talent management
What Does the Modern
Employee Really Want?
TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST PEOPLE, YOU NEED TO
STAY UP TO DATE WITH EMPLOYEES’ EVOLVING NEEDS
By Darwyne Lang
Millennials aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow – they’re
increasingly the leaders of today. They now outnum-ber
Generation X as the most populous group in
the workforce, according to Statistics Canada. Since
Millennials will represent 75 per cent of the workforce by 2025,
understanding what they deem important is vital to attracting and
motivating a strong workforce.
The notion that Millennials are from Mars and Baby Boomers
are from Venus is problematic – Millennials aren’t from a differ-ent
planet. In fact, they want many of the same things their parents
did. According to the 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey, Millennials
want their own homes, partners for life and the financial security
to save for retirement.
It’s the way they think about work that’s different from previ-ous
generations.
The way to attract talent has changed. Millennials don’t judge
a company’s success by its financial performance, but by what it
does, its higher purpose and how people are valued. They choose
employers whose values reflect their own. What are some of
these values?
HIGHER PURPOSE
A company’s higher purpose can be defined by what it believes
it does beyond making money. How is the company changing or
improving the world? How do employees’ roles fit into that move-ment
and can they feel the impact they personally make? Are their
own values aligned with the company’s higher purpose?
WORK-LIFE FIT
Aside from salary and other financial benefits, work-life balance
is the priority for Millennials when evaluating job opportunities.
They’re even willing to take a pay cut or pass up a promotion to
better manage their work-life demands.
The best way to attract young talent isn’t by offering beer on
tap and Ping-Pong tables. The benefits you offer need to represent
your company’s deeper values. Your benefit strategy is a key tool
that affirms the culture and value of your people. Your benefit plan
can work even harder if you give decision-making back to employ-ees,
enabling them to feel the direct value of your investment in
them. Empower employees by offering flexible benefit options that
allow for choice based on age, health goals and life priorities, as
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com
MILLENNIALS
DON’T JUDGE
A COMPANY’S
SUCCESS BY
ITS FINANCIAL
PERFORMANCE,
BUT BY WHAT IT
DOES, ITS HIGHER
PURPOSE AND
HOW PEOPLE
ARE VALUED.
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ MARCH 2018 ❚ 31
/HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA