Posted 03/12/2014
Manufacturing and the Millennial Generation
Every day for the next 19 years 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach 65, reports Industry Week, and by just 2015 millennials will be nearly 50% of the employees worldwide. As your own workforce has started to retire and we face a tighter market for skilled labor, we too in manufacturing see the need to attract millennials. How do we make sure our company is attractive to the millennial generation and is relevant to their job and career expectations?
Fast Company reports, “Businesses that want to attract millennials need to emphasize their innovative ways and positive societal impacts.” According to a recent survey in Industry Week by the University of Denver 86% of millennials asked want to work for employers who are socially responsible. HR resource TLNT.com reports, “Giving meaning to the work – it’s how you really engage millennials.”
The manufacturers that MPS Technical works with every day are on the cutting edge, producing goods that make a real impact to our world and to people’s lives. It is important that you get this message out – the impact of your products and the values core to your company - especially when speaking with young candidates or recruiting at colleges. Here are the top elements to consider when trying to attract millennials as reported by Industry Week:
- Career Laddering – how will they grow within your company? How is feedback given?
- Mentoring – 98% want strong mentors. They want to leverage other expertise to increase their own job knowledge
- Training – millennials are looking for both job-related and industry-specific
- Meaningful Work - 30% consider this vital for success. What is the impact of a job well-done?
- Challenge – 51% want a challenging work environment
- Balance – 95% want an even work/life balance