RECRUITING AND RETAINING MILLENNIALS & GENERATION Z

Millennials and Generation Z:

The facts show that they are the most essential but evasive group of professionals in the workplace today.

In his latest blog, Anthony Hesse offers some tough love to employers about how to recruit and retain them.

And an advance warning – the offer of biscuits, beanbags and pool tables just isn’t going to cut it anymore…

When it comes to recruiting the best talent, the emphasis in recent years has been on the candidates doing the hard work.

After all, they’re the ones who are enthusiastically seeking the position, and you’re the one generously offering the salary.

They’re the ones applying for the vacancy, whilst you’ve got dozens of other potential candidates to choose from.

So, it’s tempting to believe that they’re the ones who need to adapt their existing skills and values to those of the company, to ensure that they create a perfect ‘fit’. When it comes to putting in some serious graft, the ball sits firmly in their court, doesn’t it?

Well, even if, once upon a time, that used to be the case, it’s not anymore. Nowadays, the overwhelming evidence indicates that in order to attract the best candidates, the companies themselves need to do the adapting.

So, what’s changed?

The answer to that question is digital technology. And there are two groups in the working population that understand it better than any other (and importantly, that includes those hiring them): ‘Millennials’ and ‘Generation Z’.

Let’s get a few definitions sorted.

Generally speaking, the term ‘Millennial’ refers to someone born between 1980 and 1995 (that is, people aged 28-43 today). Meanwhile, ‘Gen Z’ are younger – typically considered be those born after 1996 (those currently aged up to 27).

This encompasses a huge segment of the working population. Indeed, one study estimates that there are 2.36 billion Millennials and 1.9 billion Gen Zs worldwide. Therefore, it’s no exaggeration to say that, grouped together, these people equate to the most powerful force in the working world today.

Wind back a few years and Millennials were seen as rather entitled, demanding new entrants in the office. But nowadays, they’ve grown up. Many are in their mid to late 30s, and are either already in management roles, or expect to move into them in their next job. As for Gen Zs, they’re expected to become the fastest-growing generation in the workplace in the next five years. Together, they understand new technology better than anyone else out there.

For Millennials, it has been a major part of their lives since childhood. The internet, mobiles, video games and social media grew up with them. That’s why almost three-quarters (72%) of them receive most of their information through the web, and why ‘old’ tech (TV, radio, newspapers) struggle to seize their attention, sometimes registering as low as 3% of relevance in their lives.

For Gen Z, the distinction is even more clearly marked. Sometimes known as ‘digital natives’, they’ve never had to experience life without new technology. It’s not only that they intuitively understand what’s going on, they expect immediate access to information anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

In the past, this level of expectation may have been behind what led them to be seen as ‘demanding’ and ‘entitled’. But nowadays, savvy companies are recognising that if these workers play a key role in the market place, employers ignore them at their peril.

These employees already know stuff their potential employers don’t – and they know it intuitively. If companies don’t snap them up, they will go elsewhere, taking their skills, knowledge and understanding with them.

Admittedly, this advice can be a bitter pill for employers to swallow. After decades of having the upper hand, to adapt what you do on behalf of a series of 21-year old graduates coming through the door is a big ask. But the status quo is no longer an option. If we were to compare what’s going on today to the process of buying and selling houses, with the employers as the sellers, this is now very definitely a buyers’ market.

So, what can companies do to make sure the brightest and the best are tempted their way? And – crucially – what will make them stay, when there are so many others out there, clamouring for their attention?

Firstly, it’s about listening to their perspective.

This is essential if you’re going to understand their views and priorities. These workers often:

• value a strong employer brand which matches their own
• need to feel like their careers make a genuine impact
• want to learn new skills and excel at them
• cherish independence but don’t want to be isolated
• have a strong desire for flexible working
• care about diversity, equality and inclusion
• rate corporate social responsibility (CSR) very highly

 Secondly, it’s about engaging them on their terms.

If they are going to want to work for you, the processes at your company will need to be:

• digital (interacting digitally is the norm)
• easy (no complicated form-filling)
• fast (no lengthy periods of time before receiving a response)
• clear and precise (confusion and vagueness really put them off)
• transparent (information will need to be readily available)
• personalised (so that they feel genuinely included)
• administratively efficient (as few obstacles to getting results as possible)

Finally, it’s about empowering them to develop their skills.

Being employed is one thing. But getting better at what they do is just as important. They need to understand:

• why what they currently do is genuinely valued
• how to maintain interest in their existing job (remember – their ease with digital technology means that they’re good at multi-tasking)
• how to control their careers (including mentoring)
• what they need to do to advance (including ‘stretch’ assignments)
• where to go for suitable learning resources (this group learns very quickly)
• where professional development opportunities lie
• how to acquire so-called ‘soft’ skills, such as leadership, management and communication

True, some of these company qualities apply to more than just Millennials and Generation Z. But research indicates that the ones outlined above tend to rank higher up the priorities of these two groups of workers than those who have been in business longer.

What’s more, for some, aspects like job titles, salary and career paths may take second place to learning new skills and carrying them out effectively. Especially if they can be trusted to bring home the results (which is why independence is important) and fit these tasks in around important dates in their social life (which is where flexibility comes in).

This means that if your company is all about ‘top-down’ management, they’re less likely to be interested. Instead, if a young employee can meet a manager to suggest a better way of doing things, you’re likely to win their attention.

As you can see, this is about far more than providing biscuits, bean bags and pool tables in the office. (They may be nice-to-haves, but they’re hardly essential!)

Instead, it involves thinking creatively and asking what a genuinely useful perk for them would look like.

If they’re struggling to manage debt, would help paying off their student loan be more attractive than saving for their retirement? If they are with a partner and both of them are working full time, what about help with childcare, fertility services and even pet insurance? If relationships and a sense of belonging are important to them, how about organising on-site entertainment or access to gyms, to recognise that deeper commitment to the workforce?

Of course, you might choose to carry on recruiting the old way, putting the company at the centre of the equation and expecting new employees to adapt accordingly.

But be aware that other companies out there – those which are likely to attract the best talent and consequently flourish – are meeting their new workers on their own terms, helping them advance their careers based on their actual strengths, and benefitting as a result.

In short, it’s time to realise that these employees aren’t going to change; so the employers will have to.