Don’t know how to hire millennials? The war for talent isn’t subsiding and with more and more millennials entering the workforce, it’s important to shape your company and recruitment process to suit them. So how can you attract and retain this generation?

Firstly, what makes a millennial leave a company? According to a Cost of Millennial Retention study, the top reasons a millennial chooses to leave their job are:

1. receiving a better offer

2. having career goals that don’t align with the company

3. a lack of career opportunities with their current employer

To avoid this from happening at your company, here are the bare minimum requirements you need to offer your millennials (as well as a competitive salary!):

1. Greater flexibility.
They want a job to fit their personal life, not the other way around. In order to attract and retain this generation, companies must be willing to be flexible, such as offering flextime and remote working options.

2. The opportunity to grow.
They want constant feedback and contact with their managers, they want to know how they are doing and how they can improve. They desire a constant challenge, so offer mentoring and development programs so they have the chance to grow and be an asset to the company. They want to know that what they’re doing is beneficial. Ask them about their career aspirations and goals and give them the opportunity to discover strengths within the company, such as encouraging them to take on new responsibilities and recognise their achievements when they succeed.

3. A casual and supportive environment.
Millennials value strong friendships with their coworkers and a relaxed working environment that fosters innovation. Provide informal meeting spaces and abolish the dress code! Create an environment where your employees feel comfortable to be themselves, be creative and learn new things.

So that’s how to make your company appealing to a millennial, but how do you even attract them in the first place? Traditional recruiting methods won’t work with this digital generation. Just make sure you…

  • -have a strong social media presence. Build a community where interested candidates can interact with employees and hiring managers.
  • -provide easily found information on your company and make sure the corporate website is up-to-date.
  • -use engaging job descriptions. Consider using videos so candidates can get a glimpse into the workplace and meet the people they would potentially be working with.
  • -keep the application process quick and easy. Nothing turns a prospective millennial candidate off more than filling out long and tedious online forms just to submit their CV. Even more important is making sure the candidate is informed and kept up to date with the progress of their application.