Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The modern workplace belongs to millennials. The generation is expected to comprise 75 percent of the
global workforce by 2020.1 Is your company ready for this demographic wave that is already in progress?
Much has been reported about the habits of millennials, individuals born roughly in the last two
decades of the 20th century, and who were exposed to computers and cellphones from an early point
in their lives. This unique group of people communicates and behaves in and outside of the workplace
differently than previous generations.
Millennials:
Changing the Face of Hiring in the 21st Century
Millennials comprise the Millennials are mobile and
largest segment of the US many don’t remember a
population and will be 75 time without hand-held
percent of the workforce technology available 24/7.
by 2020.
“
with potential employers. Ben Eubanks of
Lighthouse Research, writing about how text This group craves a more
messaging has become an important part of
recruitment marketing, perhaps says it best: direct, personal interaction with
“This group craves a more direct, personal a real person. Anyone that has
interaction with a real person. Anyone that has
recruited someone from the millennial generation recruited someone from the
knows this to be true.”2 millennial generation knows
”
Hiring departments must solve the challenge of this to be true.
effectively recruiting millennials—a generation
that is transforming and improving the workplace. Ben Eubanks,
Lighthouse Research
The exact definition of who a millennial is varies depending on the research organization interpreting
the U.S. Census numbers. What isn’t in dispute is that millennials comprise the largest segment of the
U.S. population:
Moreover, some researchers extend the millennial generation to 2000 or even 2005, thus flooding the
demographic with even more people. And it goes without saying: Millennials now comprise the largest
segment of the U.S. workforce.
Xers—may have little or no idea • Tweet what a great experience he had, and...
of what just transpired with every
• Instagram a selfie of himself at his desk on
step of this example. But for a his first day
millennial, this series of events
is simply par for the course.
• Career sites offer a portal to learn more Omni-channel marketing differs from
about a company and to apply. multichannel marketing in that multichannel’s
focus is across multiple channels.
• Nurturing software facilitates candidate
touch points at all phases of the hiring Omni-channel employs all channels and puts
process. candidates first, reaching them in relevant and
compelling ways across every digital touchpoint
• Candidate relationship management (CRM) en route to application, employment, and
solutions give applicants a means to know advocacy.
exactly where they are in the process.
Much of this technology was unthinkable a
• Online skill assessments test candidates couple decades ago; now it is not only welcomed,
skills before hire. but also expected and demanded by the
millennial generation.
• An applicant tracking system (ATS) moves
candidates (and employers) seamlessly
through each hiring stage and procedure,
including onboarding. Another takeaway from this
• Employee advocacy software encourages scenario is that typical recruiting
new hires to become evangelists for the strategies may not be as relevant
employer brand.
as they once were.
Here are some of millennials’ behaviors, activities, and expectations that shape how they seek, apply,
accept, and engage in their jobs:
1 2
Network Influenced: Digital First, and in
With social media and other instant
communications applications always accessible,
Some Cases, Digital Only:
Online is not only the first source of information
millennials are most influenced by friends,
for millennials; for some, it is the only resource
personal contacts, and word of mouth when
they have ever utilized to find the information
making major decisions. In their job searches,
they require. In their job searches, millennials rely
they care about company reputation and will seek
heavily on online resources, with the corporate
out information from their networks to get a full
career site being the most important.
perspective of the opportunity. And in 2016 and
beyond, their networks stretch farther than ever
before—to all ends of the omni-channel, which is
why a broad recruiting strategy is so important.
4 6
Time/Attention Constrained: More Connected:
Millennials spend the greatest amount of time Many people have lamented how the digital age
online (35 hours per week) and on their cell has cheapened communication because we are
phones (14.5 hours per week) compared with not directly speaking to each other as often.
other generations.4 They also switch their This criticism overlooks the fact millennials
attention between media platforms at a higher are more connected to each other than other
rate (27 times per hour, compared with the 17 generations ever have been. The communication
times per hour for previous generations).5 simply has changed: Texts, instant messaging,
To grab their attention, websites, including career and social media now complement face-to-face
sites, should use clear and simple navigation, interaction—and can exponentially spread that
and have just the right amount of real and interaction to more people. Millennials value the
authentic information. opinions of their expanded circles, so when they
hear good things about an employer from their
friends, it carries more weight.
Technology has obviously impacted how millennials see their lives related to work, but the economy they
have grown up in has been a factor as well. Except for a few years of recession that didn’t impact them as
much as other generations that were hammered, millennials have known mostly stable economic times.
Both factors—technology in the mobile age and the economy in the digital age—have profoundly affected
how millennials view their careers.
Company Culture Whereas previous generations are focused on job stability and
compensation as major priorities, millennials prioritize company
Matters: culture as a huge motivator for selecting and staying at an employer.
A Hodes study showed that around half of millennials say that
“work environment/culture” is an attribute that makes an employer
attractive (41 percent) and impacts their decision to stay at an
employer (47 percent).11
Opportunity for Millennials want to see an opportunity for personal and professional
development when assessing employers. A PWC report entitled
Growth is an “Millennials at Work” showed that almost two-thirds (65 percent)
Important Factor: of respondents stated that “the opportunity for personal
development” most influenced the decision to accept their current
jobs—even more than the organization’s reputation (36 percent) or
even the role itself (24 percent).14 Another report stated that
52 percent said opportunities for career progression made
an employer attractive.15
When Millennials This generation isn’t shy about shouting from the rooftops—
particularly on social media—when a positive experience warrants
Are Engaged, such an action. If millennials are engaged and enjoying their jobs,
They Are Vocal: they won’t hesitate to become advocates for your company and your
brand, especially if given the means to do so.
These characteristics of millennials reinforce why recruiting this generation is challenging, but also reveal
why this generation offers so much potential to employers. Solve this puzzle, and the benefits to your
hiring process—and your company’s bottom line—can be significant.
Here are some mandates that companies must initiate in order to recruit millennials and position
themselves ahead of the pack for the next decade and beyond:
Branding
In the current candidate-owned job market, employer brand isn’t just important—it’s all but required.
If a job seeker doesn’t form a favorable opinion of your company, the odds are he or she will shift
interest to one with a more active brand. Research has shown that 56 percent of full-time professionals
say an employer’s reputation is the most important factor to potentially considering a new job.16
Establishing, promoting, and enhancing employer brand across your omni-channel content is essential
to attracting millennials and seamlessly moving them through the hiring process. Your branding strategy
must not only appeal to candidates, but also impress, educate, and inspire them so that they apply to
work for your organization, engage upon hire, and tell their friends about how great your company is.
Email
A 2015 study by Principal Financial Group found that despite the popularity of social media and real-
time communication media such as chat and SMS, millennials overwhelmingly prefer to communicate
with companies via email. For 4 in 10 millennials, email is the preferred method of contact for outbound
communications.19 Beyond just an application confirmation, email offers your company an opportunity to
express its unique traits, give updates, and offer the information that millennials require to feel good about
their professional choices. Email, unfortunately, remains an underutilized form of candidate engagement
with 91 percent of employers admitting that they make no additional contact beyond the automated
acknowledgment of application receipt.20
4/10 millennials
prefer email for outbound communications.
Retargeting
If at first you don’t succeed, recruit, recruit again! Millennials often engage with a brand on social media or
on a company’s job site, but the timing might not be right for them to apply, or something doesn’t instantly
strike a chord, or they just wanted to learn more about your organization. Retargeting, via personalized
email, text messaging, paid media, and other channels, keeps their engagement active or, at least,
rekindles their interest. Just because the timing wasn’t right now doesn’t mean it won’t be right later;
you want to be sure that somebody is home when opportunity comes knocking.
Mobile Technology
Advances in portable technology, including mobile phones and tablet computers, extend the opportunity
to interact and collect vital information from candidates you encounter at events. Yet, this remains an area
where employers are missing out on connecting with great candidates. When you have just moments to
interact with candidates at events, make sure you have the means to quickly capture essential information,
such as an email address, so that you can continue to interact with candidates over time. This increases
your capture rate and will enable higher ROI for your event marketing investments.
Here are some examples of how technology enhances the candidate experience:
Ease of Use
Millennials who have grown up alongside technology have the highest of expectations when it comes to
digital experiences. Compared with other generations, they possess higher expectations of seamlessness
in job search activities, with one-third stating that the ability to apply for a job using a mobile phone is
important.23 And 6 in 10 job seekers have started but failed to complete an online application due to how
long or complex it was.24 The candidate experience, from beginning a search to a click of the “Submit”
button to the continuous engagement that enables you to keep in contact with your talent community,
should be simple and easy, and it should be an extension of your employer brand and your employment
value proposition.
Employee Advocacy
The recruiting process with millennials doesn’t end at hire. In fact, these new employees can become
integral to promoting the company brand and attracting subsequent waves of job seekers. If the candidate
experience is good, these hires won’t hesitate to tell their networks about it on social media and via word
of mouth. Technology is available to facilitate this, thus making the process easy for advocates and
evangelists to spread the word with other millennials or the next generation of workers.
Not Sure Where to Start? Here Are Three Tips to Get You Going:
1 Look at the social media accounts that your recruiting department maintains.
Are you posting regularly? Are candidates liking and sharing your content? Is the content
interesting or rather pedestrian? Taking a more active approach to your social media
channels will provide an instant boost and capture the attention of millennial candidates.
2 What does your employer brand say about your company? If it’s vague, confusing, or
otherwise weak, take steps to strengthen your brand across the omni-channel, including
social media outlets, email communication with candidates, and your career website.
Tell candidates why they should work for you, and don’t be afraid to brag!
References
1. “By the Year 2020, Almost Half of the Workforce Will Be Made Up 12. “New EdAssist Study: Millennials Seek Financial Stability from
of These People.” Upworthy.com. Employers.” EdAssist.
2. “Your Secret Weapon for Starting a Conversation with On-Demand 13. “Exclusive Survey Shows How Hard It Is for Millennials to Find
Candidates.” Ben Eubanks, Employment Metrix blog; Nov. 10, Good Jobs.” Business Insider, June 18, 2014.
2016. 14. Millennials at Work, 11.
3. “Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s Largest 15. “By the Year 2020, Almost Half of the Workforce Will Be Made Up
Generation.” Washington Post, April 25, 2016. of These People”
4. “Millennials Spend More Time With Digital Than Traditional Media, 16. “56% of Professionals Rank Talent Brand as Top Factor When
But…,” Marketingcharts.com, July 1, 2014. Picking a Job.” LinkedIn Talent Blog, April 1, 2014.
5. “By the Year 2020, Almost Half of the Workforce Will Be Made Up 17. Building a Global Employer Brand, Insights from the World’s Most
of These People.” Attractive Employer Survey 2014, 20. Universum, 2014.
6. “US Internet Users Rely on Mobile Devices for Digital Access.” 18. Candidate Experience 2014, 10. Talent Board, 2015.
emarketer.com 19. Millennial Research Study 2015, 50. Principal Financial Group,
7. “What Millennials Want in the Workplace (And Why You Should 2015.
Start Giving It to Them).” Forbes.com, Jan. 13, 2014. 20. Candidate Experience 2014, 27.
8. “Millennials: The Job-Hopping Generation.” Gallup.com Business 21. Building a Global Employer Brand, 20.
Journal, May 12, 2016. 22. Candidate Experience 2014, 11.
9. Millennials in the Workplace, 4. Bentley University, 2012. 23. 2015 Job Seeker Nation Study, Inside the Mind of the Modern Job
10. Millennials in the Workplace, 2. Seeker, 8. Jobvite, 2015.
11. The Growing Value of Employer Brands. Bernard Hodes Group, 24. How Candidate Experience is Transforming HR Technology, 56.
2012.