Assimilating Millennial Workers

For many of us, employment will never culminate in a pension plan or a keepsake watch symbolizing years of dedicated service. While those elements served a generation with rewards for their time in the workplace, the reality is that workplace largely no longer exists today. Proof of this is all around us. It’s evident in business storefronts that change owners every couple of years, the sometimes good/sometimes bad effects of technology, and in the increase in job-hopping.

Showing your Generation?
While most of us wouldn’t intentionally leave home without our smartphone and don’t think twice about the convenience of buying online versus visiting a brick-and-mortar store, there continues to be a hang-up when it comes to hiring individuals who regularly change jobs every couple of years. Even the phrase job-hopping has the ability to create a persona of someone who is flakey, unreliable and not worth your interview time.

Accepting the Inevitable
The Millennials (born 1980-1996) and some members of Generation X (born prior to 1980) continue to shoulder the burden of this persona. One defining characteristic includes having the willingness to change jobs at the drop of a hat. In fact, a recent Gallup poll found 60 percent of Millennials remain open to a different job opportunity. While probably not surprising, this stat has the potential to create heartburn or a little anger in hiring managers with the charge to hire and retain qualified employees, particularly after a lengthy and expensive hiring process. With Millennials currently comprising 38 percent of the U.S. workforce, this trend is certainly worth noting, particularly considering the cumulative impact of 75 percent of Millennials in the workforce by 2025.

Getting to the Crux
If you’re one of many wondering why Millennials just won’t stay, here’s a potential cause – lack of engagement. Harkening back to the days of pensions and the promise of a celebratory gold watch, many employees entered the workforce with a long-term view, the marathon approach to employment. Today, Millennials are not content to take a wait-and-see approach to their livelihood having seen parents experience the realities of layoffs and the repercussions of lost company loyalty. Instead, Millennials are always on the lookout for the next experience or bump in pay.

Retaining Millennials

• Demonstrate work-life balance
• Create an environment where it’s easier to discuss non work-related issues
• Build individual connections with employees
• Practice “soft” management skills
• Show the purpose of the work as it relates beyond the walls of the organization
• Provide opportunities for learning and growth

Personnel Services with a Personal Touch
At Staffing KC, our staffing experts understand relationships are key to creating the best employer/employee matches. Before placing candidates, Staffing KC looks beyond the job description to identify how the individual contributes to the company culture, offering a set of skills allowing the candidate to thrive and an employer to be more productive. This level of relationship building is why Staffing KC remains a trusted client resource for great candidates and a sought-after choice for those looking for their next position.

This article is brought to you by Staffing Kansas City, a full-service Kansas City employment agency that provides contract-to-hire, direct hire and temporary employment placement services.