Nov 30 2022
9 min read
Aug
Last Updated: August 25, 2022
9 min read
Dynamic. Energetic. Young.
Aren’t we all looking up to people who bring new ideas to the table, are super enthusiastic, and are ready to give it a shot?!
Welcome, millennial workforce! The ‘81-’97 liners are looking for more than just a stipend or some recognition and rewards; they are here to innovate, learn, experiment, and get ahead. The list goes on, from the general workforce to the most influential entrepreneurs!
By definition, millennial employees are those aged between 25 to 41 years as of 2022 (yeah, pretty much the ‘young blood’ of a company).
Now, if you think the 25-year-olds are too inexperienced to understand how corporates work, let me tell you, over 66% of the workforce are millennials holding important positions in large business houses. By 2025, millennials will comprise 75% of the total new hires.
Probably the question of the moment: What is the best way to engage your millennial employees?
And what can help you with that? The TME mantra: Train, Motivate and Engage.
Let’s discuss each of these three strategies in details.
The ‘on your marks’ agenda!
Before you put millennial employees to work, it is essential to give them a perspective on what they are about to do and why they are to do it (identify the purpose, uh-huh!)
3 Quick tips for training the millennial squad
A. Incorporating Microlearning Programs: People tend to notice and remember things that engage them in more than one way, and digital displays are the right tool for you!
Microlearning can be used to create digestible training materials on workplace ethics, strategies, standard operating procedures, customer persona of your brands, and the profitability of your company.
Publish short quizzes with real time downloadable reports on your office screens (you can add interactivity too!)
By adding a QR code, you can also let your employees scan and download the on-screen training content on their mobile devices for self-paced learning & development.
B. Opportunities for upskilling: Millennials like to work hard, improve and own what they do. For them, setbacks or a lag in performance transgresses as an avenue to improve and learn from past mistakes. And this is why upskilling courses and mentorship are required to help them get going!
Such programs help them set realistic work goals alongside fulfilling their personal developments. Whether it is to achieve a lateral career shift or add a new badge or degree to extend their resume, vocational training is a massive motivator for GenY and GenZ workers.
C. Go Social: Did you know your Instagram posts or company tweets help millennials, especially the new joiners, understand your company’s culture?
What percentage of millennial employees are there? How diverse is the workplace? Is the management a big stickler for dress codes, or can I pull a pair of jeans and sweatshirts, and as long as I do my job, they don’t care?
Your social media passively trains the millennial employees about your company; a fantastic way to do that is to install social walls in your workplace (places of hangout like the cafeteria, lobbies, and smoking zones).
Suggested article: How to use your office displays to improve employee engagement?
Be it for a trivial task such as folding clothes or completing a pending project, we all need that ‘get, set’ at some point in our lives. So do our millennials!
And trust me, it is not always money.
A pat on the back or a simple ‘kudos’ can make someone’s day. But you can do a lot more to keep your young employees happy.
5 tips to motivate the millennial workforce
Put up your employee of the month or an employee recognition wall to show that their hard work is appreciated.
Don’t keep work hours too rigid. Allow employees to set their time limits. Observations by Bentley University have pointed out that over 77% of millennials said a flexible work schedule helps to increase their productivity.
Plan a self-care session with your workers by planning a meditation, spa session, or a weekend trip together. It would help them calm down and get a clear mind.
Do away with that gender pay parity and provide equal opportunities to everyone.
Last but certainly not least, train managers and employees in leadership positions to be affable and approachable. A heart-to-heart conversation is the best motivator! 73% of workers in a research said that in-person meetings help to cement professional relationships.
The ‘go’ plan, yes!
In a recent survey, more than 27% of respondents said that they enjoy doing things that add meaning and purpose to their ideas, and there isn’t a better way to get your millennial workers hooked than showing them a reason for which they should keep the show going!
Be that digital whiteboard that helps plan their week’s schedule or events that test their creativity, engaging your employee is an indispensable
So, how to foster millennial engagement in your company culture? I have got you covered!
4 highly effective ideas to engage the new-gen employees at work
Show them the results: Gone are the days when your staff would work, have lunch, send some end-of-the-day emails, close their systems and forget about work when they step out of the office.
The millennial workers want to know the bigger picture of the game. How does my work bring profit to the company? How does my performance look next to my peers’?
As a manager, you can engage these eager minds by showing them their work results and progress. For instance, showing various project management, sales, and KPI dashboards on your office TV displays can give them the ‘bigger picture.’ Conducting retrospective meetings is another fantastic way to build meaningful engagement.
Make them your first customers: Launching a new product? Get your employees to test (and taste - if you are into the culinary world) your offerings first! Ask for feedback and incorporate these ideas to improve what you just created! This goes to show your workforce that their opinion makes a difference!
Bring in digital transformation: Millennials are digital natives; they live to love technology, play with it and make the most of it. So an office that still uses paper catalogs, pin-and-cork bulletin boards, and printed log registers will surely not appeal to them.
If you want to attract the Gen Y and GenZ talent, your workplace needs to be equipped with quick collaboration & information-sharing tools, different automation technologies, and sophisticated meeting rooms.
Let them explore: An essential part of millennial employee engagement is to allow them a safe space to explore new ideas and solve day-to-day challenges through unconventional means. While doing that, it is also essential for you as a manager not to discourage them if they fail.
Here are some quick tricks to find out if your employees like your way of working and making them do!
Check on the turn-ins for a non-work session: It indicates if your employees like their workplace. If the number showing up for Friday nights or weekend trips is too low, do an opinion poll and organize something your team would like to be a part of.
Analyze feedback and see how honest they are: Very important! If there are too many yes-folks or only good things to say, time to be alert! Ask your employees to drop honest feedback without hesitating.
See how they perform when in a challenging situation: Another check-off! If your employees can keep their heads and deliver while their creativity is challenged, they are true to their craft and understand your vision.
Inter-team engagement matters: If your teams can work in perfect sync with one another, they have found their ideal co-workers. Check how collaborative they are and how much they are willing to help each other; it’s necessary for brand building.
If possible, let them choose tasks and see what they prefer: This will help you get an idea of how these bunch of millennials want to work and live (take some notes here for personal research 😊)
For years, employers have had quite a time figuring out what millennials might relate to and what could immediately get them to sulk! And with that comes its share of myths and hits!
Myth breakers: There is a theory about millennials being the most unruly tech-obsessed of employees who only believe in smart work.
Untrue!
According to reports, millennials are the most hard-working employees using their creativity to channel hard and smart work. They are willing to listen and are honest in making the most of available technology and possible communication channels.
Prefer flexibility: Not an unreasonable demand since most millennials manage more than one job, including a side hustle! And guess what? They have managed to incorporate this culture right into the system!
Remote and hybrid work modes are the new normal (the pandemic did add some fuel, true!), with technology enabling them to manage more than one screen simultaneously!
Constant appetite for knowledge: Now, this is something even boomers will agree upon!
Millennials are the most willing to learn― be it finding inspiration in things stirring up their curiosity just like that or finding out about something they came across while doing some daily activity such as being out for an evening jog! This energy is reflected in how they communicate, juggle tasks, and keep the energy going!
Value Transparency: Millennials did pave the way here!
They prefer a clear understanding of everything before proceeding to work on them, a quality that also spills into their money management techniques! Most studies have pointed towards them vouching for a clear set of terms, conditions, and deadlines before committing to tasks- a quality that brings efficiency and clarity to their work!
So, what engages these people fresh out of grad school or a job that didn’t match their vision (emphasize the latter because you surely don’t want to lose out on this new hire who seemed to fit your energy)?!
Is it just the stipend or something more they are looking forward to? There are!
An innovative and collaborative work culture.
Flexible schedule
Management that understands and gives them the freedom to explore their ideas
Quick redressal of work-related difficulties and an accommodative attitude
A healthy work-life balance
Post-work week fun activities
Appreciation of their hard work and honest feedback about results
A competitive culture that allows them to upskill and find their strengths and weaknesses
So, the moral of the story?
Millennials are that team that builds up and turns a business into the brand originally envisioned. So, try to retain these young talents in your organization by chalking out a fantastic employee engagement strategy.
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