A new study has come out from Gallup, and it has big implications for employers throughout the US and how they interact with the millennial generation.
Millennials desire to be engaged with their job. This goes beyond the standard “9 to 5” mentality – this generation wants to be engaged and passionate about what they do. Despite this, only 29% of millennials int he study reported being engaged at their current job.
Additionally, this new generation of workers is not interested in following
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policies and procedures unless they understand the reasoning behind them. If they do not agree with how decisions are being made, they are also more likely than not to address their concerns with they supervisors. Linked with this, millennials want more than a professional relationship with their employers. They want to their boss to “care about them as an employee and a person.”
Lastly, millennials want opportunities to personal growth on the job. The Gallup study found that 87% of millennials view “professional development or career growth opportunities” as being very important to them in their jobs.
Engaging Millennials in Construction
These findings have implications for the construction industry. For starters, employers may consider implementing the following:
- Providing a thorough explanation of company policies and procedures during the on-boarding process. If it takes your employees six months to fully understand why your company operates the way it does, your probably going to lose younger workers at a higher rate.
- Holding formal and informal job reviews with your employees. Millennials want to know how they are doing on the job, so continue with performance reviews. However, you may want to schedule informal review sessions with your younger workers to engage them on how their life is outside of work.
- Providing regular opportunities for professional development. Send your employees to conferences, enroll them in continuing education, bring in outside coaches – there is no set formula, but take the steps necessary to engage your employees and provide opportunities for them to advance in their careers
Millennials are challenging employers across the US, and the construction industry is no exception. However, you can take simple steps such as these to bring the most out of this generation and improve your company for years to come.
Colby Humphrey is the Director of Pinnacle Development Group’s Center for Competitive Intelligence and Development. He focuses on marketing and market research. For more information on engaging millennial in construction, contact him at colby@pinnacleccid.com.
