HIRING GENERATION Y SERIES: STEP THREE – WRITING A JOB POSTING AIMED AT GEN YER

by Traci K and BrightMove Staffing Software and Recruiting Software at http://www.brightmove.com

At some point in time, if you haven’t already, your company will need to hire employees from the next generation of workers: Generation Y. Holding different values, ideals, and outlooks on the world in general, hiring and retaining Millennials has become the recruiting challenge of the decade. Worrying about how to keep them won’t be necessary, however, if you can’t get them hired. Getting them hired isn’t an issue if you they don’t apply. Once you understand who they are and what appeals to them, the next step is to write a job advertisement that attracts them enough to apply for open positions in your organization.

A normal job posting consists of information important to all candidates who apply:
- Company background and industry
- Job title and perhaps reporting structure
- Position responsibilities/duties
- Compensation and benefits
- Location
- Required travel

Simple enough, right? As the hiring process proceeds, other important details will be touched upon, typically revolving around extended explanations of the key points listed here. For the most part, after this discussion, if there is a fit, an offer as made and you are good to go. This process is pretty cut and dry for those employees born before 1981. What about Generation Y?

Millennials are not as interested in pay and benefits as those that precede them. They want more assurance – things that everyone wants, Generation Y requires. They want to be sure that the position they take will make them…happy. Most of us are happy just to have a job, let alone to require the position we hold to fulfill us. While Generation Y may understand that you have to work hard for a payoff, they are not above passing up an opportunity to ensure they end up working for an organization they believe in. This changes the dynamic a little bit where the employers become the ones being interviewed just as much as they are interviewing Gen Yers. In order to secure them as new employees and, in the long run, their tenure, companies will have to step up to the plate.

To show Millennials that your organization is worth their effort and loyalty, certain advantageous characteristics should be highlighted along with the typical information (probably more so):
- Community involvement and green initiatives
- Opportunities for advancement
- Stability and job security
- Company activities such as sports teams
- Affiliated or supported organizations (ie school alumni associations)
- Employer community involvement
- Any perks considered to be nonstandard such as gym memberships, casual dress, flexible schedules, alternative company cultures, etc.

In order to appeal to the today’s young professionals, you need to stand out from other companies. Make sure that the things your company offers (that other companies might not offer) are well showcased in job ads targeting members of Generation Y. While all employees will be interested in these characteristics, for Millennials some of them will most likely be deal-breakers. Once you’ve placed your ad and the resumes inevitably come pouring in, find out how to read between the lines of Gen Y resumes in Step Four – Prescreening Resumes from the Me Generation.

Traci K. is an HR Professional and freelance writer based in the Midwest, specializing in recruitment and immigration. When she’s not improving unemployment, she keeps busy with her husband and four children.

Comment by Recruiting Animal on May 11, 2011 at 11:33am: Mike this doesn't sound very different from any other job ad to me.

That good corporate community member has been around for a long time.

Company baseball league - is that so new?

These two are traditional.

- Opportunities for advancement
- Stability and job security

- gym memberships, casual dress, flexible schedules, alternative company cultures, etc.

Gym memberships (New and different?) Flex schedules - I'll bet this is still rare and would

be advertised for anyone market, GenY or not. Alternative cultures has to be rare.
I don't even know what you're talking about here.

Comment by Michael Brandt on May 11, 2011 at 11:36am: Animal, this is just 1 of 8 articles Traci has been working on. But you are right, somethings will always apply generation to generation. I'll pass along your comments to Traci.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on May 11, 2011 at 12:56pm: Honestly from what i am seeing as i interview candidates for 4 entry level positions is that this is a bunch of smoke. I have an inbox full of kids who graduated in 2009, 2010 and are now graduating. Not one of them has asked about anything green other than how much green is being offered. They aren't looking for flexible schedules or community involvement. Not one of them has asked about what the opportunities for advancement are or if there is a freaking gym membership. They wouldn't know what an alternative company culture was if i asked them and i wouldn't because i have no idea what it is.

What they are looking for? A possible opportunity to interview for a job in their degree field. They are willing to pay their own relocation and interview expense, move where ever they need to to get started. Many of them have been teaching fitness classes, painting houses, doing anything they can to make a buck until they can find a job even close to their degree field. So before we start building this myth any futher go interview about 200 and see how flexible they are. My experience right now is very flexible and not covered up with this myth.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on May 11, 2011 at 12:58pm: And not one has asked about stability or assurance of anything other than an interview time.

Comment by Michael Brandt on May 11, 2011 at 1:31pm: Thanks for all the great feedback. I'll pass this along to Traci, the author.

Comment by Michael Brandt on May 11, 2011 at 1:37pm: I do want to add, company cultures such as Facebook, Google, and many other larger brands are changing with the younger workforce. Things line flex schedules and in office culture are vastly different than when I entered the workforce and have changed a great deal over the past 5 years.

As an entry level rep at AT&T, we were lucky to have a vending machine in the office where many organizations today are offering game rooms, on-site gymnasiums, child care, and much more.

Comment by Jennifer Norene on May 11, 2011 at 6:41pm: I found that work-life balance was very important to this generation. Respecting their personal time and commitments seemed paramount compared to other generations on teams I have served. This is an energetic bunch with a lot to offer but I agree, they have some peculiar characteristics to appeal to.

Comment by David Kimmelman on May 12, 2011 at 10:59am: Jennifer is spot on here. I have hired numerous Gen Y employees and the work-life balance is a key desire for them. And like all candidates interviewing, money is never the most important thing, until the conversation comes up, mostly because of the debt these young people are carrying when they leave school. And as much as I loathe lumping all people into categories and stereotypes, many Gen Y'ers believe they are experts in their field after 6 months to 1 year of work, and that's when they start to want a lot more money and honestly believe they deserve it with little experience under their belt.

Finally, nothing irritates me more than when people start talking about stability and job security. IT DOES NOT EXIST! If the last 30+ years have taught us anything, there is no such thing anymore, unless maybe when you are part of a union, but I won't go off on union's right now. I do a lot of speaking engagements at colleges to help students understand how to develop and market their brand to employers and then go deep into how to begin their search, get the job and retain the job. The one thing I always stress fiercely is; Don't ever ask about or say they are looking for a stable job, because in this day and age, stability and job security does not exist!

Comment by Reb Blanchard on May 16, 2011 at 3:32pm: Right on the mark for almost everybody here. You know what is universal no matter the generation, industry, or size of company? Everybody wants the absolutely best deal they can get in every category from monetary to life balance and cool things like onsite health clubs or child care.

It then follows that people will always consider what they have now and what would be the consequences of being picky. From the 2010 college graduate that with an internship under his belt graciously emailed me last week to let me know he thought he could work for $10,000 a month if the job were right (note that I have not offered him a job or even interviewed him yet mind you) to the 30 yr pro that has seen companies not want to even interview him because he is over qualified, everybody wants the same things.

The difference is some are in a position to demand them, some can negotiate and get a few of them, and some will have to take what they can get. It's a tough lesson to learn but as worldwide welath realigns, it's one we will probably have to learn well.

Best regards (Love the high level of comments I see here everyday!)

Comment by Michael Brandt on May 16, 2011 at 3:46pm: Reb,

One of the best things I ever heard once of negotiation after negotiating my comp package with a prior employer. You were never truly negotiating unless both parties were a little uncomfortable.

~Mike