Millennials are a controversial topic right now. The world at work is trying to figure out what their presence will mean for companies and other generations. Hate to break it to you, but they aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they are only coming in greater numbers each year. As the shift continues, the importance and direction of onboarding programs are vital for organizations. We’re going to break down some facts, about Millennials for you, discuss how they might be misconstrued and delve into the reality your onboarding process needs to be facing to maintain success in the coming years.
Fact: 21% of Millennial men and 27% of Millennial women have a bachelor’s degree.
What you hear: Millennials won’t need much training
Unfortunately, even though they have a greater rate of educational attainment than any generation before, they aren’t necessarily more skilled. In fact, when researchers compared US Millennials to their peers around the globe, they fell short in literacy, practical math and problem-solving in technology-rich environments — skills highly regarded by employers. Of course, not all Millennials will come so ill-prepared, but these are noteworthy findings to say the least.
What you should hear: Millennials will be well-rounded workers with a little direction
Because the environment in which they were raised has been constantly updating and shifting, Millennials are skilled in adapting to new situations. Their educational background will give them the basics they need to understand whatever field they studied, but their performance will depend on how their employers introduce them to their specific audiences. When developing your company onboarding process, encourage frequent feedback and check-ins to be sure they are grasping the pieces most important to their position. Keep in mind that the skills we’re assessing might be a little moldy, and education (alone) does not make a great employee.
Fact: The median tenure of people ages 25 to 34 is 3 years.
What you hear: Millennials aren’t loyal to their employers
That’s a bit pessimistic and inaccurate. It isn’t that the new generation is tired of the office, authority or company, it’s more that they are new to the workforce and still trying to find their place. These pie in the sky individuals happen to highly value career growth and skill development, so if they aren’t seeing more opportunity in their current position, you can bet they’re getting restless. Many Millennials take one look around a cubicle farm and hightail it before they can sign up for the 401k.
What you should hear: Millennials are trainable
These young people don’t have much experience, but they are highly educated and have sought after skills to prove it. Instead of feeling intimidated or defensive, use this can-do attitude to your advantage. Offer the ability to shadow other positions in your company, provide a stipend or opportunity to attend online classes for new skills and discuss talents you notice when they perform job duties and how those can translate to other responsibilities. When developing the entry-level onboarding program, be sure to communicate these opportunities clearly as well as from who or where to get resources and direction from. Consider a mentorship program that starts from onboarding and progresses through the employee lifecycle.
Facts: 76% of Millennials consider a company’s social/environmental commitment before deciding where to work.
What you hear: Our company will be spending more money on perks.
While it seems like these young workers are demanding more social responsibility from employers than ever before, the United States average of 73% begs to differ. Yes, Millennials want their organization to positively impact the world more than generations before them, but not by much. That means corporate social responsibility is just one of those things that will greatly impact the way job seekers view your company.
What you should hear: Millennials could positively impact our employer brand… and quickly.
There is a great deal to take from this. First, Millennials have connections and they reach far and wide (just think how quickly the Yelp employee’s blog post went viral). Positively or not, her experience impacted the company’s brand. Now, consider that nearly 33% of new hires are looking for a new job within the first 6 months. Additionally, 88% of Millennials who feel their work satisfies a sense of purpose stay with a company for more than 5 years. That means, you don’t necessarily need to be hosting monthly charity events, just be consistently expressing how their work impacts customers, clients, organizational goals or the overall mission. The first few weeks of employment, if handled correctly, could really do some amazingly impactful things for your employer brand.
Final words
Click Boarding’s employee onboarding software does more than give you a platform to onboard new hires, it gives you a solid plan with amazing support. If the influx of new graduates has you feeling a little nervous, schedule a one-on-one demo to see how our system can help you make their first day, the best day!
