Just like the market once struggled to adapt to the needs of Baby Boomers, our contemporary society shows the same with the growing generation of millennials. And while many of them in fact start their own businesses, there are so many young, educated people not being hired simply because of several missteps in communication.
Experience and analysis have shown that there are three main areas in which your company can improve just to send the right messages via the right media.
What you communicate
Being consistent with your brand and what your company stands for doesn’t mean that you can allow yourself a lack of flexibility in communication. This simply means highlighting what matters most to your future employee, and that requires knowing them.
Many successful businesses rely on bullet points enumerating salary, benefits, key responsibilities and skills needed. Unlike this raw, empty presentation, you certainly have a lot more to offer, you just need to find a way to present it in a way that a millennial will relate to and understand.
Millennials are not primarily focused on compensation, they need to know that they will have opportunities to grow and outgrow their first position, as well as gain new skills. The company culture they need to be attracted to cannot be presented by mere charts and numbers. That’s why it’s crucial to give them a genuine, no-fluff insight into what their peers do at your company, how their position will make a difference, and how much their own input will be valued.
Millennials look for a purpose, they like changes and challenges, and they appreciate honesty and open collaboration. So, offering them money, perks and a neat desk will simply not cut it.
Where you communicate
A surprisingly large number of high-ranking businesses fail to fully utilize modern methods of communication, even when they know where their target employees are.
The time of classified ads and headhunters has passed, and we have entered into an online era of social media, websites and mobile apps that dominate the market. So, if your company’s website isn’t optimized for mobile phones, and almost 80% of your potential employees are searching for a job using this device, then what are you waiting for?
Online presence is much more than a plain web address and a barely active Facebook page. You need a living, breathing presence, with vibrant, direct messages that will not only attract but also maintain the attention of a millennial who is eager to explore.
They use their personal online presence to find like-minded, aspiring companies that will show the same, if not the greater vision for progress and growth. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to use the perks of Facebook advertising to your advantage, and reach a greater number of young people just waiting to discover what amazing opportunities you have in stock for them.
How you communicate
Instead of listing all the things you find important, emphasize the ones that will resonate with this rising generation of ambitious, independent people who crave creative freedom, purpose, and a chance to express themselves.
Language plays a huge role in all your communication with millennials, but that doesn’t mean masking your true identity by using fake “hip” lingo with misplaced phrases; you will only end up misrepresenting yourself and driving them away.
While creating strong, memorable messages are something every business strives for, attracting the right employees takes a bit more effort. Show them you understand what they want, and let them know you share the same values. This generation responds best to honesty; so, you should always try to be straightforward with them.
To sum up
Any company can benefit from challenging their existing forms of communication, thus creating more opportunities for businesses to deploy a rising generation of well-educated, resourceful individuals striving for success.
Taking a step back from that outdated “you can work for us” mindset and expressing a “let’s work together” belief will not only help you attract bright, talented people, it will also bring your entire business a breath of fresh air, and a surge of positive energy that will ensure future prosperity.
Chances are, these millennials are looking for you, but you need to find the best way to reach out, make use of their existing capabilities as well as their enormous potential to learn, and your business will bloom along with their desire to contribute.