What You Need to Recruit New Blood in Your Company
Welcome to the new millennium, world’s entire corporate workforce! As we move towards a more digital, borderless, and innovative business landscape, we are faced with one undeniable truth:
The future is going to be run by the millennials.
There’s no denying it. There’s only the acceptance that the new generation is going to dominate, lead, and flourish
So, as part of our usual succession planning and survival instincts, we want to make sure that our organization is adaptive to the changing times.
Out with the stiff, in with the relaxed
First thing that millennials are looking for is the freedom to design their own lives in the confines of work.
If you still have a very hierarchical approach to organizational development, then you better get ready to work with a maturing workforce because you won’t be able to attract younger applicants.
Millennials crave and thrive in a more liberal environment they have control over their time and output. If you are able to unlock their potential, you only need to give instructions and expected output; they’ll get things done.
In this case, mandated work hours are not as necessary as before. Of course there are still product and service-based industries that would require prescribed working hours. You can’t have an assembly line and not have workers doing the deal. Or you can’t open a bank and not know if your tellers and customer service reps will show up or not.
But with other startup companies and online-based businesses, everything is more flexible. You have a window of working hours that you have to finish a particular task.
And of course, work doesn’t have to be at the office, either. You can complete an assigned task at the comfort of your own couch or in a Starbucks, like I’m doing right now.
This set-up helps decongest traffic in more urban and commercial areas, since lesser people are now required to show up at work during rush hour. It makes business operations easier and cheaper, too as digital-based companies no longer have to worry about operation issues such as equipment maintenance or building upkeep.
And of course, the clothing. A more relaxed dress code sometimes involves not having any dress code at all. Just as long as you dress appropriately (you’re not in lewd clothing or in your jammies), then you’re set.
Millennials are also big believers in work-life balance, or at least the attempt to achieve it. Maybe it’s because they are a product of the generation before them who have abused or have fallen victim to the cycle of overworking.
They have seen how it negatively impacts families and they have sworn not to be like that when it’s their turn to work.
There may be those who believe that work-life balance is really not attainable since there’s a particular period in our lives where we really have to be on our toes and work, work, work. But that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t even attempt to keep a healthy balance.
Make sure your company is really committed to building a culture that harnesses work-life balance and overall health.
So if you want new blood in your company, make sure to relax your policies a bit. Design your operations as much as you can with
Value and worth are major factors
If you wanna attract young talent to your burgeoning organization, then get ready to pay. And i don’t mean this to say that millennials only care about earning money. In fact, it’s the opposite of it.
If you only care about earning some bucks or making a living, you will work for whatever’s gonna pay you enough to keep you alive. In other words, whatever brings food to the table.
On the other hand, millennials are aware of their value and what they can bring to the table. They want to work for a company that goes beyond just providing for them financially. They want to see that their personal vision and mission is in line with that of the company, and that they can positively contribute to its goals.
Millennials are also more family-oriented, especially Asians. They want to make sure that what they earn won’t just be enough for their basic needs but for their families as well. I and my friends are the same.
As young, startup entrepreneurs, we’ve put up our businesses because we want to be able to create wealth that would be enough for our families to live by and create their own futures. And as a result, we want to attract like-minded people as well.
And because millennials are very concerned about their value and worth, they want to make sure that they also keep increasing it. This is where mentoring and coaching comes in.
Millennials are keen towards leaders who are able to bring out their best potential. Unlike the generations before them who might be hesitant to step into the plate, the Gen Nexters are more than ready, willing, and able to receive direction, coaching, and instructions.
Youngsters also want to know that their career is going somewhere and that there are ample training and development offered to further their competencies and keep their skills updated. Don’t ever hold back on your young talent. Allow them to learn and learn well.
Don’t be threatened by them. On the contrary, use their tenacity and willingness to learn in order to acquire more knowledge, which they will, in turn, apply to the benefit of your organization.
It’s a win-win situation, is it not?
It’s the little things that count
Nowadays, companies cannot survive without offering little perks here and there in order to attract fresh employees. And with good reason, too.
Work can be very demanding, and then you couple if off with a bunch of millennials who are also very dedicated and hard-nosed. They will drive themselves to the ground to get the job done.
So as a result, the workplace becomes more of a prison.
It’s a good thing though that a few years ago, employers started noticing this and the disconnect that most employees feel when they are at work because of the lack of variety and balance.
At present, we have startups who opt to have their business in “flat” offices. None of those “the VIPs are on the top floor” kind of situation.
Companies have now also become more generous, offering team lunches and monthly outings to foster teamwork and camaraderie. Because they know how important work relationships are to the total health and wellbeing of employees, they invest in these types of perks.
Employee benefits now also include discounts and gift certificates to different restaurants, shops, and even services like Grab.
These little perks and privileges are not as costly as the regular and fringe benefits like allowances, health care or tenure, but they go a long way in terms of attracting young talents and keeping them happy and satisfied.