One uber-connected group of folks now makes up the biggest chunk of our workforce. Sure, everyone has an opinion on the millennial generation, but there is a common characteristic that has come to define this mystifying group: Their incessant use of technology and online media.
The question is, how do you appeal to this age bracket? If you’re an employer, showcasing your company culture online is key when it comes to attracting top-notch millennial talent.
Millennials want more than just a job
Unlike the generations before them, millennials hope to work with companies that inspire them and which aim to have an impact on the world. Accordingly, they’ll put in long hours doing creative work if they believe it’ll make a difference. And because they’re tech savvy, they expect to be able to do their work anywhere and blow off steam whenever they can. For them, culture isn’t just about having a fun and meaningful place to work. Living a rich, connected life that also includes meaningful work is what’s really important.
Try implementing these three strategies to keep them engaged — online and off:
1. Develop a clear brand that’s reflected everywhere
Your brand is much more than the design of your logo and color scheme. Specifically, it reflects a promise to employees and customers regarding what they can expect from you. Let’s say you run an accounting firm that serves other small businesses. Most likely, your promise is to provide everything from tax services to helping your clients find funding. Makes sense, right?
Regardless of what you do, your brand should reflect authority and expertise, and you’ll want your employees to have the tools expected of an expert. A website that provides a cloud portal to not only tax preparation tools but also presentation and financial modeling software may be just what your staff needs to keep your company’s promise to customers.
2. Make it easy to connect anywhere
Millennials don’t want to be constrained. Therefore, provide tools that allow them to do the job just as well from a coffee shop as they can from your main office. An easy way to do this is by enhancing your website to do more than just supply tools to serve clients. You should also provide access to all the administrative and reporting tools your team needs to ensure revenue gets collected and bills get paid.
And don’t forget the little things. Your website can also be a gateway to internal discussion boards and messaging platforms. Make your virtual water cooler as easy to find and use as the real thing to keep employees engaged in your awesome culture — no matter where they happen to be that day.
3. Stay “on message” in how you interact with employees and customers
Finally, it’s important to codify your brand promise into a series of messages that you’ll use in interviews, blog posts, and sales content — both in hard copy and on the website. Employees who fully understand what your business stands for will more readily reflect the values you expect, and fortify your company’s culture in the process.
If these attributes are already present in your company, congratulations — you’re way ahead of the game. A 2015 study by Deloitte found that 87 percent of organizations surveyed said maintaining a good culture and keeping employees engaged was one of their top challenges.
You can create an inspiring culture that extends from the office all the way to the coffee shop by first establishing a consistent brand. Then, make it easy for your employees to connect from anywhere. And finally, stay “on message” in every communication, both internally and externally.
You won’t get it perfect at first, and that’s completely okay. But with a deeper awareness of how your online presence impacts the team, you’ll be able to turn your website into a place where employees (and browsing candidates) will both love to hang.
