Millennials, Generation Y, Echo Boomers … call them what you will, you can’t ignore them.
That generation – those now in their twenties to mid-thirties – already accounts for almost half the US labor force. And yet, according to a 2015 survey, the majority of companies confessed to having difficulty finding and retaining millennial talent.
Millennials are perhaps most associated with being the first generation to have grown up entirely in the digital, internet age. And that shows, whether in their personal, social or professional lives.
Perhaps one of the more noticeable trends – and one which spans all three of those aspects – is the millennial preference for video (mobile video in particular) as a communication tool. It’s how they consume content, it’s how they communicate with one another, it’s how they engage with companies and brands.
Which is why when you’re hiring, tapping into those preferences and upgrading your hiring methods and strategies to match could be the key to finding the right candidates for your business, first time.
Convenience is King
Millennials are surrounded by digital tools designed to connect them to others and make all aspects of their busy lives quicker and more convenient. They’ve become more conscious of how they spend every minute, and by virtue of that, have come to place real value on those firms – whether retailers or employers – that offer convenience and flexibility.
Given that, it’s perhaps unsurprising that research has found that those same millennials had become frustrated by drawn-out recruitment processes, with round after round of in-person interviews for which they would have to make themselves available, and often travel large distances.
And it’s why, in response, so many companies are now introducing video interviews into their recruitment, enabling candidates to be interviewed when and where suits them, and via a medium with which they’re naturally most comfortable. Greater convenience for the applicant, a bigger pool of talent for the hiring firm.
“You had me at ‘Hello’…”
Video interviews aren’t just about accessing and assessing the best millennial talent, though. They can also play a key role in helping you connect with, and sell your business to, those same star recruits.
Evidently, a candidate being able to choose when they’re interviewed will likely create a good impression in itself – of a firm that puts its people first, and appreciates the need for flexibility and balance.
But the positive impression can go beyond that: a quality video interview experience also shows your company to be innovative, ‘digitally-literate’ and engaged (the one thing millennials said annoyed them more than lengthy recruitment processes was not hearing back from firms). And remember, millennials’ willingness to share experiences – positive or negative – on social media, means the impression made on one person can soon spread to a far wider network.
Of course, the fundamentals of good recruitment haven’t changed. This isn’t about pretending to be ‘cool’, or something your company is not. Millennials value authenticity every bit as much as previous generations. Rather it’s about understanding your target market and how best to engage them.
And that, of course, is timeless.
To find out more about how video interviews could give take your recruitment to the next level, contact myInterview and ask us for a free demo.
