If you thought money was the biggest incentive you could offer a Millennial to come work for you over your competition, think again. Millennials view the workforce in the same way that they view technology. It’s open and limitless. They’ve grown up in an era when nothing is guaranteed and therefore have embraced rapid change as the norm. For Millennials, time is no longer money, rather time is a limited resource they’d rather spend wisely.
So, what is it that they’re looking for? Here are just a few reasons why Millennials choose certain jobs over others:
Flexibility – Millennials are looking for flexibility where physical presence is optional. To them, work shouldn’t be measured by the number of hours you clock in-office, but by the output of quality work that they do. For a company to remain competitive and attract Millennials, it’s time to rethink the nine-to-five workday and explore other scheduling options, even off-site availability.
Inspiration - Millennials don’t just want to spend their days earning a paycheck. Their time is better spent investing in the acquisition of new skills and knowledge that they need to grow both personally and professionally. On-the-job training needs to be more thoughtful with the goal of inspiring, tapping into employees’ interests, passions and career goals.
Purpose – Millennials want to be a part of the solution, and so they place importance on social and community causes, both in the office as well as outside of the office. They want this to be both self-fulling, in that it makes their work relevant, and a clear definition of their purpose within the company in how their position relates to the wider world (i.e. are everyone’s ethics and social responsibilities aligned?).
It’s time for companies to move forward, and shake things up in order to meet the new standards this growing workforce demands. Millennials are the future, and so recruiting and retaining them is a most valuable asset.