Keeping Millennials Engaged
A lot has been written about Millennials. One of the interesting facts that surfaced in a 2016 Gallup’s report entitled How Millennials Want to Work and Live is that they are more likely to change jobs than any other generation. Featured in the Harvard Business Review, the report went on to disclose the fact that 21% had actually left their jobs to do something else in the 12 months preceding the study. Another startling statistic was that ‘71% of them were either not engaged or actively disengaged at work, making them the least engaged generation in the U.S.’ – which also speaks to their propensity to change jobs.
So, what is it that Millennials want? According to the report, Millennials are selective when it comes to choosing a new workplace; they do their research and opt for positions that resonate for them in a ‘big picture’ sort of way. New job attributes they felt were particularly important were opportunities to learn and grow; the quality of the manager and management; and their interest in the nature of the work. While these preferred attributes were important for other generations too, the desire to learn and grow was strongest in Millennials.
The Forbes Human Resources Council had a few more detailed suggestions to add: ‘offer a flexible, creative work environment; implement ongoing collaborative training; listen to what they’re saying; foster a team environment; use anonymous surveys to make changes; make sure your technology inspires use; focus on quality of life; and show them they’ll make a difference.’ It’s this last suggestion that probably features most frequently when Millennials and engagement are discussed – the need to feel that they have a purpose, that they are helping to bring about change and that their goals are aligned with a company’s mission to make a positive impact on society.
What’s troubling is that in Deloitte’s seventh annual Millennial Survey released earlier this year, Millennials’ opinions about that positive impact, their belief that business can motivate, be ethical and make a change declined considerably – which as Deloitte states ‘is an ideal time for business leaders to prove themselves as agents of positive change.’ If you want to be part of something big, something empowering that will help you grow and make a positive change for you and those around you, then contact us at La Granson International; we value self-starters who are driven, have purpose and want to make an impact - [email protected] or +27 62 639 6069 for more.