Millennials in Manufacturing: 5 Best Practices for Recruitment
The Benefits of Bringing Millennials In To Your Manufacturing Business
Let’s face it, millennials have been given a bad reputation. They’re often associated with being lazy, needing constant praise, and too sucked into their technology and devices to do anything useful. When you look past these harmful stereotypes and into the truth of the people who comprise the millennial manufacturing workforce, you’ll find that millennials are:- They offer a new perspective. If you’re hiring a new demographic into your business, they will have a new way of solving problems and generate ideas that haven’t been heard before.
- Tech savvy and ready to help. Millennials are definitely more technologically adept than Boomers or Gen X’ers. They can find ways to streamline antiquated processes and are always ready to assist in making your business run more smoothly.
- Have up-to-date education. Whether your new millennial hire went to a traditional college, university, or trade school the knowledge and techniques that they learned are fresh in their heads. They can use this know-how to ensure your business is up to modern standards.
- Are ready to communicate. It’s not that millennials “need constant praise” — they just like to make sure they’re doing a good job, and impressing their bosses. They will help facilitate open communication, and resolve problems openly.
1. Go Digital
It might seem intimidating to leap into social media and other job search related applications — but, the truth is, that’s where millennials are looking for their job. Many digital platforms, liked LinkedIn, enable you to integrate the application process right onto the social media site. This means that millennials can submit their resumes, cover letters, and fill out applications easily. The easier it is for a millennial to find and apply to your job, the more likely they are to actually apply. Other digital platforms to utilize:2. Be Unique
Millennials in the throes of their job search are encountering hundreds of postings and a good number of offerings every single day. If you want them to take the time to apply to your open position, you want to find a way to stand out to them. Whether this be through attributes and benefits of your company and their potential position they can’t find anywhere else, unique ways of recruiting, or even just eye-catching job ads — make sure you don’t blend in with other offers. Some ways to do this include:- Create a fun video about your company. Introduce the people that your new recruit will be working with, and showcase your corporate culture in a way that makes anyone want to be involved.
- Make it humorous. Millennials tend to be less serious than the generations before them. Does your company do a pizza lunch every Friday? Call yourself “die hard pizza fans looking for the next pizza groupie” in your job posting.
- Convey how much they mean to you. Okay, okay — millennials do appreciate praise every now and then (who doesn’t?!). If you know you’re looking for a young, fresh, millennial perspective to fill the position, mention that!
3. Tailor Benefits to Millennials and Communicate Them
The same benefits that appealed to past generations might not be enough to get millennials through the door. Make sure that you’re adjusting your strategy to be in-line with what millennials value, and they’re more likely to apply. Benefits that appeal to millennials include:- Health Insurance.
- Disability Benefits.
- Comprehensive retirement funding.
- Ample vacation time.
- Flexibility with sick days.
- Mental health days.
- Assistance with student loans whenever possible.
4. Be Transparent About Salary and Room to Grow
It’s no secret that millennials are drowning in student debt. And to make matters worse, many businesses that employ first-job millennials do not adequately pay them for their skills and time — causing them to leave. This means that most millennials are very salary conscious, and will be looking for a starting salary listed in job postings. Almost more important than the starting salary is the assurance that there will be opportunities to assess their performance and grow from their starting point. Whether in the job posting or in their first interview, be sure to show them what their career trajectory could look like if they stick with your company.5. Be Informative
If you’re a manufacturing company that does something niche, be sure that there is a blurb in the job position posting that explains what your company does. Again, it’s not that millennials aren’t interested in manufacturing, but they will pass by your post if they cannot glean what the company does and what they would do at the company from your listing. Here are some easy ways to be informative:- Create a brief video with an overview about your company. Share what your company does, who it provides what for, what industry you’re in, and what the potential employee would be doing.
- Link to informative content on your website. Do you have a blog? An FAQ page? A detailed services listing? Be sure to provide links to these resources, so the potential employee can explore further.
