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Recruiting and Onboarding: What Are Millennials Looking for?

Hannah Greenwood

Hannah Greenwood

millennials and employee compensation

millennials and employee compensation

Yes, you heard it right: millennials value a diverse, collaborative work environment and don’t jump at the first job that offers the most money. When we take a seat at our computers or open our phone browser to start our job search, we have an idea in mind and we will spend hours trying to find the ideal position.

According to Weber Shandwick, 47% of millennials list diversity and inclusion as important factors in their job search.

No fluff, no false promises, just the nitty-gritty facts. We want to find the job that obviously fits our college degree but we also have a few other requirements in mind, including benefits, pay, work environment, schedule flexibility and career growth. How can companies effectively reach potential millennials with recruiting and onboarding efforts?

  • Be honest about pay, job duties, work hours, etc.
  • Show us you want us to succeed / room to grow
  • Give us examples of successful millennial employees / testimonials
  • Show the perks of the job (if any)
  • Give company history and achievements
  • Stay away from automated recruiting and onboarding, if possible

recruiting and onboarding

Now that you understand how to reel in your potential candidates and you have signed them on, it’s time to think about your onboarding methods. When you bring on a millennial and you need to fill them in on all the procedures, tasks and policies of the company, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Be Hands On

Instead of holding long, informational meetings, retain their attention by allowing them to shadow others for the day and getting a feel for what they will be doing. Give them tasks to try out and ask questions about. Seeing everything in action is more valuable than the information overload you printed out.

Provide Case Studies and Examples

Millennials react to information more efficiently when provided examples to break it down even further. When the recruiting and onboarding process begins, you know there will be a lot of data thrown at you at once so having the specifics are imperative. If you are discussing a certain client that you have worked with in the past and want to go in depth of how your company helped this client, this would be a great opportunity to provide a case study.

recruitmentHold a Welcoming Meeting

When millennials are welcomed with open arms, they will be excited to come back to work the next day. Invite all your staff, have a lunch, let everyone introduce themselves and their title at the company, discuss work tasks for the day and just get to know one another. In a relaxed setting, millennials won’t feel as overwhelmed and will be able to show their true selves.

Give Them a Visual Overview of Your Clients and Products

If you are a service-based company, you have clients. If you are a product-based company, you have customers who use your goods. When you are onboarding, you must show the new hire who and what you are working with. If you are a product line of shampoo, show your new employee each shampoo, let them smell it, feel it and try it out, but also give them the background, benefits and ingredients of the items as well. If you are a dog-walking service, introduce your new employee to your current clients! It is important that they see the products and customers first-hand so they can grasp what the company is all about and the goals it holds.

Give Them a Trial Period

I had an interview recently where the woman told me, if I was hired, I could come in for a day or so and see if I even like the job first. This stuck with me because sometimes, you think you want a job, but it ends up being something totally different than expected. Let that first day be an example of a regular work day and let the new-hire see and understand what life will be like in that office.

In conclusion, recruiting and onboarding millennials is something that must be done with authenticity. You must find ways to connect with your ideal candidates and make them feel right at home when they step into your company space. Utilize the proper tools like social media and online job boards to reach millennials, but continue to portray a positive, genuine brand identity throughout – this is the key to gain valuable candidates that will take your business to the next level.

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