To Hire a Millennial, Think Like a Millennial

They grew up with search engines and cell phones, not inkjet printers and Walkmans. No wonder companies need a different set of engagement techniques to lure Millennials to the workforce.

The ability to attract and engage Millennials is essential to business success, but many organizations struggle to engage and hire these individuals, who have grown up in a distinctly different environment socially, economically and technologically.

A new report from recruiting firm Findly outlines strategies and ways to connect with Millennial candidates, and what companies can do to meet their needs.

Millennials aren’t that loyal: They are twice as likely as 30-somethings to leave a job after three years. They’re attention-challenged: Millennials spend the greatest amount of time online (35 hours per week) and on their cellphones (14.5 hours per week) compared with other generations. But they want to make a difference: 84% of Millennial respondents said that “knowing I am helping to make a positive difference in the world is more important to me than professional recognition.”

Technology is a major differentiator and defining factor for Millennials. Pew Research asked members of each generation, “What makes your generation unique?” The most popular response from Millennials was “technology use” (24%). Baby Boomers’ most frequent response (17%) was “work ethic”—two concepts that often crop up in anecdotes about workplace frustration between Boomers and Millennials.

Findly’s suggestions include:

Deliver relevant content. Millennial job seekers often crave as much information as possible to guide their search. Employers can meet this need by updating their career website to reflect their unique culture, showcasing their values and providing a glimpse of what it would be like to work there.

Build personal relationships. Conducting onsite events, such as career fairs and on-campus recruiting efforts, is a proven strategy for connecting with Millennials directly and on a more personal level.

Use technology. As more Millennial candidates leverage their smartphones and tablets to search and apply for jobs, companies must deliver a mobile-optimized experience. If candidates can’t complete the apply process from their mobile devices, they are more likely to drop out of the application altogether.