There
are currently 80 million Millennials in the United States, and soon they will
make up the majority of the employee population. Why? For one, Baby Boomers,
which make up 40 percent of today’s U.S. workforce, will be leaving the
workforce in the next decade. Secondly, this year the Millennial generation
(born between 1981-2001) is projected to surpass the Baby Boomer generation as
the nation’s largest living generation. That said, it’s crucial for your
organization to know how to recruit and retain Millennials.
TINYpulse
has put together a fantastic guidebook on this very topic called, The Ultimate Guide to Recruiting
and Retaining Millennials. Not only is it chock-full of helpful
insights and information, it’s also engaging and well written. I am proud to
say that I am quoted in the guide.
The Ultimate
Guide to Recruiting and Retaining Millennials* covers topics
such as creating a transparent culture, embracing social responsibility, living
your company values, supporting career development, creating an effective
onboarding plan, and more. I am quoted in chapter 15, which talks about opening
a virtual suggestion box.
Opening Up a Virtual Suggestion
Box
The
good news is, our days of traditional (awkward) suggestion boxes have come to
an end. Technology has come to the rescue with simple online surveys and web
platforms that offer more anonymity to employees who would like to share their
ideas and solutions. That is what a virtual suggestion box is.
This is
a great idea for the Millennial generation, also known as Generation Y. Why?
Because it is very important to them to have a voice in their community, and
community is a core element in the lives of this generation.
Also,
Gen Y was born with a mouse in its hand. Consequently, they are tech-savvy and
expect information to be “downloaded” immediately, including their ideas and
suggestions.
They
were the first generation to have family meetings and safety laws enforced with
bike helmets, car seats, and seat belt laws. The message from this was “You are
special. We value you.” Consequently, this generation values connections and
wants to be part of a community at home, work, and play. They will work with
their friends at the same company if they feel it’ll allow them more time with
their community. Having a voice in their community is important to Gen Y. They
have the confidence to articulate their vision and the tech skills to create
their vision. Now they need you to support them in listening to their vision.
If only
we could jump 50 years ahead– just for a day– to see how this generation will
have transformed the workplace. Preparing your organization to successfully
recruit and retain the Millennial generation is not only imperative, it’s
exciting.
Let’s have a little fun. Pretend you have a virtual suggestion box where you can leave an idea or suggestion for every organization in the country. What is one idea and/or suggestion that all U.S. organizations need to hear? I can’t wait to read.
Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send me an email, or find me on Twitter.
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