Millennials often get a bad rap. But, they’re the largest generation in the labor force, and are optimistic despite entering the workforce in what used to be a down economy with vast student debt.

The low unemployment rate and candidate-driven market we’re experiencing today has given way to an influx of new recruiting tactics, particularly for Millennials. Employers need to ensure that they are using modern best practices to attract a new wave of workers.

Millennial Fast Facts:

First things first – let’s get a few things straight about Millennials.

  • Born between 1981 – 1996
  • Team-oriented and prefers purpose over paychecks
  • Grew up with dial-up internet (older Millennials went to college with floppy disks)
  • Graduated high school or college during the recession
  • High amounts of student debt

What Millennials Want from Employers

Millennial values have shifted the American workplace from paycheck-driven to purpose-driven. Many are not tech natives like the younger Gen Z, and still value the face-to-face communication of older generations. However, this generation would rather receive frequent feedback, enjoys exploring new tools and is always in search of growth opportunities.

When advertising jobs to the Millennial generation, it’s important to keep these things in mind.

Millennials Talking Business Outside

Benefits to Advertise in Job Ads

Don’t be shy about the benefits your company offers. Millennials want to know exactly what they’re getting themselves into before spending time completing an application. If you offer these benefits, advertise them. If not, consider adding them to your list of employer benefits.

  1. Healthcare
    1. Do workforce demographics align with the benefits you offer employees? Women in the workplace are increasingly interested in maternity leave options. Millennials across the board want Health Savings Account and Cafeteria Plan options. Think about it from a Millennial’s eyes – they’ve grown up in a somewhat tumultuous healthcare system, and want to weigh their options before deciding what’s best for them.
  2. Flexibility
    1. Many Millennials went to college with laptops and prefer to work in their own spaces as they see fit. Are you offering flexibility when it comes to their working environment? Studies show 35 percent of Millennials value schedule flexibility over pay, so it may be time to rethink your in-office policies. Consider early release on Fridays or a policy that allows employees to work from home on occasion.
  3. Professional Development
    1. Millennials want jobs where they can learn and grow. Offering a career map to show Millennials what their growth potential could be at your company is one way to attract and retain them. Seek out learning and performance management systems that will fulfill their interests in both tech and development.

Where they look for jobs

Thinking back to the early days of touch screens and MySpace, the Millennial generation was the first to explore social media on mobile devices. Pew research shows that 89 percent of adults ages 18-29 are using social networking sites, and LinkedIn and Facebook are the two top sources used by Millennials to find job opportunities.

Millennials also account for over 40 percent of all smartphone usage. By optimizing career pages and applications on mobile devices, employers can reach a larger portion of Millennial workers in the environment they already use frequently.

How does your social recruiting strategy compare? If you’re not utilizing social networking for job opportunities, you are missing out on easy ways to reach the Millennial workforce.

Referral Programs

With the current online tools of today’s world, there will always be spammers trying to trick people into applying for less-than-desirable jobs. That’s why your referral program strategy is so important. Word of mouth advertising works because it allows a trusted source to get the message across (rather than a potential spammer).

What are you offering current employees to spread the word about new positions at your company? Some companies offer gift cards, paid time off and financial incentives to attract new, reliable workers through their current employees’ networks.

Worried about your Millennial Recruiting Strategy?

There are a lot of ways to attract top talent despite the current low unemployment rate. If you’re worried about your Millennial recruiting strategy, request an HR assessment and we’ll provide you the tools necessary to reach this wave of workers.