3 Proven Methods to Attract and Retain Better Millennial Talent

If you were to ask anyone whose job it is to find the best millennial-age candidates for a job, they would tell you how challenging it can be to find the right person and convince them that working for you is the right choice.

While there is a lot of evidence to suggest millennials are looking to achieve meaning and attain a real sense of purpose over simply making a lot of money, it doesn’t reflect much in the figures. Studies and experience have shown that hiring managers have an especially hard time finding good millennial candidates.

The “skills gap” is also making things more difficult for leading players in the social sector. A report on “21st Century Skills” from the World Economic Forum shows that there is a major problem with the supply of skills right now. Over a third of companies report having had trouble finding people with the skills they needed in 2016.

So if millennials don’t value money over other job satisfaction metrics, what else could an organization possibly offer as an incentive to attract the best talent?

doTERRA vice president of HR, Mark Ringger, believes they have a compelling answer for millennials. “We’ve seen that what people are looking for when choosing a job is often growth and learning opportunities. A strong training program coupled with opportunities to gain new skills and progress help us attract young, motivated people.”

A report from Deloitte showed that 44 percent of the millennials who were surveyed wanted to change jobs because they felt there wasn’t enough leadership development. There was also a study from PwC that looked at more than 4,000 graduates from 75 countries. These graduates said that when they are deciding between employers, they look at the potential for progressing in their career. They also considered the potential for training and development, along with being coached and mentored by their leaders, to be of high priority.

The results show that there is an opportunity within the social sector (roughly defined as “Social enterprises, B Corporations, and other commercial organizations looking to do good”).

Think about each time you’ve been or known a worker on the front-line who has absolutely no influence when it comes to major company decisions that can affect them and those they know. Or consider the government junior employee who has never been able to show something that they worked on to their senior leadership.

According to Ben Peterson, co-founder of BambooHR, “Emphasizing learning, developing, and contributing to employees in a meaningful manner provides the company with a three-prong attack. It means they offer purpose, learning, and a challenge in a compelling environment.”

If you want to create this collaborative and supportive culture of learning while sticking to a budget then focus on what it is that makes working in the social sector such a rewarding challenge. If you’re a manager in the social sector then you can use this as the foundation to help people develop and learn. Here’s how:

Ask a Lot of Questions. You need to be using all of the technical infrastructure at your disposal to be asking questions. Make use of your organizational broadcast tools to share the problems and issues you are facing and find out who is eager to learn more about the problem or contribute a solution. If someone gets invested then you should give them the power to succeed. If someone offers a solution then give them the chance to get involved and coach them to improve their skills, rather than screening them for skills from the get-go. Share Everything.​ You need to make it easy for people to share information. Information should flow whether it comes from inside or outside the company. It could be expensive to send employees to an outside conference, especially if you’re a non-profit. So how do you make it so that what the employee learns is shared and incorporated? One example is Living Cities. They make it a requirement for people attending external meetings to share information through internal social networking platforms. They need to share not just what they heard, but also provide context and explain what it would mean for an organization. Including socialization like this gives you a place to start for continued ongoing discussions.

Organizations need to make it a ritual for people to share information. I know one company that uses all-staff calls under 10 minutes long to congratulate and celebrate those colleagues who are an example of the values the organization prides themselves on. They also share how the company is progressing toward key milestones. There are also companies that will randomly put people together to have coffee or lunch. Just put together a structure to foster a conversation that broadens strategy. Or you can let your people get to know one another better.

Provide Coaching for all Levels. If the work is ambiguous and complex, then coaching feels more like supportive conversations or a humble inquiry aimed at improving employees rather than some form of bullish certainty. You need to find or come up with the right coaching style for the organization and then start using it.

Incorporating just one, or all three, of our suggestions won’t break the bank financially. It just takes some time and also intention. There are benefits though, including creating a thriving and collaborative culture where everyone feels supported by the positive outcomes and practiced leadership.

Like this article? Get breakthrough marketing tips in your inbox every week!​