Millennials are the hot topic in workforce development and chances are good, millennials are part of your workplace. Millennials were born between 1980 through 2000 and by 2025 will consist of 75% of the workforce. As Baby Boomers exit the workforce, they will be replaced by Millennials.
The word Millennial brings mixed emotions, but it doesn’t have to result in intergenerational struggle. To build a cohesive team, employers must first understand the changing dynamics of the workplace and find creative ways to bridge the generation gap. Employers play a huge role in developing their corporate culture and the overall satisfaction of their staff. By partnering with non-profits in your community, you can motivate millennials, build cohesion in your staff, and improve morale.
Since millennials will be a growing part of your team, we have developed five proven tips to engage millennials at your workplace:
Provide Opportunities for Immediate Feedback:
Millennials need more than an annual review; they want to know what they are doing well and where to improve. This doesn’t mean babysitting, however as an employer, you need to be aware of how your team is performing and provide periodic informal feedback. After a project or event, conduct a debrief where you can assess your team’s performance. The same is true after a volunteer project, highlight where your employees shined. This will improve morale at your workplace.
Provide Opportunities for Professional Growth and Development:
More than 56% of Millennials would prefer a job with opportunities for professional development, so why not partner with a non-profit organization to provide your employees professional growth opportunities through volunteerism. Encourage employees to volunteer where they can gain new skills that will benefit both the non-profit and your organization only provide new training at no cost to your organization.
Provide Opportunities for Leadership and Guidance:
Millennials crave mentorship from supervisors, however only 26% of feel their employers are invested in their professional development. Mentorship is an effective strategy to accomplish this. Connecting millennials with higher level employees to work alongside one another on a team is an effective strategy. Linking employees with non-profits also provide opportunities for both informal and formal mentorship, especially when an employee is involved with the organization long term.
Provide Opportunities for Purpose:
Millennials are looking for ways their work will make a meaningful impact. They don’t keep their work/personal life strictly separate and want to get to know their fellow employees on a deeper level. Any time there is an opportunity to work together as a team, your company benefits and the millennials on your staff will shine. Collaboration and team work are at the root of any non-profit and your employees will gain an immediate sense of purpose when working on a volunteer project.
Provide Opportunities for Fun:
While fun isn’t limited to millennials, they definitely see it as an expectation in their work. Engaging your company in a volunteer project is a recipe for fun. Who doesn’t want spend an afternoon playing with puppies at your local animal rescue or getting doused with water balloons at the elementary school carnival. Find an issue your team is passionate about or a non-profit in your community and give back together. We guarantee they will have fun in the process.
