company is set up to prevent hiring young people. Do you require knowledge of platforms that could potentially be updated to 21st century standards? If there's one thing that irks millennials, it's outmoded technology, especially learning to use tools that will be irrelevant in a year. Examine your environment and see what will need to change. Perhaps new employee management software?
Get a new look
Cubicles are a relic of the past to this bunch, and an office where staff are isolated from one another may be a turnoff. Millennials are collaborators, and as their tendency to work together has lead to growth in the open office format. If your older employees would be unhappy with such a drastic change, consider setting up an open area for just younger staff. According to PSFK, Grey advertising agency set up a wing just for millennials in its New York City building, known as Base Camp.
Make work meaningful
Millennials want more out of work than previous generations. They aren't just in it for the money – they want to really care about what they do. This could mean offering volunteer opportunities or providing professional development programs that help them feel like they are growing. One thing is for sure: They don't want to just punch the clock. They want work to be a form of personal growth. As Mashable noted, this drive also makes company transparency important to them. They will want to know the how and the why of their position in the company.
Be flexible
Millennials crave a work-life balance. Despite their interest in meaningful work, millennials don't want to work all the time. Having a life outside of the office is also very important to this group. Flexible hours or the ability to work from home will be attractive incentives for these younger workers.
Like it or not, millennials are the future of the workforce. If you haven't started planning for this inevitability, it's time to start.