Having a great team translates directly to your company’s bottom line. And with the urgent need to bring younger talent into the construction industry, fine tuning your hiring skills has never been more important.
We’ve put together these tips to help you understand the motivations and aspirations of millennials to improve your hiring process.
1: Demonstrate How Your Company is Making a Positive Impact on the World
According to Bentley University’s Center for Women and Business, "84 percent of millennials say that helping to make a positive difference in the world is more important than professional recognition."
Millennials crave a sense of purpose, both at work and in their personal lives. It's important for candidates to see how they could contribute to making a positive impact on the community, society, and the environment during their career.
Whether it's through the mission of your company's products or services, or how your company participates in community service events, being part of something bigger will be an important draw to prospective millennials.
2: Show Your Innovation as a Company
The 2014 Deloitte Millennial Survey showed that 78% of millennials are influenced by how innovative a company is when deciding if they want to work there. Millennials aren't afraid to question the status quo, so it's no surprise that they would be drawn to companies doing the same.
Is your company seeking out projects that focus on sustainable design, using new materials, or employing new technology in the construction process? If so, make sure this is front and center, as it will be a big attraction to potential millennial candidates.
3: Show the Fun and Social Sides of Your Company
The Seattle Times reports that millennials search for closeness in their office relationships. They believe it will make the environment at work better, and will help enhance their career. Because many people spend more time at work than they do at home these days, it's important to showcase the fun side of your company and that your employees enjoy spending time together.
Talk about company events, intramural sports teams, informal lunches or after hours gatherings, or any other ways your employees spend time together that brings the team closer together.
4: Recruit Millennials Where They Spend Time Online
Your website, social media, video marketing and other digital channels are great places to attract millennials.
Gone are the days when job applicants are only using job search engine sites such as Monster and Career Builder. They're using the web to search for innovative companies, and having a strong digital presence is key for employers.
Use social media to promote company events, employment perks, socialization opportunities, leadership development programs, and the unique products and services you provide.
5: Demonstrate Your Company's Work Life Balance and Flexibility Options
One of the biggest perks attracting millennials to companies these days are flexible work options. Whether that's flexible work hours or the ability to work remotely occasionally, these are becoming more and more commonplace and huge attractors to millennials.
Because the lines between work and personal life are continually becoming blurred, the ability to have some flexibility every now and then makes that balance just a little bit easier. While it may not work for all companies and industries, there are certainly opportunities to fit in some flexibility that will make it easier to attract the best talent as an employer.
6: Use Your Interview Process to Filter Out Potential Slackers
We've all heard the stereotype: Millennials are lazy. However, this just isn't the case with most candidates; in fact, many millennials are workaholics. But in every interview pool, there are a few bad apples, so this tip from Lucas Group will help hiring managers look for red flags like poor work ethic and negative habits.
They suggest asking these interview questions and paying close attention to the answers to identify the traits or behaviors that can limit a candidate’s success in business.
- Did you have a job in high school or college?
- What is your most memorable accomplishment?
- What led to your most memorable mistake?
- To what do you attribute your success to date?
- From whom have you learned the most in your professional career?
If the candidate's answers focus too much on their natural talent as their main difference from other candidates or their answers are egocentric, you should view those as warning signs. You should also listen for themes such as their ability to work as part of a team and how they approached challenging situations to get a good feel for how they'd perform on the job.
7: Build Independent Working Opportunities Into Your Job Descriptions
The 2014 Deloitte Millennial Survey found that approximately 70% of millennials envision themselves working independently at some point in their lives rather than being employed in a traditional structure. So, show them how the position they've applied for can help them gain that experience.
Most roles will have a good mix of team and individual assignments, but make it clear up front what opportunities a candidate would have for both.
8: Demonstrate That the Position Will Have Opportunities for Learning and Mentorship
According to recruiter.com, millennials are looking for constant learning. They look for new challenges and want substantial interaction with experienced leaders. While millennials are known for their independence and willingness to take on challenges themselves, they also appreciate mentorship and the advice and coaching of more experienced professionals.
However, they prefer to be led, not managed. Millennials want more informal face-to-face time with senior management to get to know them, the company, and how they can make an impact without the boundaries of strict hierarchy.
9: Fully Understand a Candidate's Skills and Make Sure the Job Will Put Those Skills to Work
Only 28% of millennials feel that their current organization makes full use of their skills. Nothing is more disappointing to a candidate who has been hired than feeling like their skills are underutilized. Take good notes on their complete skillset during the interview process, and revisit those again during a 3 and 6-month review. By understanding what a candidate can do, a company minimizes the chance of setting both parties up for disappointment and failure.
And, make sure the new hire feels comfortable showcasing those skills once they're on board. By showing them you're on their side and willing to coach them through their growth and development, they will be willing to speak up and use their skills to realize their full potential.
If the candidate's skillset and the role they've applied for aren't a good match, be up front about it and move on to another candidate, or suggest another role that may be a better fit for them.
10: Show a Clear Path to Advancement in Your Initial Conversations
59% of men and 47% of women surveyed in the 2015 Deloitte Millennial Survey are more likely to say they would like to secure the top job within their organization. While some may stereotype millennials as impatient, it's obvious that they're very driven and want to see results quickly.
During your initial conversations with a millennial candidate, be up front and realistic about career advancement and potential paths. Keep in mind these paths may look very different than they have in the past, and that it's exciting to millennials to forge a new way.
11: Upgrade Your Branding
According to employment recruiter Adecco, 85% of recruiters believe that employer branding has a significant impact on their ability to hire. And 25% of U.S. employers ranked upgrading their employer branding among their top 3 essential recruiting trends.
In previous tips, we've emphasized the importance of being an innovative company, making a positive impact on the world, and meeting millennials where they are online. Is this the message your brand is projecting?
