In this post, I will take you into a few key points about this generation. In two weeks, I’ll cover how Millennials search for jobs: where, how and what they look for in an employer. With the webinar, I’ll focus on putting together a cohesive strategy to attract and hire top Millennial sales talent.
STEREOTYPES
“What’s in it for me?” and “Don’t tell me what to do.” are two prevailing stereotypes voiced whenever the topic of Millennials is brought up. On the May 20, 2013, cover of Time Magazine, we see Millennials labeled as “The ME, ME, ME Generation.” I find these characterizations rather humorous given the labels my generation, Generation X, the “Latchkey Kids” received as I was entering the workforce (and I wonder if most Millennials know what “Latchkey Kids” means).
MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCES
DIGITAL NATIVES & NOISE
Despite or perhaps because of their immersion in the digital age; it’s a misconception that all “digital natives” are technologically savvy. In a 2014 study by Baron, a very interesting finding was Millennials’ preference for reading books in print. They, in fact, prefer print when reading important information (such as studying for a test) at a higher rate than any other age group. There were several reasons for this but mostly it came down to reading comprehension. When reading Web pages, only 16% of users read word-by-word with most users skimming and/or multi-tasking. I’m reinforcing this point because it is imperative that you understand how your brand and job opportunities are viewed and how to get your messaging noticed online. In the July 30th webinar, I’ll share a few tips on how to gain and keep the attention of online Millennials.
LACK OF RESPECT
Dr. Tim Elmore is considered to be a leading authority on Millennials. One of his recent blogs, “Earning the Right to be Heard By Students” highlights the results of a recent study that found a shocking lack of respect shown by today’s students towards their teachers. It’s not a big leap to believe that Millennials also show less respect towards their bosses than previous generations. Rather than fighting against this truth, Dr. Elmore shares how to “reach” this generation. In his words, “Youth do not have the innate need to get their way. They do have the innate need to be heard. We gain respect as a response to showing respect.” Therein lies the key and it can be boiled down to one word – Listening. In our webinar I’ll share what listening and specifically listening online means to Millennials as it relates to recruiting. Getting this point right is crucial when targeting Millennials.
DIVERSITY
LOOKING FORWARD
In my July 23rd blog we’ll take a look at where Millennials search for jobs, how they search and what they’re looking for in an employer. On July 30th, I’ll be hosting a webinar to share my top strategies for recruiting, hiring, and retaining top Millennial talent for B2B Sales.