What HR managers should know about hiring millennials.
How hiring more millennials will change the practices of HR departments.
Millennials are classified as people born from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s – a huge chunk of the current modern workforce. Most people in this generation are still relatively early in their careers, in mid to upper management in some areas, working with a good mix of their millennial peers and baby boomers. As many baby boomers reach retirement, more and more workplace positions will be filled with millennial employees, which will change HR practices and working environments.
How will millennials in the workplace change HR trends? Will HR policies for millennials be different from HR policies of the past? Here are some ways that millennials differ from other generations in the workplace, and how hiring millennials will impact human resource practices.
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Millennials value different things.
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Millennials aren’t as focused as other generations on things like salary. Millennials find more importance in things like work-life balance, being able to make a meaningful contribution to a company and an ethical corporate culture. Technology has allowed for less of a separation between the office and home life, and while millennials don’t necessarily mind the lack of a distinction between work and home spheres, they do want a positive work experience.
One way that HR practices for millennials will change over previous HR habits is that HR departments will create policies that support a flexible workspace that can offer millennial-friendly practices like work from home options, flexible schedules, technology allowances, and continued education opportunities.
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Millennials are diverse
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Millennial hiring practices will need to focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. HR departments will need to make sure they reach all kinds of people during their recruitment practices and offer a work environment that focuses on inclusion and collaboration.
One way to create better inclusionary practices is to be aware of holidays and representation from a variety of cultures and to build relationships and awareness through company-sponsored education opportunities.
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Millennials appreciate experiences and connection
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Millennials value a workplace that values them. Most millennials consider their workplace to be more than a transaction of skills for a paycheck. The relationship between millennials and human resources will need to reflect that going forward.
HR departments need to reinforce a strong culture that’s attractive to millennials, in the way that works best for this business. This might include employee appreciation events, perks like an onsite gym or paid time off to volunteer, or paid tuition for continued education.
Hiring millennials will continue to have an impact on human resources practices and how businesses conduct themselves, both to attract and retain talent. This change will become more organic as more millennials find themselves in leadership positions and in jobs like director of human resources.
Hiring practices that work to educate employees, grow inclusion practices, and encourage connection between employees and departments are not just a trend or a best practice for millennial workplaces but will work to create positive, forward-thinking work environments that can benefit a business’s entire way of communicating and their bottom line.
