Handling millennials seems to be a pressing problem for many employers. While they’ve already entered in the workforce in droves, it’s hard for business owners to get a handle on how they should interact with them. Below are four tips for properly engaging with millennials in the workforce.
Use Their Skills
Millennials came of age in a job market that has been highly competitive from day one, so many of them have accrued a number of skills along the way. Make use of all of these skills and find something for them to do. The more engaged your employees are, the better your rapport with them will be. If your employees went through master of public administration programs, for example, use those skills! Any extra skills that they may have could be a huge help to your workforce.
Don’t Talk Down
Want to make sure you lose a millennial employee? All you need to do is to talk to them like children. Members of the millennial generation are often highly educated and have more work and volunteer experience than you can imagine, so they want to be treated like their peers. By treating a millennial like any other employee and you’ll have better luck with engagement and success.
Give Them Opportunities
If you want to engage with a younger worker, give them an opportunity to excel. One of the biggest mistakes made by employers is assuming that millennials need to be coddled. Give your employees real tasks with real stakes and allow them to rise to the top. Millennials who feel like they have an impact on the business are more likely to work harder and to stick around for the long haul. In short, millennials want to make an impact.
Use Technology
Millennials are the first generation to grow up (more or less) with the internet. This means that they’re tech-savvy and respond well to using the internet. Instead of sticking them into the usual seminars, you can benefit by taking workplace training online. This is a win-win for everyone – you reduce your training costs and hours, and the younger employees won’t feel like they are wasting their time.
If you take these tips together, one thing will become clear – millennials really do want to work. They want chances to succeed and the ability to put their skills to use. If you can give younger employees a chance to feel like they are contributing to the business, you’ll get the benefit of working with motivated individuals who are willing to give your business everything they have. Millennials might be your most valuable manpower resource.