Top 5 Characteristics To Consider When Recruiting A Millennial Worker
More often than ever, Millennials come off as entitled or people with no sense of work ethic. In short, they often garner a bad reputation at their workplace. While some actually tend to be that way, branding a majority of the millennial generation isn’t fair nor true. On the contrary, this generation does share a lot of characteristics and traits that are often invaluable and coveted in the workplace environment. And as more and more millennials are joining the workforce, it is imperative that you understand and know how they work and how you can best manage them.
Here are the top 5 characteristics that most of the people from the millennial generation possess:
1. They Are Technologically Savvy
It is no surprise that the millennials are technologically advanced in comparison to their predecessors. It is quite frankly textbook knowledge that they are swift in adapting to new technologies and have the ability to learn new systems at a much quicker pace. However, what one might not know is that millennials are also empathetic and are quick to help other people who struggle to embrace technological advancements.
This way, the workplace can benefit from both their expertise in assisting their technologically backward employees and also, the workers from the millennial generation feel more valued.
2. Their Team Spirits Know No Bounds
In the corporate culture, the term “Team Spirit” is often bandied around and to say that it is something that is naturally ingrained in the millennial generation would be an understatement. This is because this generation was taught using a cooperative learning style. They are more often than not comfortable working with groups and are quite eager to make friends at work.
When recruiting a potential millennial candidate, it is crucial that you mention the opportunities you have in store for collaboration and group projects in your workplace. It is also imperative that you stress on your work culture and describe any monthly outings, weekly get-togethers or even volunteer opportunities that they can be a part of.
3. Work-Life Balance Is Their Top Priority
Millennials are more often misconstrued as being lazy because they are strict sticklers to work-life balance. However, the very concept of work-life balance is often misunderstood. In this modern, digital-first era, professionals can work from anywhere as long as they have excellent connectivity. This empowers them with the ability to work while also making time for their personal priorities. Because of this flexibility, millennials often tend to work longer than in a traditional set up.
To be precise, millennials work extremely hard but they know where to draw the line – they are not going to jeopardize their lifestyle for a career.
When you are hiring a millennial, make sure that you provide them with the flexibility that they long for and this will help retain your top talents. In short, encourage a healthy work-life balance and set boundaries to keep your millennial team happy and engaged.
4. They Are Multi-Taskers
Millennials are also professional multi-taskers. No matter the number of tasks thrown at them, they complete them in record time and quite effectively. However, this can also mean that they will be easily distracted.
So, just to make sure you are hiring the right talent, make sure you ask them about their time management skills in the interview. Also, ask them about their thought process behind completing their projects within the stipulated timeframe. This will give you some insight as to how they work and if they are able to stay focused on a task until they complete the same.
Also, when hiring a millennial talent, it is advisable to establish your expectations upfront about what needs to be completed every day or week and will assist millennials stay on track and off the phones.
5. They Are Highly Purpose-Driven
Millennials work starkly different than their previous generations and are motivated by having a purpose in their career. Of course it needs to be kept in mind that this is a generation that grew up during the financial recession and they do have first-hand knowledge of its impact.
So, they are driven to make an impact on their own lives and if possible on others’ as well. When hiring a millennial, you also need to be aware that while you are assessing their skills, they are also silently assessing yours. They need to know how they can make a difference in your organization and more importantly, how your organization creates a difference in the world. Let’s talk!