Should You Hire a Millennial?

Millennials Get a Bad Rap!

Millennials seem to get a bad rap. It appears like more of a generational bias, but it’s not what you think. Regardless of the era, it seems that managers responsible for hiring are generally not excited about the younger generation, whatever the year!

One of my first jobs was at a hotdog stand in high school. The managers never ceased to find things we were doing wrong. Like most new young workers, I eventually got the hang of it. But then I was singled out and labeled an unprofitable employee. I didn’t even know what that meant. They complained that the amount of food I was eating on my breaks was worth more than what they were paying me to work an entire shift (I was a growing football player-not my fault). The writing was on the wall: the hotdog stand and I had become incompatible. I went out of fast food as fast as I came in. On the drive home the 8-track in my VW was playing “Shooting Star” by Bad Company and it all made sense.

You’re Hiring, So Hire Smart!

There is nothing wrong with hiring millennials, seniors, Gen X, Gen Y, or Z. There, I said it! A lot of people may disagree with me. As a company, we assist our clients by teaching them the right way to hire the right person for the right position every time (Hire Smart). The problem today is that companies will complain about their bad hiring experiences and, unfortunately, they have never taken the time to learn how to do it correctly. Hiring used to be more of an art. Today, with all the tools at our disposal, it is more of a science. About 95% of the time businesses just don’t know how to hire the right person for the right job. Consequently, they are going to complain about it without sharing how incompetent they really are.

Exactly What is the Problem?

Millennials get a bad rap, but they are not the problem today. The problem today is the same problem it has always been: Work ethic. It doesn’t matter what age you are. A person’s work ethic is the critical factor in his ability and willingness to learn, adapt, and make an impact on the job. These people actually see work as a necessary part of their life. People with solid work ethics are on time and have a high sense of urgency. It seems like people’s work ethics resemble the sizes in clothing; you will find people with small, medium, and large work ethics of all generations.

We advise and guide a larger volume of hiring than most organizations and we are an excellent gauge of behavior. All generations have their unique peculiarities and millennials are no different. If you hire for work ethic, you can’t lose, but don’t prejudge any generation. Remember, if you match the personality with the job type, your return from that employee will be double!

Win the Day!

-John