Well, I will start by saying that we the Millennials are different from earlier generations. The millennials have greatly varying expectations. What they expect out of their employee engagement experience will differ for everyone. Millennials are even changing the way the things are done as they are highly technologically driven and socially more active. They are extremely skilled, highly adaptable and very confident in their multitasking abilities. Hence, when it comes to engaging this bunch, we as HR need to put on our thinking hats and get into their shoes. For instance, let’s look at some of their work- related attributes.
Millennials love to work in teams, they want to work on new and complex problems that requires creative solutions; are always interested in proper feedback on their performance. They seek constant feedback that is structured, has clarity and is specific to the situation.
I remember an interview that I took where we found the candidate quite suitable for the position. To be honest, it was an easy hire, the candidate was barely 25 years of age. The day she joined us, she took me to a side and posed a question which made me happy and astounded at the same time. She enquired about the learning curve in the long run. I liked the fact that she was looking to keep growing and got a little worried that she might want to switch sooner if her expectations were not met. To keep millennials engaged we need to understand and map their frequencies and match them. Proper feedback that is structured, situation-specific and has complete clarity to avoid any misunderstanding is the key engagement driver for Millennials. Since this generation mostly looks for instant results, they often want instant feedback on their performance. We encourage constant feedback (both verbal and documented as required) to employees on tasks completed for instant gratification.
Employee Engagement is every business’s backbone. Employee engagement often poses a problem for HR when it comes to employee participation. A prolonged lack of employee involvement may lead to a feeling of disconnect which creates a negative spiral that affects the entire organization. As an HR, I suggest that organizations should stay vigilant to any signs of employee disengagement. Some major cues to look for include lack of initiatives, over-indulgence in unhealthy behaviours at the workplace, observing silence during important meetings/matters, lack in sharing learning activities. Further, the employee communication channels being unclear pose a huge problem in driving employee engagement. We need to ensure that frequent feedback is provided to the employees with even faster actionable interventions.
HR as a function has a frontline strategic role in any organization. This department essentially holds hands with every other function, spinning multiple plates at times. Remarkable HR leaders are people-oriented, tech-savvy, and strong business advocates. I believe that the following qualities are must-to-have for a successful career as an HR professional:
In today’s world when things are changing at the speed of light, employee expectations are also evolving really fast. Before discussing how the employee expectations are shaping up, it is paramount to understand that unaddressed employee expectation are a major reason for reduced morale in the workplace which leads to lower employee engagement. When we are working with Gen-X, and Millennials there is a specific set of expectations that every HR professional should keep in mind:
Being a successful HR leader is an accomplishment in itself, and to be honest my greatest personal achievement as an HR professional is the trust, respect, and affection that I have gained from my colleagues over the years. If I talk in more tangible terms, I have driven key organizational initiatives such as
First of all, Thank you for this question. Why I really appreciate this question is because it is a very relevant question for my current role. Gen X constitutes most of the population of our organisation and is quite settled in their profiles. This population has a very specific set of expectations and need a different strategy than Millennials.
Disclaimer: The responses to the questions are solely the views of the interviewee as a professional and do not reflect that of the Organisation he/she works for.