While Millennials – born between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s – are widely accepted as being educated and ambitious, they’re also regarded as “job hoppers”, moving on from their current employment the moment a better offer comes along. Keeping Millennials on staff can feel like a full-time job in itself, but the benefits can outweigh the efforts.
They’re educated
What a Millennial may lack in experience, they tend to make up for in education. Officially the generation with the highest number of degrees than any generation before them, they’re book-smart. What that means for your salon is that if you hire a Millennial, you’re likely hiring someone who has excelled at the studying component of their career. But here’s the thing, they don’t just want to stop learning. “Millennials place a huge value on education,” says human resources expert Sharlene Giber. “Whether that’s because their parents never had the opportunity, or because there is much easier access to courses and study now, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Millennial that hasn’t undertaken some sort of training. But – and here’s the clincher – unlike generations before them, Millennials want to keep learning. So in order to keep them interested and keen to work with you, you should consider further training, whether it’s in new techniques and treatments, management skills, or whatever, if you can sell your ability to keep them learning, you’ve got a greater chance of them staying.”
Set them goals
“This generation is competitive, and you can see why; they’ve competed for limited spots at colleges and universities, and now, living through the second global recession of their lives, the competition for work is fierce. So competing is built in to their psyche,” says Sharlene. “Set up a defined KPI list at the time of hiring them, and check in with them regularly to see if they’re meeting those targets. The offer of incentive to achieve their targets will also encourage them to remain within your employment.”
Communicate
While their parents came of age around the same time as the Internet became mainstream, Millennials were raised with social media as their constant. They’re used to having information at their fingertips, at any given time. They expect to be informed and kept up to date. “Millennials are creatures of the new age; if they feel they’re being left out of the narrative, they won’t feel valued. Speak to them, be transparent about everything from the state of the business, how you see their role progressing, and any opportunities you feel they may be interested in,” says Sharlene.
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