Millennials (a.k.a. Generation Y) have earned a less-than-stellar reputation in the recruiting 
community. You’re not alone if you’ve found young candidates to act “entitled” to jobs or not know basic rules of professional etiquette. As someone who spends a lot of time with college students and young professionals, I admit that I observe these traits fairly often.
Fortunately, I can also report that many career-minded college students are eager to work hard, impress recruiters and become savvy professionals. This is most evident during the lengthy Q&A sessions following my college workshops, when students ask thoughtful, detailed and serious-minded questions about how to get jobs.
In the spirit of helping us all understand each other a little better, here the three most common questions I receive from Millennial job seekers. I believe the companies that answer these questions — and communicate their answers to entry-level candidates — will go a long way toward winning the hearts, minds and productivity of today’s best and brightest young workers.
1. Will you really remember meeting me at a job fair or campus recruiting event?
You’re handing out pens; they could use Paxil. Students stress out about these events like you wouldn’t believe. And, what’s most stressful is that it’s unclear how much these face-to-face opportunities “count” in the recruiting process.
When I was a tour guide in college, I used to announce at the beginning of each tour that I had absolutely zero say in whether a prospective student would be accepted. Everyone was then able to relax and learn a lot more about whether the school was really a good fit for them. Could companies do the same if these events are purely informational? Or, if these events really are an important piece of the hiring process, wouldn’t you want students to know they should make a really strong impression?
2. Should I follow up if I don’t hear from you?
My answer when students ask this question is yes, it’s a good idea to follow up a resume about two weeks after you’ve sent it in. I recommend that they follow up by email (phone calls can be intrusive), mention the specific job they’re applying for and provide a very brief reminder of why they’re a good fit.
Is this good advice? Bad advice? Does it depend? Wouldn’t it help everyone if companies provided some brief follow-up guidelines, including absolute “don’ts,” perhaps with a brief FAQ on their websites? Students would be spared the uncertainty and recruiters would be spared endless “just following up” phone calls.
3. Are you really checking out my Facebook profile?
One cannot write for long about Millennials without eventually talking about Facebook. Sometimes it feels as if an entire alternative reality takes place on Facebook while we all go about our in-person experiences someplace else. The question is, what role are recruiters playing in the Facebook universe?
Some companies are openly, actively recruiting and communicating on Facebook. Other companies are stealthily, quietly vetting candidates on Facebook. More than a few companies think it’s too risky. I know what you’re thinking: Students should know that whatever they post online may be viewed and judged by potential employers (and anyone else for that matter)! Students should be smart with their privacy settings! Students don’t have to be on Facebook! I agree. And, I think students would be more cautious about their online activities if companies were more upfront about their Facebook vetting practices. Plus, I can’t help wondering if the companies transparently recruiting on Facebook will have a big advantage as social networking becomes a more and more important component of job hunting and recruiting.
These three questions provide a brief glimpse into the questions on the minds of Millennials. If you’d like to learn more, seek out a nearby twentysomething and ask some questions of your own. The more dialogue between recruiters and young candidates, the better choices we can all make for our companies and ourselves.
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December 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Lindsey,
Great post. Putting some of the weight into the hands of employers is crucial to Gen-Y’s success in the coming years. Employers have done a great job of talking about Gen-Y, yet have not addressed many of the very concerns that generalize the generation. If companies took the proactive approach to Gen-Y, well every new hire, planning, things would move a lot smoother.
December 12th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Thanks for the comment, Greg. We hear a lot of talk about talk about Gen Y, but very few organizations have changed their practices to address the different way this generation operates. It will be interesting to see how recruiting evolves over the years, especially with the economic challenges.
December 12th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Thanks for writing this straight-forward post! I definitely agree with most of what you said.
I’ll add one thing: I think Gen Y has been taught to follow instructions very well. Or, at least, that following instructions well is some kind of indication of our success as a potential employee.
I’ve attended seminars with panels made up of people who hire for various companies and, in my experience, each person has their own quirks when it comes to what they like to see during the hiring process. Some like follow-up phone calls or e-mails, some hate them. Some think a certain number of work examples is acceptable while others want to see a lot more/less.
Employers would do themselves, and the people they’re trying to hire, a great service by being as specific as possible about these issues in the job description.
I’m still not convinced that Gen Y lacks professional etiquette or feels entitled to jobs, but I do know that Gen Y would alienate employers less and employers would alienate Gen Y less if there was more communication between us.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Lindsey: Sounds to me like you’ve got Millennial recruiting issues down. Over the past three years, I’ve had an opportunity to coach Millenials (a freebie that I took on while working on a major project). I simply wanted to understand their world, and they really wanted to work with me…(Usually firms only pay for my services at VP level). What your recruiting indicates is the same as my coaching indicated. What Millennials want to know is how to “work the system.” They don’t ask the question that way, but what they’re after are the hidden “rules” by which an organization works. So, it’s questions like, “can I ask that? How do you do this? How do you say this? How come the boss doesn’t pay attention to my contribution? What will it take to get more opportunities? Why should I build a network? Should I take on a very risky project?” And etc. When we listen to the questions behind their questions, there’s a lot of clarity there.
I have a 25 year old protege at a financial services company who feeds me the stuff I miss, edits my writing, and asks questions hours on end. I think the Millennials are wonderful.
What gets them into trouble is one issue: many of them have had a lot of caring parenting with a lot of direction. And as a result they want feedback and direction–far more than other generations. If managers understand that, and give a little, the result if fabulous!
December 12th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
@Dan Erwin re: your last paragraph. I see lots of opportunities for applying “manager as coach” skills and how/when to use “coaching moments” as part of an effective leader’s repertoire. Command-and-control it is not!
December 14th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
As a hiring manager, I have struggled to manage the Y’er when relying upon my traditional sensibilities. I could never understand how a Y’er expects consideration for a raise or promotion after 6 months on the job. During the early 90’s (when I grew up @ work) the opportunity for a quick raise was unthinkable. In fact my first company (consumer packaged goods) had minimum years in each role before you would even be considered!
In some ways, this upbringing has hurt my ability to manage and motivate a younger team. I encourage all hiring managers and companies to get educated on this group as their perspectives and social habits will soon overtake many of the traditional mores. If not, you risk a very bad trip to the land of the fuddy duddy’s.
So, I’ve started to re-think my views on Facebook (I now have an active page), on the job IM communication and the world of Twitter. What sounds inappropriate to me might one day soon be the norm for a more overt and personal culture. For those of us managing and looking for new employees in today’s world, we really have to adjust!
Enjoy your writing, Lindsey . . .
December 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
@Cassandra, @Dan, @Mark –
Thanks for all of your feedback and additional suggestions and thoughts. It’s quite rare these days to have a discussion that is so positive about Millennials — I hope this is just the beginning of the discussion!
Lindsey
December 15th, 2008 at 10:06 am
You’re absolutely right, Lindsey … well-managed Facebook pages could be considered an asset in job candidates, proof of highly desirable tech know-how. Another thing about at-work Twitter and IM’ing – it feeds Millenials’ craving for constant and continual feedback on job performance.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Oops, meant to say “instant and continual” feedback. This tech generation is used to instant results in practically all areas of life, including work!
December 16th, 2008 at 2:58 am
I’m a Millennial and I hear recruiters that are older than us are a little hesitant and believe the work ethic of the Gen Y is lacking. I do think the Millennials have more options than before and don’t know what direction they want to go to. I’ve always say someone who is starting up try to get an intern or volunteer for a company that you like and understand the workplace. I also think from other forces, they want to work immediately, get paid, and work on the way up, which depending on their attitude, might rub he wrong way.
Also, on Facebook pages, I don’t disqualified them with the pictures if it’s NSFW territory. I look at the pattern of their profile and if it’s consistent with who they are. Also, I would Google their names if they say anything that doesn’t meet our standards.