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Millennials have been the largest generation in the workforce since 20161. The percentage of millennials in the workforce has only gotten larger in the last year due to COVID-19 forcing baby boomers and Gen X into earlier than anticipated retirement2.
With this generational shift, there are components of workplace culture that need to be revisited in order to best reach millennial workers. These workers grew up in a world of quick-paced changes in technology. From VHS tapes to streaming services, the glow-up of apple products, and cell phones to smartphones — they’ve seen a lot of change.
So what motivates your millennial workers? Here’s a quick rundown of what they value and how you can create a work culture that they’ll thrive in.
Millennials want to work together to achieve common goals. One survey found that 88% of the millennial respondents preferred collaboration3. Fostering collaboration starts with communication. There are probably several different tools people use to connect with each other. Make sure you’re utilizing a communication platform that allows you to communicate messages over multiple tools easily.
Not only do millennials want to collaborate, but they also want to be hyper-aware of what’s going on in the business. There is no announcement too small for these team members. Besides regular meetings with their direct supervisors, communicating new policies, product updates, and quick notes from the leadership team are things millennials want to see from their employers.
The opportunity to decide when and where they work is a top priority for millennials. You might even call them the pioneers of the flexible work movement. Millennials want to be able to combine their work and regular lives together to create a harmonious schedule that doesn’t require hard limits and restrictions. Offering these types of work environments has shown improved work satisfaction among employees and higher productivity4. The current trends are predicting that by 2030, the majority millennial workforce will likely have done away with the 9-to-5 workday5.
Having a full grasp of their individual roles and the company’s mission is very important to millennials. They want their work and impact to be meaningful and directly aligned with the goals of the company. Don’t keep KPIs, goals, and progress limited to company leaders. Share with the entire organization on a regular basis. When millennials are able to see the product of what they put in, they’re more motivated to keep pushing. If they see room for improvement, they feel empowered to ask for feedback or help to realign their efforts.
Millennials are hungry to learn. 59% of millennials stated opportunities to learn and grow were extremely important to them when applying for a job6. Creating a learning and development plan is one surefire way to excite these team members. These sessions can serve more than a single session purpose, too. With the ability to record and share, your organization can create a library of educational materials that millennials will utilize. Keep in mind; training sessions are another way to create an inclusive team. Sales and product training might be required for sales team members, but invite everyone so they know what’s new.
Some of these things might already be a priority in your organization; maybe a couple of them are things that require some revamping. Right now, as the percentage of millennial workers continues to rise, adopting these strategies to your company culture is key to attracting and keeping top talent.
Create a workplace experience your employees will love. Take a look at your communication strategy and make sure it is unified and easy for your employees to stay in touch. If you haven’t considered a platform technology to centralize your messaging, make it a priority. Click here to see how Appspace is transforming employee communication.
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