Social media tileCLEVELAND, Tenn. - In the next decade, 75 percent of the workforce will be composed of the millennial generation, which was born roughly between 1980 and 1999.
Last week, a group of 40 business professionals got a chance to engage with a half dozen twenty-somethings - and learn from a millennial consulting expert - as part of the closing the 2-day workshop on "Peak Performance" at Cleveland State Community College.
David Velie, a managing partner of Amend Consulting of Cincinnati, jump started the discussion with his presentation urging business leaders to "adapt or die" in their employee recruiting methods.
"If your company is not learning to recruit and retain millennial generational talent, you will not achieve business excellence," he said. "If you're already there with business excellence, you won't stay there."
The core reality of the millennial generation is that most grew up with instant access communication technology and do not expect to have lifelong employment with any one company, said Velie.
Most of the student panelists told the audience that they preferred handheld digital devices, such as cellphone and tablets, as their methods of connectivity and productivity. Laptops came in a distant second and desktop computers were a last resort.
Social media applications, such as Instagram and Twitter, were cited by the panelists as more efficient ways of communicating and receiving news and information.
Business recruitment website pages that are not app-friendly miss out on connecting with their generation, they said.
Key concerns for the Millennial Generation are having autonomy and purpose to their work-life balance. The panelists said they want there to be meaning to what they do and to know that their decisions matter.
Velie said Millennials also crave personal involvement and detailed feedback on how to develop and master their career path, he said.
"The biggest thing with a potential employer is having independence," said Shannon Hughes, a Lee University math major. "If I see a problem that needs to be handled, I want to be able to fix it without having someone tell me to."
Having an employer who will listen to her voice is also important, said Hughes.
Sherry Crye, director for workforce development for the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce questioned how to get Millennials interested in modern manufacturing.
"It's a real issue for us in manufacturing," said Velie, who stated that most millennials do not go through high school wanting to enter skilled trades and manufacturing.
Velie suggested involving younger hires with community problem-solving activities as one means of engaging them and retaining them.
He urged companies to be wary of older veteran employees who will tell the next generation of workers that they will not be smart enough or good enough until they've been there for 20 years.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.