Five Reasons Why You Should Be Hiring Millennials

(From the editor: This article was originally published on Channel Partner Connection.)

More than one-in-three American labor force participants (35%) are Millennials (myself included), making us the largest generation in the U.S. labor force, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. And according to several research studies, that number is expected to grow by over 10% over the next year – meaning almost half of the workforce will by made up of millennials by 2020. Millennials are quick to get a bad rap as the “job hopping” generation, with too many employers overlooking the benefits of this generation and its status quo-altering way of approaching work and the work-life balance. Keep reading to see why you want millennial in your company.

Since 2016, many publications have been touting the headline grabbing statistics that states more than 20 million millennials have left a job over the past two years. While that initially gives the impression of today’s budding workforce as fickle or lacking in company loyalty, in fact it’s a reflection of their unwillingness to settle for anything less than their highest ideals for both themselves and the company they work for – not at all a bad thing to have in an employee.

It’s true that the latest generation to enter the workforce does have unique employment expectations – just as Generation X did when they pushed us into the computer age. Rather than scoff at a majority that the media has tried to paint as indulgent and overserved, savvy corporate recruiters and visionary small business owners are ignoring the hype and appreciating the infinite wealth of cutting-edge talent this demographic represents.

Why Millennials Get a Bad Rap

Millennials make up the generation born between 1985 and 2000. Like any other generation, the events we have seen and experienced have shaped our worldview – and we come from a vantage point no other generation has experienced before. Also known as the Digital Generation, we were born during the era of digital disruption, with easy and widespread access to digital information and communication technologies that surpassed those of previous generations. It has changed the way that we interact with the world, sparking pushback from older generations, but exciting those with the vision to see how that new world view can be leveraged in the professional setting.

Why You Should Want to Hire Millennials

Millennials are frequently described as apathetic and social media obsessive. But according to a research study released by the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, only one of those accusations is true – and it’s not such a bad thing.

1. Millennials are Natural Digital Marketers
Social media use has taken on a negative connotation when used in context with up and coming generations, yet most sales and marketing job descriptions specifically call out social media fluency and experience creating and engaging with digital content. Millennials use social media more to communicate than any other generation. They also have a strong presence on YouTube (and absorb a considerable amount of content on that platform), which remains the second largest search engine in the world, making millennials an excellent conduit for bringing your brand messaging to the digital world.

2. Millennials are Highly Educated Tech Natives
As perhaps the best-educated generation ever, millennials bring far more to your business than an aptitude for social marketing. From the time we enter the workforce, most of us will spend our careers improving the skills that make us indispensable corporate team members. Millennials are by and large highly knowledgeable regarding technology. In an era where rapidly changing technology constantly alters the business landscape, millennials are the one generation that can keep up with all the tech changes.

3. Millennials are Motivated Team Players
The images of brooding millennials with their participation trophies does not match the reality that most companies are experiencing in the workplace. Business professional who have made the effort to recruit millennials describe them as open-minded and perspective focused on team-driven projects. They are also defined by the high value they assign to collaboration.

4. Millennials are Culturally Involved
Millennials are quickly gaining a reputation for being passionate about community involvement and cultural appreciation. When it comes to cultural and social issues, millennials are the most actively involved generation since the Boomer generation, continually striving to improve both society and the way we approach work. Companies who want to improve their public image and stay ahead of changing trends in how we manage work and life should openly embrace the millennial generation.

5. Millennials Bring a Fresh Perspective
Growth requires you to recruit professionals who introduce new ways of thinking about difficult problems. Welcoming the newest generation of employees ensures your company receives fresh perspectives to foster innovation. Millennials have not invented outside the box thinking; they have reinvented it. With millennials soon to represent the largest consumer demographic, it makes sense to hire the same age demographic to understand how millennial consumers think.