Millennials will soon become the most dominant employee group within North America’s workforce since the Baby Boomers.
So what’s the biggest incentive your firm can offer millennials over your competition? As it turns out, there are several. And while financial compensation is a consideration, those top AEC firms who are able to fulfill the softer needs of this often misunderstood generation will likely find themselves ahead of the game.
At the top of the workplace needs list for millennials:
The Need for Experimentation
They cut their teeth in an era dominated by constant change and as such have become reputed as tinkerers—continually experimenting with new ways to adapt to their environments or make them better. Cater to this millennial trait by offering ample opportunities for experimentation and exploration in your firm—such as solving a specific project challenge or exploring an industry issue in an internal competition.
The Need for Instant Connectivity
Growing up constantly tethered to technology, instantaneous feedback and connectivity is their norm. In the workplace, millennials are drawn to those firms embracing new technology. In your firm, explore technology opportunities that will drive greater collaboration and innovation across both office and field teams—something we’ve emphasized at 4tell with our iPlan platform.
The Need for Mobility
In a recent global millennial study by INSEAD’s Emerging Markets Institute, Universum and the HEAD Foundation, researchers found that flexible work opportunities defined what “work life balance” means to North American millennials. And key to achieving that flexibility in the workplace is the degree of mobility a firm’s technology offers. With the rise of cloud-based technologies, the opportunity to provide employees with flexible work options has never been easier.
The Need for Empowerment
When asked in the same INSEAD study to define the type of manager they wanted, most North American millennials chose those who “empower their employees” as the most important trait. Closely connected with their trademark tinkerer quality, millennials yearn for opportunities that will give them the freedom and trust to explore and learn on the job. Those AEC firms that recognize this trait, and provide the support needed to help them grow without micromanaging, will find their millennials most likely to flourish … and stay.
Meeting the workplace needs of the millennial generation should be an immediate call to action within every long-term focused AEC firm. By looking at ways to meet this generation eye-to-eye, you might just find yourself with a leg up on the competition in both capacity and renewed innovation.
Photo: millann/Shutterstock
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