Advice to businesses on how to attract and retail Millennials

As part of its 20 year anniversary, Clark Recruitment in Naas have commissioned research, in collaboration with Maynooth University School of Business, on how to attract and retain millennials in the workplace.

The Business Research Project was conducted by a Masters student.

Millennials are those born from the early 1980’s until 2000. They are that first generation to grow up in the digital age.

The research, which was titled “An Evaluation of How Employers Can Retain Millennials” has provided  some valuable insights which are of benefit to any organisation who are hiring millennials or already have millennials working in their organisation.

20 ways to attract & retain millennials

Culture

1. Create a culture attractive to millennials
2. Define the company culture and communicate it internally & externally  
3. Work-life balance and flexibility can increase productivity
4. Millennials are conscious of their well being – make it a priority in the workplace
5. A strong set of company and personal values is important for millennials

Communication

1. Have a well-defined job description
2. Create short videos/photos on work/products and share on social media platforms so millennials can relate and connect with the company
3. Have a mentor program, encourage learning through generations interacting with each other
4. Tell a story about a millennial who is already an employee, let them be an ambassador for the company
5. Have an open door/informal management style
6. Have regular feedback sessions and encourage free exchange of ideas
7. Communication – love them, hate them, but don’t ignore them
8. Be individual & personal when given feedback, give examples & be specific

Acknowledgement

1. Celebrate the small stuff i.e. birthdays & anniversaries. Let employees know they are valued and appreciated. Make it personal and specific
2. Get to know and encourage your employee’s passion – i.e. running, music and reward accordingly (i.e. tickets to a gig, sponsorship for a race)
3. Make them feel irreplaceable
4. Recognise milestones with the team such as hitting targets or winning new business

Growth

1. Career growth & development – help develop and encourage pathways
2. Encourage team work and collaboration with team building events that take them out of their comfort zones
3. Boost motivation by investing in employee’s development and offering cross departmental training.