Following on from our previous Candidate Experience – General Series where we uncovered how to engage Gen Z in your candidate experience strategy, we are taking a dive in to the world of millennials and what you need to include in your candidate experience to attract and engage this group of candidates.

First of all, who are Millennials?

Millennials are born between 1981 – 1996 and were given this name due to being born and witnessing the new millennium.

This unique age group were the first generation to be born into the technological world whilst witnessing huge and fast technological growth & development. They are also all too familiar with recessions, having been through 3, and have witnessed global inflation at its highest in 30 years, whilst having very different priorities of spending to their Boomer parents. Avocado on toast anyone?

Millennials currently make up 35% of the workforce and when it comes to the workplace, tend to value the following:

1. Work-life balance
2. Team Culture
3. Learning & Development
4. Purpose

How does this impact Candidate Experience?

Now we have clarified what makes Gen Z different, let’s delve in to what that means you need to focus on in candidate experience.

1. Work-Life Balance: Be open to flexible working

With the access to technology & new ways of working, millennials were the first generation to re-shape the ‘traditional’ way of working and to question the conventional 9-5 and covid only amplified this. This group of workers value having flexibility in their work life, whatever this may mean for that individual – it is not a one shoe fits rule anymore.

Flexibility means freedom to work in an individual way that will equate to the most productivity and something that fits around their life outside of work, and with the use of technology and video meetings, it has never been more easy to do this.

According to Deloitte’s Global Millennial survey, 67% of Millennials feel that flexible remote working enables a better work-life balance and according to EY, 54% of employees globally "would consider leaving their job post-Covid-19 pandemic if they are not afforded some form of flexibility."

In order to attract and engage this group of candidates, organisations must be open to flexible working. This could be arrangements such as:

• Working from home flexibility
• Flexible working hours
• Moving to a 4/4.5 day working week

Something to note as an employer is that flexibility is a level of trust. Flexibility can not be rolled out if the trust and belief of the system does not come from the top down.

2. Team Culture: Focus on a positive team environment

Although some similarities in the younger tech-driven generations, Gen Z are more individualistic, whilst Millennials focus more on teamwork and integrating work into their lifestyle.

Millennials like to have a team connection at work and value company culture more than any other generation that’s come before them. In fact, they would be willing to give up an average of $7,600 per year to work at a job with a better team environment [Forbes]. Whereas generations before this typically valued salary as number 1.

The open plan office and shared office space boom is a direct demonstration of this.

So what does this mean for candidate experience?

This means that right from the onset your recruitment marketing should be showcasing a collaborative team culture. This could be social posts about team events or demonstrating a great team project on your careers page. At interview stage, introduce candidates to some of their potential team.

3. Learning & Development: Include learning opportunities & career growth

Millennials have a hunger for knowledge and skills.

In a report on How Millennials Want to Work and Live by Gallup, it was revealed that 59% of millennials say opportunities to learn and grow are extremely important to them when applying for a job whereas only 44% of Gen Xers and 41% of baby boomers say the same.

What can you do as an employer to make sure you are fostering a strong L&D culture for millennials?

This comes from the top down. Managers have to be proactive as this group of people can often feel uncomfortable asking as they worry it could be detrimental to their careers. Make sure that you have a clearly paved out career path as part of your EVP and showcase this in your recruitment marketing and interview process. People want to join an organisation that they can grow with and aren’t afraid to change companies more frequently than their previous generations if they can’t grow & learn.

L&D opportunities could also include paid-for courses, monthly talks or opportunities for internal mobility & side-steps into different roles within the organisation.

4. Purpose: Include value that considers life outside of work

Millennials want purpose in their work. In fact, 36% of millennials say they have rejected a job based on their personal ethics [Deloitte].

A job isn’t just a job anymore to this age group.

Millennials want to see corporate social responsibility in their workplace and diversity & inclusion ranks highly for what they deem a good workplace culture. Ensure you are demonstrating this in your EVP marketing and at interview stage.

For example, if you want to increase your corporate social responsibility, include a volunteering day for all staff and showcase this throughout the candidate process. With 45% of millennials feeling burned out due to the intensity/demands of their working environments [Deloitte], incorporating mental health awareness into your EVP with things such as mental health days, meditation app subscriptions and ERP is not only protecting the wellbeing of your staff but is something that millennials will appreciate.

Conclusion

It is reported that Millennials will make up 75% of the workforce by 2025 so it is vital to have a candidate experience that attracts and engages this group of people to ensure top talent in your organisation.