Key Ways to Improve the Engagement of Millennials in Your Business

When you’re running a business and trying to grow it each year, it’s necessary to focus on numerous human resources tasks so you develop a strong team full of committed, inspired, motivated, positive and engaged workers. People who enjoy their work and are happy to be part of a company’s workforce will be more productive, innovative and loyal to the business as the years go by. In turn, this will help your venture to succeed.

When it comes to increasing engagement of the younger generations, many entrepreneurs struggle to know how to move forward. Millennial employees tend to have different desires and motivations than their older counterparts, which means retention and engagement strategies have to be altered to match. Read on for some top tips for millennial engagement you can follow today.

Ask Employees About the Perks and Rewards They’d Like

One of the simplest yet most effective things you can do is ask your workers what kinds of perks and rewards they’d like instead of trying to guess. Millennials are a generation who have grown up accustomed to receiving personalized and customized attention, so they are used to being catered to individually. They don’t like to be treated just as a number.

As such, whether it’s through surveys, face-to-face discussions or other methods, make it habit of asking your millennial workers what they most desire. For example, many younger workers are keen to get a sense of meaning out of their jobs. They want to somehow give back or otherwise have a positive impact. Find ways to get them involved in the company’s philanthropic projects, or allow them time during the year to volunteer, raise money for a not-for-profit or otherwise join you in making the world a better place.

To engage your millennial workforce, ensure you thank them regularly for the hard work they put in and the great results they achieve. Express gratitude one-on-one, in group settings, via newsletters, social media posts and events and so on. As well, consider setting up an Employee of the Month awards program or some other type of award-based system and reward your top employees with gifts and bonuses.

Perks are also a good idea when it comes to motivating millennials. Since younger staff members typically want to achieve a good work/life balance, see if you can provide perks like additional time off, access to on-site childcare and convenient parking, free meals and health insurance, discounted gym memberships or massages, access to mediation rooms, yoga classes and sleep pods at work, and so on.

Furthermore, since millennials want to feel like their contributions are valued by their employers, you should ask for their suggestions regularly and try to implement as many as you can and/or at get workers involved in making decisions.

Provide Development Opportunities for Workers

Make sure you provide development opportunities for Millennial workers each year. Since they want to learn and grow and hate being bored on the job, you need to provide training and other chances for them to push themselves.

For example, consider paying for your top employees to complete online graduate programs or other courses that will teach them leadership and business skills or specific industry-related information. You can also set up in-house training programs, bring in guest speakers, develop mentoring programs and enable workers to attend key conferences and other events where they can network and pick up tips and ideas.

Create a Flexible and Collaborative Working Environment

In a similar vein, millennials also prioritize flexibility in their careers. Keep in mind that this younger generation isn’t only focused on moving up the corporate ladder; they also want to enjoy their work and keep being challenged to grow, while at the same time having the chance to have a life outside of the office.

This means it’s wise to find ways to enable flexibility in the workplace. Make it easier for millennials to set their own hours and to, at least sometimes, choose where they will work and how. Also let employees move around the company, so they can try out different jobs and have the chance to work in new departments and locations.

Millennials are keen to be part of a collaborative working environment whereby they get to mingle with a variety of different colleagues and learn from them. Happily, there are benefits to companies for this that go beyond boosting retention rates and engagement. For example, once workers have spent time in various parts of the business and had the chance to brainstorm with and be inspired by a diverse mix of co-workers, they tend to be more creative.

Your innovation levels will rise in the office, plus your well-rounded employees will also be more likely to spot opportunities or threats for the business or to solve problems that less mobile workers haven’t been able to.