There are currently 80 million Millennials in the United States, and soon they will make up the majority of the employee population. Why? For one, Baby Boomers, which make up 40 percent of today’s U.S. workforce, will be leaving the workforce in the next decade. Secondly, this year the Millennial generation (born between 1981-2001) is projected to surpass the Baby Boomer generation as the nation’s largest living generation. That said, it’s crucial for your organization to know how to recruit and retain Millennials.
TINYpulse has put together a fantastic guidebook on this very topic called, The Ultimate Guide to Recruiting and Retaining Millennials. Not only is it chock-full of helpful insights and information, it’s also engaging and well written. I am proud to say that I am quoted in the guide.
The Ultimate Guide to Recruiting and Retaining Millennials* covers topics such as creating a transparent culture, embracing social responsibility, living your organizational values, supporting career development, creating an effective onboarding plan, and more. I am quoted in chapter 15, which talks about opening a virtual suggestion box.
Opening Up a Virtual Suggestion Box
The good news is, our days of traditional (awkward) suggestion boxes have come to an end. Technology has come to the rescue with simple online surveys and web platforms that offer more anonymity to employees who would like to share their ideas and solutions. That is what a virtual suggestion box is.
This is a great idea for the Millennial generation, also known as Generation Y. Why? Because it is very important to them to have a voice in their community, and community is a core element in the lives of this generation.
Also, Gen Y was born with a mouse in its hand. Consequently, they are tech-savvy and expect information to be “downloaded” immediately, including their ideas and suggestions.
They were the first generation to have family meetings and safety laws enforced with bike helmets, car seats, and seat belt laws. The message from this was “You are special. We value you.” Consequently, this generation values connections and wants to be part of a community at home, work, and play. They will work with their friends at the same organization if they feel it’ll allow them more time with their community. Having a voice in their community is important to Gen Y. They have the confidence to articulate their vision and the tech skills to create their vision. Now they need you to support them in listening to their vision.
If only we could jump 50 years ahead– just for a day– to see how this generation will have transformed the workplace. Preparing your organization to successfully recruit and retain the Millennial generation is not only imperative, it’s exciting.
Let’s have a little fun. Pretend you have a virtual suggestion box where you can leave an idea or suggestion for every organization in the country. What is one idea and/or suggestion that all U.S. organizations need to hear? I can’t wait to read.
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