9
Engaging millennials in the workplace
1. Social impact is important
For many millennials, work isn’t simply a way of earning money to
spend on the weekend. This generation is unique in its social
consciousness, and nowadays 63% of millennials expect their
employers to contribute to a social cause. (7) As an example, KPMG
currently spearheads a Women in Technology diversity programme by
the name of ITs Her Future. A substantial proportion of the team is
made up millennial effort, who say that their involvement stemmed
from a desire to “work towards a common goal”, “play my part” and
“contribute to a wider cause that isn’t simply client related”.
Companies need to cultivate a reputation for social responsibility;
Enticing millennials into the
ignoring an army of passionate individuals who want to do their bit is a
workplace is the first achievement,
missed opportunity. Anything they can do to show a consideration for
but there’s no stopping there. Now
the community, such as providing monthly opportunities for
it’s about ensuring that they’re
volunteering, or leadership donating a proportion of their salary to
charity, will go a long way.
motivated enough to keep that
employee satisfaction survey score
2. They want to socialise
soaring. Engaged employees are
Millennials are increasingly social, and want to be able to connect with
satisfied employees, after all.
their co-workers both inside and outside of the office. They enjoy being
part of a tightly knit community which is bound by strong relations,
akin to a “work family”.
Companies need to shun the perception that socialisation at work is a
distraction and start actively encouraging it. One way to do so is by
embracing social media and encouraging employees to use it during
the working day. For example, instating a ‘Facebook-like’ platform for
work purposes not only provides employees with light relief but also
provides them with the means to network and stay connected.
3. They want mentoring
Millennials are known for being headstrong and having firm views on
their direction in life. Nevertheless they need help to harness that
ambition, refine those ideas and focus on further developing those
strengths. When asked whether their employer provides sufficient
support for their advancement, the majority of our survey recipients
shook their heads.
Companies need to consider how they are going to provide mentoring
to 50% of their workforce, and fast. Introducing mentoring
programmes early on for millennials who have just started in their job
gives them hope from the outset that their employer truly prioritises
their development. Companies could look to instate reciprocal
mentoring whereby junior millennials are paired with more senior
colleagues who could be one or two management levels above them.
This way, not only do they get access to a wealth of experience and
advice, but their senior counterparts get immediate insight into the
minds of the most powerful proportion of their workforce.
4. They want celebration for smaller successes as well as big
Millennials are now increasingly hoping for gratitude for small scale
successes, which might usually be overlooked. Whilst big project
milestones are generally celebrated, they also want to feel as though
their day-to-day efforts are being noticed.
Companies need to understand how to engrain more employee
appreciation into their ways of working. This could be anything from
getting senior members of the team to thank the junior members for
being part of a project, to hosting a formal dinner to recognise a team’s
efforts over the past month.
© 2017 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of
independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG
International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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