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By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce.

The question for employers nowadays is: do you have an effective talent acquisition strategy to attract the very best Gen Y employees (Future Leaders)?

Because, like every generation, millennials or future leaders as i shall refer to this generation as, desire specific working cultures, environments and job perks. To entice the best of the best you need a solid game plan.

Here are our best tips for recruiting the best future leaders based on fresh insight from our a diverse array of Agencies we partner with across the UK.

A Battle of the Ages?

Gen X currently make up 65% of the workforce, in the next few years this percentage will sharply decrease as millennials reach prime working age.

There are two ways we can approach this seismic shift:

●     With fear and trepidation as we bury our heads in the sand

OR

●     With intelligence and enthusiasm as we, business owners and current leaders, evolve our mindsets to get the best out of our future leaders

To pursue a bright and healthy future for our businesses, we must adapt and evolve. In order to do this we need to overcome specific recruitment challenges:

Increasing skill shortages - we exist in a crowded marketplace where businesses share the same messages and propositions to attract sought-after talent. We have to make our business stand out to turn candidates’ heads.

Retaining staff can be difficult - 50% of millennials expect to leave a role within two years. Without the right opportunities for career progression or adequate engagement, with so much choice, top talent is more likely to move on.

Old traditions hold you back - Gen Y aren’t wedded to permanent employment. Temporary or contracted work is more attractive, and flexible working options are in demand (82% say flexible working options increase their loyalty). Happiness also trumps money - millennials are more concerned with job satisfaction than saving and investing.

These are big challenges, however, you can conquer them.

What Do Our Future Leaders Want?

Gen Y doesn’t just crave fridges full of food and hipster glasses. When it comes to employment, they seek …

Cool and Comfortable Offices

Nice digs to work in are at the top of a millennial’s list. A hot topic for this generation is how working environments can affect their performance and mental health. They want high-tech and cleverly-designed offices that make coming into work every day a positive experience.

A Source of Inspiration

Millennials want to be inspired. They need leaders who can articulate a clear direction on where the business is now and where it’s going. So they can visualise the impact they’ll have and stay motivated.

Be a leader who dazzles them with energy, finesse and conviction to strengthen your message and attract the leaders of tomorrow.

To Be Emotionally Invested

Having a strong set of defined values is a big employment turn-on for our future leaders. They tie-in job satisfaction with emotional investment: you need to create values that are close to a millennial’s heart, such as strong ethics (75% would take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company), diversity and freedom of thought.

Understanding what they care about is key. Our goal as current leaders is to align our company's values with their personal values.

To Make a Difference

Millennials want to leap out of bed every morning before work, knowing they’re going to do something they enjoy while making a significant difference.

That doesn’t mean you have to ditch your business to build a charity. It’s about ensuring the solutions you offer to your clients and customers (in other words, the work your millennials do) are genuinely helpful, valuable and transformative.

Learning and Development Opportunities

Offering career training and development would keep 86% of millennials from leaving their current position, according to a survey by Bridge.

It’s clear that millennials have a thirst for continued learning and aspire to get better at their craft. How much a business invests in L&D is paramount in attracting and retaining high-performers - you need to demonstrate that career and skill progression is a priority as an employer to secure top talent.

A Decent Work-Life Balance

Flexibility is king when it comes to attracting millennials. The 9-5 is dead. They want the flexibility needed to take care of themselves and their families while maintaining a healthy career. And the key to making this work is by trusting the people that work for us. By being outcome focussed as opposed to time spent working, we will increase the level of trust, loyalty and stickability from our next generation of future leaders.

Flexi-time, working from home and contracted work are just a few of the ways we can appeal to millennials. Tech is a great enabler of this. To overcome the logistical challenges of flexible working, read this!  

To Be Healthier and Happier

Our future leaders choose health over wealth. They are looking for employers who have a strong duty of care for their employees so they can be happier and healthier at work and in their personal lives.

For tips on how to make mental health and wellbeing central to your organisation’s culture, check out our recent blog. Do this successfully, and you can reduce sick days and increase employee loyalty, especially in your millennial staff.

In short, here are some key points that I hope will resonate -

●     Our Future Leaders, Our Millenials, want to go on a journey with a real purpose, sharing the highs and lows

●     They want to have fun, work in a great culture and enjoy the ride with like-minded people

●     They want to be proud of what they do and feel valued & respected as indiviudals.

Send us a message on Twitter, email us at [email protected] or call on 0161 359 3789 for a quick chat if you need any help finding the best people. We can’t wait to hear from you.