What’s the key to recruiting Millenials to your business?
“Hire for their strengths, not for a job,” said Dave Carey, co-founder and president of ROI Training who recently spoke at the University of Mary Washington as the College of Business’s Executive-in-Residence. “You need to leverage, use and appreciate their strengths to keep them engaged.”
Carey, a 1996 alumnus and head of his own technology and management training company, spent two days with community leaders and students sharing his strategies for attracting and recruiting millennial employees as a way to bolster their businesses and careers.
“There are 53.5 million millennial employees in the U.S. today,” said Carey, who said that Millennials, born between 1980 and 2000, will make up 75 percent of the U.S. workforce by 2025. According to Carey, businesses must adapt to recruiting this rising generation if they want to attract top talent.
Carey encourages business leaders to speak to the generation’s values – social impact, career development, employee recognition and feedback, a flexible work environment and socialization and team building.
For students, Carey urged job seekers to turn the table by interviewing the company too.
“You need to interview the company as much as they interview you,” said Carey, noting that students can get a glimpse of company culture just by looking at their career websites.
Carey pointed to Apple and Google as naturally innovative companies that appeal to Millennials. Google’s career webpage even states “Do cool things that matter,” directly speaking to the intrinsic values of the young workforce.
Carey has spent the past 12 years with ROI Training, based in New York City and Lexington, Mass., where he works one-on-one with several of the world’s leading technology and financial firms. He also is a member of several global and national training organizations.
At UMW, Carey serves as chair of UMW’s College of Business Advisory Board and funds a business scholarship to attract high achieving high school graduates that intend to major in business.
“There is a growing emphasis and need for career-ready graduates,” said Carey, adding that companies are seeking well-rounded, creative, resourceful and communicative employees. “The liberal arts education delivers just that.”
