How To Attract High Performing Millennial Talent Into The Healthcare Sector

According to the latest data from Deloitte by 2020  over 70% of the workforce will be made up of Millennial talent. 

Many organisations, from large government agencies to small niche biotech companies are wrestling with the problem of how to attract and retain high performing Millennial employees to their organisation. 

This workforce group has some unique characteristics, and that means essential strategies need to be used by healthcare companies looking to market themselves as attractive destinations for Millennial employees. The success or not of how you do this will have a significant impact on your business growth and culture as you move forward over the next few years. 

What Defines Millennials? 

Known by two different names (Millennials or Gen Y) this is a generation that attracts a lot of focus because of the previously mentioned statistic.  

Though Gen X are tech savvy too, this generation has never known anything but a technology-driven world.  

They like to communicate through email and texting rather than face-to-face contact and often prefer webinars and online technology to traditional lecture-based presentations. Therefore what will attract this vital group to your company? 

Give Them Goals 

Millenials are far more engaged when they can see how their work fits into the goals of the company. If the aim for your organisation is to change the face of how oncology will be treated in the next five years through A.I. technology, then your potential Millennial hire will want to know that and know how their work contributes to that goal. 

Part of their motivation comes from knowing how they are contributing more broadly than just their daily tasks, projects or monthly deadlines. 

Give Them an Outlet 

Millennials are different from previous generations regarding their work habits. They like to have the freedom to express their passion and enthusiasm through their work and in their work social lives. 

Most will prefer a workplace that accommodates their desire for novelty, excitement, and friendships in their work. Meaningful work and a development culture are two of their main criteria when it comes to their professional life. 

Possibly related to their upbringing in a nurturing environment, they value teamwork and seek the input and affirmation of others. They want to be involved and included. 

Developmental Feedback And Attention 

Feedback is an integral part of effective employee management, but Millenials tend to perform better with more regular updates about their work and specifically how their performance compares to other colleagues. 

This comes from the desire to continually improve, and from the ‘anytime availability’ that has become part of their lives; the World Wide Web always answers straight away, so why can’t you, their employer? 

This may be as simple as a brief review of a recent project over coffee or a feedback meeting with members of a market access team after, for instance, a conversation with the Medical liaison head. 

Leading on from this Millennials crave attention. They want to be kept in the loop and need continual praise to perform at their peak. 

External validation is a crucial driver for their performance. The rise in mentoring and its popularity might have something to do with the Millennial generation‘s need for reassurance and verification of their contribution and performance. 

Living in a NOW culture, they are impatient; a potential downside of Millennial employees is that they are always looking for something new and better; their desire to achieve, be recognised and rewarded is high, and their expectations can appear as if they want to expect things to happen by “yesterday”! 

Collaboration 

It is no coincidence that Millennials are the most active users of social media and sharing platforms, increasingly bringing this attitude of collaboration and sharing to their workplaces.  

This is critical in the healthcare sector where team collaboration is crucial to delivering the outcomes necessary to design, test and provide innovative medical interventions into the marketplace. 

By setting up team goals rather than individual rewards and having work processes that emphasize collaboration rather than tapping away alone at a desk, you can engage millennials far better. 

A Recruiting Strategy 

A solid strategy to recruit Millennial talent will be vital in attracting the healthcare employees your organisation requires to deliver it’s growth objectives over the next few years and beyond. 

This is one of the reasons many organisations use a specialist healthcare recruitment company like ourselves as we understand what is required. Last year we even won a LinkedIn award for the most socially connected recruiter. 

There are some areas to consider including; your role descriptions, how you develop and grow individuals, what your company culture is like and how you communicate that. Also, how will your recruiting process work? Think about your mobile strategy and how you can shorten the application process; all a potential issue if you don’t do it right. 

The good news is there are plenty of rewards on the other side of attracting these unique individuals. 

Thanks, 

Chris

About Kinetic 

Kinetic pride ourselves on being the leading regional experts in the full range of recruitment solutions for the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices industries. 

Kinetic understands the niche requirements for all specialisms of this ever-increasing regulated industry. 

Wondering if your salary structure is correct in today’s market. Then download The Kinetic Salary and Employment Survey here. 

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 To find out more about how we can support you in your recruitment campaign or help you land your next career progression contact us here.