How to Get Millennials’ Attention

Workers who grew up in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s — commonly known as “millennials” or “Generation Y” — have different expectations for work and their employers than previous generations had. For instance, according to the Deloitte Millennial Survey, 92 percent of Millennials believe that business success should be measured by more than profit, and 70 percent plan to work independently at some point in their lives, rather than in a traditional business structure. 

For recruiters who need to attract these young, tech-savvy, highly educated workers, getting their attention can be difficult. But it’s not impossible. 

For instance, a popular content-sharing platform provider recently conducted a targeted online campaign to get the attention of more millennial candidates — and achieved measurable success. The company utilized Glassdoor’s targeted job ads to reach candidates by age, location, and job title, and to drive increased traffic to its Glassdoor profile. It also used an “Enhanced Profile” from Glassdoor to access insightful reports to learn about candidate demographics and what resonated with job seekers, allowing the company to influence candidates during their decision making processes. As a result, the company increased traffic to its Glassdoor profile from 30,000 to 81,000 in 30 days, and now 84 percent of candidates for positions at the company are between the ages of 18 and 34. In addition, three of five candidates interviewed say they have viewed the company’s Glassdoor profile. 

By recruiting more millennials, many companies can benefit from young workers’ cutting-edge skills and build a pipeline of talent for future leadership. If your company wants to get the attention of more millennials, consider these suggestions. 

1. Reach them where they are.The Millennial generation is widely active online and with social media, so an online campaign like the one described above is ideal for reaching them. For instance, according to Cisco’s Connected World Technology Report, 70 percent of millennials have “friended” their managers or coworkers on Facebook, and 56 percent would refuse to work for a company that bans social media.
2. Allow for independent work arrangements. Because many millennials see themselves someday being self-employed or owners of their own businesses, companies that allow for independence will attract their attention. Your company might offer employees opportunities to stretch their entrepreneurial muscles by designing their own projects or by telecommuting. If so, play up those opportunities to get millennials’ attention.
3. Make it meaningful. Millennials widely agree that businesses shouldn’t just be about making money; they should be about creating a better world. Eighty-one percent of them have donated money, goods, or services, according to Walden University’s Social Change Impact Report. Meanwhile, 61 percent feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world, according to Trevor Neilson of the Global Philanthropy Group. If you can show Millennials how your company makes a difference or contributes to a better world, you’ll have a better shot at getting their attention.
4. Offer a competitive salary.Members of every generation want to be paid competitively for their work, but millennials are entering the workforce with more student loan debt than any generation before them. According to PNC Financial Services, millennials have an average of $45,000 in debt. This means that having a stable income is more important to them than ever. So, if you offer a competitive salary to help them get out of debt, they’ll be more interested.

These entry-level hires today will be the backbone of your organization tomorrow — so if your organization is resistant to changing its ways, you may miss out on this rich pool of talent.