Skip to content

Achievers Achievers

  • Platform
    • Achievers Employee Experience Platform™
      For culture builders, Achievers is an employee voice and recognition solution that builds engagement and sustainable performance in organizations.
    • Recognize™
      Activate real-time employee engagement with Achievers Recognize, the platform that delivers sustainable performance and Culture Continuity™.
    • Listen™
      Use data science to help you build a better company by unlocking insights into improving the performance and engagement of your people.
  • Why us
  • Company
    • About us
      Achievers’ mission is to change the way the world works. Our Employee Success Platform is specifically designed to drive higher levels of employee engagement.
    • Careers
      We’re a Great Place to Work-Certified™ organization. Explore opportunities at Achievers and join our team of A-Players.
    • Awards
      We are an industry leader in all things engagement. Discover why organizations love Achievers.
    • Contact Us
      We’re here to help! Get in touch with us.
  • Customers
  • Resources
    • Featured content
      Publishing white papers, research reports, and more to help organizations move forward in their employee engagement journey.
    • Webinars
      Watch our webinars featuring workforce science experts and HR thought leaders live and on-demand.
    • Engage Blog
      Stay up to date on the latest employee engagement trends and access guest commentary from HR thought leaders.
    • Workforce Institute
      Get research and insights on employee engagement, recognition, culture, and more — all backed by workforce science.
  • Demo
  • Platform
    • Achievers Employee Experience Platform™
    • Recognize™
    • Listen™
  • Why us
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Awards
    • Contact Us
  • Customers
  • Resources
    • Featured content
    • Webinars
    • Engage Blog
    • Workforce Institute
  • Request a demo
  • US
    • UK
    • AU
    • NL
    • DE
    • SG
  • Featured Content
  • Achievers Workforce Institute
  • Engage Blog
  • Browse By Blog Category
    • Achievers Exclusives
    • Achievers Tech
    • Culture
    • Employee Engagement
    • Employee Feedback
    • Employee Retention
    • Engage Blog
    • HR Technology
    • Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Onboarding and Hiring
    • Recognition and Rewards
Go to homepage 6 Tips to Engage and Retain the Millennial Workforce

6 Tips to Engage and Retain the Millennial Workforce

Profile image of author: Kellie Wong

by Kellie Wong

December 15, 2020

millennial workforce

How can you engage and retain the millennial workforce? Gallup referred to millennials as the “job-hopping generation” and for good reason. Research found that 21 percent of millennials had changed jobs in the prior 12 months, and 50 percent of the job-hopping workforce planned on changing employers in the next 12 months. The research firm also found that lack of employee engagement was a major reason for the high turnover.

The numbers improved a bit as the economy continued to stabilize, and millennials grew another year older. However, the Deloitte Millennial Survey, which looked at 8,000 millennials in 30 countries, still found that 38 percent plan to change jobs within two years. Deloitte hypothesizes that this could be a sign of more corporate loyalty or less confidence in the job market. Either way, it is more important than ever for you to understand how to engage the millennial workforce.

millennial workforce

Connect with the millennial workforce

Disengaged employees are not connected to their company and jobs, so they feel no need to be loyal or to put out the effort and energy employers need to stay innovative and competitive. The following are six things you should consider in order to engage and retain the millennial workforce.

1. Understand the full meaning of work-life balance

For millennials, work-life balance is about more than flexible schedules and working at home. The Millennial Impact Report makes it clear they want a voice and want to work for employers that integrate their social interests and causes into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies.

Millennials do not want to leave their causes at home. Encourage leaders to recognize employees that contribute to CSR through participation in company-sponsored community projects or volunteerism; also encourage employees to recognize each other. With an employee recognition program, employees’ voices get heard throughout the organization and each employee can receive appreciation for a job well done.

2. Incentivize with rewards millennials want

Millennials, like all employees, appreciate rewards. The younger generation of workers certainly appreciates financial rewards, but the millennial workforce also appreciates rewards like a day off to participate in community service projects of their choice. Combining financial and non-financial rewards proves you put in the effort to value your employees and are not just “talking the talk.”

3. Give frequent meaningful feedback and stay connected

Clutch, a data-driven industry and marketing research company, surveyed millennials, Gen X and baby boomers concerning employee engagement. Their HR Employee Feedback Survey found that 40 percent of millennials did not feel fulfilled at work, compared to 20 percent of Gen X and 10 percent of baby boomers. There were many reasons for feeling unfulfilled, and they included a desire for non-traditional perks and a lack of regular employee feedback.

The Clutch survey found that 72 percent of millennials who do get regular employee feedback felt fulfilled. However, millennials are not engaged by traditional management communication systems. They want instant feedback that helps increase their connection to the organization. While it may seem challenging to meet all the needs of millennial employees, one way is through social recognition that offers the nontraditional, instant feedback.

4. Do not neglect your employees

After conducting 4,300 interviews of global executives and senior leaders in 29 countries, the Deloitte Millennial Survey found that two out of three millennials are expected to leave their current organization. However, they are not leaving because of the economic climate. Instead, millennials are leaving because they feel neglected. Six out of 10 say their leadership skills are not being developed, and they are overlooked by management.

5. Encourage regular input

MIT Sloan associate professor of work and organization studies, Catherine Turco, took an interesting approach to identify what motivates the millennial workforce. She went undercover as an employee at a social media marketing company that has developed a highly engaged workforce comprised of mostly millennials. In her book, “The Conversational Firm: Rethinking Bureaucracy in the Age of Social Media,” this high level of employee engagement is attributed to the organization’s culture.

At the marketing company, employees feel invested in the company and can offer regular input into business issues. Their sense of freedom contributes to a work culture that is “invested, innovative and adaptable to change.”

6. Prove people, rather than profits, are most important

Everything about making millennials happy at work is based on putting people first. Making a profit is important for business sustainability, but the millennial workforce believes profit should flow from taking care of people. More profit is created when people collaborate, share values, and improve communities and the environment. The ‘Triple Bottom Line’ is ordered as people, planet and profits. People always come first.

millennial workforce inclusive

Creating a work family

A survey of college-educated men and women conducted by Bentley University’s Center for Women and Business discovered that 72 percent of respondents want to find a “work family” that practices mutual respect. Making the millennial workforce feel like they are part of a work family that encourages achievement is fostered through regular employee recognition and positive feedback.

The millennial workforce is not complicated. They just want to be their authentic selves at work. Start engaging the millennial workforce today with our six tips.

Are you curious about the current state of employee engagement? Learn shocking stats and findings in our Engagement and Retention Report.

202 Engagement and Retention Report

Profile image of author: Kellie Wong

by Kellie Wong

Kellie Wong was a Senior Content Marketing Manager at Achievers.

STAY ENGAGED

Join our email alert list so you never miss a post.

AWARDS


SnackNation : Top 30 HR Blogs

Best of HR Blogs

Feedspot: Top 100 HR Blogs

Feedspot: Top 30 Employee Engagement Blogs and Websites

Proven: Best 75+ HR Blogs

Actimo Top 50 HR Blogs

Coburgbanks: 10 Employee Engagement Blogs That All Managers Should Know About

HR West: Human Resource Award

FOLLOW US

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
RSS Feed

YouTube
Instagram
Slideshare

HUMAN RESOURCES TODAY

Human Resources Today

Stay engaged

Join our mailing list so you never miss a post.

Subscribe
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube
  • Platform
    • Our Platform
    • Recognize
    • Listen
  • Company
    • About us
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Resources
    • Featured content
    • Webinars
    • Engage Blog
    • Workforce Institute
    • Events
    • Appreciation cards
    • News

© 2023 Achievers Solutions Inc.
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Modern Slavery Statement

For an accessible version of this (page/site), please contact us by phone at 1-888-622-3343