Cheezhead

Lisa Orrell, consultant, speaker, and author about Millennial and Generation-related topics, recently wrote the book Millennials Incorporated in which she discusses how the influx of the younger generation into the workforce is pressuring managers to rethink recruiting strategies.

“Understanding what makes Millennial talent tick is a priority to smart companies,” Orrell said. “They know this generation is their future leaders, and if they are not attracting top Millennial talent and retaining them, companies will suffer.”

Orrell said that Millennials were raised by parents who told them to avoid the same mistakes they made by staying at one job for years.

“Millennials want the same things now that most Boomers and GenX employees do, but they are asking for them now, rather than waiting 10 to 20 years to ask for them,” she said. “The bottom line is that they are less tolerant than generations before them.”

Orrell said there are four main reasons why Millennials approach work differently than Boomers and GenXers.

1) They demand more communication with their managers. Robert Half International & Yahoo! HotJobs conducted a survey of over 1000 Millennial employees nationwide and over 60 percent of them responded they wanted communication with their manager at least once per day.

2) They like to typically work in groups versus solo. This is different from many Boomer and Gen X employees. They were raised in the work world to do it on your own and get the glory.

3) Even though Millennials are totally wired for work any time, from anywhere, surveys show they actually prefer to have in-person meetings for communication at work.

4) Many believe paying your dues to get a promotion means simply occupying space. Many companies have changed their job promotion policies to now have the job go to the best person for the position, regardless of age and/or how long they have been there.

Before approaching job-seeking Millennials, Orrell said that companies need to bolster policies that promote a work/life balance, mentoring, and efficient, consistent communication.

So how do recruiters adapt their methods to attract this generation?

“Companies need to be on Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, SecondLife, and CareerTV,” Orrell said. “If you want to catch trout, you don’t fish in your backyard swimming pool.”

She points to one company in particular that is effectively capturing the attention of Millennials.

“Deloitte has done a great job of getting a major presence on YouTube by having employees create short videos about working there,” she said. “Companies just need to think outside the box and get up to speed on all the new social media tools available. If a company only relies on job boards to attract Millennials, they are really missing the boat, especially if they do not have well-known brand recognition.”

Orrell recently appeared on MSNBC’s “Your Business” to discuss Gen Y recruiting strategies with JJ Ramberg. Click here to view the clip.