Posted on October 31, 2016

Last week we opined that generalizations (in general!) are problematic, that organizations will rely on Millennials to fill vacancies caused by the retirement of millions of Baby Boomers, and that an entire generation defined by the iPhone (and, unfortunately, the selfie) has the potential to add brilliantly to organizations everywhere.  All in two minutes.

The question this week:  How best to compete for these people who, for the most part, do not know you or your organization or how to find their way to you even if they did?

If you are in tech, your approach has been clear:  appeal to their stomachs, an interest in flexibility, and a desire to make gobs of money. Food, flexible hours, leading-edge technology, on-site amenities (e.g., exercise, massage, concierge services), money, stock options, and, for many, the cachet of working in the tech industry have done the trick. Did we mention money and stock options? And food?

For the vast majority of organizations not in tech, how can you compete with that?

Given what you may have read or heard elsewhere about Millennials – specifically, that they may exhibit a lax work ethic and a perceived unwillingness to commit to a job or an organization – the answer may be surprising.  Our research is clear:  provide an opportunity to help each new hire to your organization plan and build a career.  This is about more than training.  This is about demonstrating an interest in and concern for an individual’s future.  Indeed, a key to attracting Millennials is having an effective program to identify strengths, grow skills, and create and implement a plan to help them become truly valued and important members of the team.

Right.  Nurture them.  It is a powerful and cost-effective way to attract and retain top talent.  It also has the advantage of helping to sustain and improve your organization’s performance.  Talk about a win-win-win.  But wait.  There’s another win in store.

This approach, which creatively involves the assistance of current and retired employees as mentors (the fourth win), has a variety of components.  Because nothing is as simple as it sounds.  We will explore some of the specifics next week to help you create a clear path to your organization, even if you are not in tech.

In the meantime, and in the spirit of balance – something we are rarely accused of here at The Monday Minute (or two) – let us also extend congratulations to another long-suffering group of sports fans.  Cleveland. Possibly the new capital of professional sports championships.  That said, Cleveland, whether you win the Series or not, take this opportunity to retire Chief Wahoo as your mascot. It is the 21^st century after all.  Show the Washington Redskins ownership what doing the right thing looks like.

Happy Halloween.