Remember 1999 when everyone got scared and thought the Y2K bug was about to wipe out civilisation as we know it? Thank you Arnie and The Rise of the Machines. The conscious world collectively breathed a sigh of relief as the clock ticked 00:00:01, 1 January 2000. But, was that sigh of relief mis-breathed?
There’s a new army of workers on the horizon (and they are not robots), but these guys really have a thing (call it a bug) for technology. So, who are they?
They are the millenials. A millennial refers to anyone born between the early 1990s and the early 2000s. There have been various terminologies to describe this demographic - Generation Y, Generation Me, Echo Boomers, even the Peter Pan Generation. But millennial is the most frequently cited expression.
What has shaped them?
It’s easy to forget that millennials have grown up in a different world, a world dominated by social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. The world of business today is very different to what it was 30 years ago, and in a way, millennials are living under a different rulebook. By understanding the general characteristics of a millennial, business leaders will be able to adapt their methods of recruitment and help millennials find their footing.
Where do they fit in?
The aptitude that millennials show with technology means that they would be an ideal fit for roles with an emphasis on technology, such as social media advertisers, data analysts, and researchers. The technical link to a career is supported by a report conducted by Young Invincibles. The group compiled a list of the 25 jobs most suited to a millennial, with 13 of the jobs based around science, technology, engineering and maths. Employers must ensure that there are still opportunities for young people to develop careers for themselves.
What do they want from an employer?
More so than most generations, millennials value a healthy work-life balance. Research gathered from recruitment app Coople revealed that 48% of millennials feel a positive work-life balance is a major factor in their professional happiness. In some cases, work-life balance has been more highly prioritized than financial reward. As such, rather than an atypical 9-5 structured day, employers should offer millennials the opportunities for flexible hours, which will not only benefit the millennials, but also allow employers to get the best possible results out of them. Job purpose is also a very important factor to the millennial. They love feedback and praise, which shows their loyalty to job purpose and not necessarily salary.
How to attract them to your business
As mentioned earlier, millennials have grown up accustomed to the various technological trends, especially social media. As such, if your company is seeking new talent, you are more than likely to find them highly active on social media. 67% of jobseekers are active Facebook users. If businesses were to deploy an effective social recruiting strategy, they could establish a direct link to the most suitable talent.
Social Media for recruitment
Facebook can be a great way to find your next hire. With over 1.7 billion active users, the chances are you next hire is on Facebook. 1 in every 5 minutes of time spent on the internet is on spent on Facebook. With audiences that are 5x more responsive to advertising than any other platform in the world Facebook provides you with the perfect platform to target top talent.
That's why Talentvine have partnered with Work4, a social media recruitment provider which enables businesses to tap in to passive candidates via Facebook. Not only that, this solution enables you to advertise your role exclusively to your target audience. Find out how we can help you target top talent on social media here.