Millennials are Everything

When business owners think about a work force that is young, vibrant, knowledgeable and willing to grow with an expanding company, their attention immediately turns to Millennials.

So who are the Millennials? Technically, they are the generation following Generation X. There are really no specifics as to what particular years their generation came of age, however, most agree that their birth dates lie somewhere between the early 80's and early 2000's.

So that's who the Millennials are, but what do they want? Moreover, why is it important to know what they want?

If you are a business owner, it's vital that you take note of who Millennials are and what they're looking for in a career. When treated correctly, Millennials can be an integral part of your company's success. Millennials are a generation that are not just looking for jobs. They are a generation that is seeking opportunity and relationships, often at the expense of more money. For Millennials, experiences that challenge and enrich them trump all else.

So, if you're a business owner, how do you attract them?

First and foremost, Millennials have a heightened sense of smell when it comes to in-authenticity. If a company hopes to attract quality Millennials, it needs to be comprised of leaders that truly stand by what they do and what they say. When a Millennial is hired they expect to be told upfront as to what is expected of them. They expect to be told from the get-go why your business is better than your competitors, and to be made aware of what opportunities and challenges might be presented to them in the position.

Millennials expect to be rewarded for their creativity and contributions above and beyond the typical that they make to their companies, but those rewards need not be exclusively monetary. Flexibility is the gold standard when it comes to Millennials as they have an innate desire to move “up and out...”, that is, not necessarily out of their company, but, rather outside of their comfort zone. A good company will do what it takes to retain Millennials, as it's in their best interest to keep the good ones around for the long haul.

So, how do you retain Millennials?

In essence, you give them what they want. That may sound contradictory to how most business owners think, and it is, but Millennials are a new breed, and by giving them some of what they want, you can go a long way to getting their best.

By example, you could take a look at what a Wisconsin company is currently doing to hire and retain Millennials. Straight Forward is a call center and consulting company out of Sauk City, Wisconsin. They have several locations around the state, and serve both national and regional clients. Straight Forward has realized the importance of Millennials, and has gone out of their way to not only understand, but to cater to them.

First of all, Straight Forward is not a seasonal employer like a lot of their counterparts. They offer consistent, long-term employment which is a major factor for their employees. Straight Forward also offers a plethora of flexibility, something that also appeals to the majority of Millennials. They offer the opportunity for growth within their own company, as well as an opportunity to see how the other major companies they work with operate from the inside. This “inside” view, so to speak, is a major networking opportunity that many Wisconsin Millennials find hard to pass up.

Furthermore, Straight Foward's leaders practice what they preach. A group of individuals who branched off of the “major” call center companies, Straight Forward's leadership deigned themselves to create a different kind of call center service, and they did so when they named their company “Straight Forward.” Millennials are attracted to the rebellious, honest, progressive nature of the company's founders, and they tend to stick with them.

Yes, the money, benefits and compensation that Straight Forward offers their employees is a big attractant, but the flexibility, opportunity for growth, insights into business networking and opportunities, and what might be called a “Millennial Culture” at large are drawing Millennials to Straight Forward in droves.

In short, Millennials are worth the effort to attract and keep them on staff, and any company across the United States and beyond would do well to adopt Straight Forward's model.