Too often, Millennials are defined purely by the channels by which they engage the world. <\/span><\/p>\nThis is a drastic over simplification of our generation and one that seems to miss the key point. This is a young generation roughly aged between 22 – 39 years of age. People in this age bracket, especially at the lower end, are in the first stages of establishing their position in the world regarding fashion, subculture and ideals. Why don’t recruiters appeal to this key element?<\/p>\n
Consider some of the leading consumer brands in the world, Coca-Cola, Levi, Pepsi, Guess, American Express, Ralph Lauren. What do their (extremely successful) marketing campaigns all have in common? They very rarely sell a product, but rather they sell a lifestyle. Just think of Coca-Cola’s annual Christmas advertisements.<\/p>\n
So why aren’t large organizations, desperate (or should be) for Millennial talent, doing the same in their hiring strategies?<\/p>\n
I have friends who work in top end digital marketing agencies, working for some of the most visible brands in the world, who put out one-line job adds on LinkedIn that link back to a bland job description on a blank landing page. No wonder they can’t fill roles with the right people.<\/p>\n
Companies need to market roles to Millennials that sell a lifestyle, not just a job description. <\/span><\/p>\nSo what can organizations do in this regard?<\/p>\n
Firstly, the marketing content behind a recruitment campaign needs to be on point, including images and language that speak to the lifestyle one would associate with working for the company. Put simple job descriptions in context and focus on the type of person (such as personality, interests, style, etc.) that succeeds in this role.<\/p>\n
Secondly, internal company structures need to match this lifestyle. Organizations need to consider dress code, desk arrangement, hierarchical structure and internal silo’s making sure these match the lifestyle portrayed.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, location, location, location. These are young people and at the younger end of the spectrum, many won’t commute in from any great distance. Therefore, office location needs to be attractive and also fit the lifestyle portrayed. Selling a young, hip, urban image can be challenging when your offices are based in Chipping Norton…<\/p>\n
Overall, organizations need to better align with the candidates they are targeting. A focus on lifestyle is something the advertising industry has been doing for years and an area where hiring strategies need to catch up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s a well-established fact that in many first world countries there is currently a severe skills shortage. In my last…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[751],"ppma_author":[24],"yoast_head":"\n
What does Coca-Cola teach us? Sell the Lifestyle. Don\u2019t Sell the Drink. Millennial Recruiting and Retention Lessons from the World of Advertising. - Horses for Sources | No Boundaries<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n