Simma’s Success Strategies to Recruit and Retain Millennials

• Develop a flexible mindset. There is always more to learn
• Be aware of your own generation lens and that you view other generations through your lens
• Focus on the mission and culture of your organization as opposed to just money
• Promote your work and investment in being a “green organization.”
• Include in literature, website, etc, that they can they can impact your culture.
• Create internship programs
• Post jobs on the Internet using sites such as Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook
• Establish a formal mentoring program so that millennials can learn from older employees,
• Create a learning environment where boomers and millennials can work together to leverage organizational knowledge with new technologies
• Offer flexible work options such as telecommuting, and work at home options when appropriate
• Explore the possibility of restructuring work schedules such as from eight hours, five days a week to ten hours, four days a week or more choices for early or late hours
• Provide constant training and opportunities for continuous learning
• Ask employees for input on what types of projects or responsibilities they would find challenging
• Support programs and policies that support life/work balance
• Engage millennials and ask for input, instead of managing from a hierarchical, top down style
• Provide frequent and honest feedback rather than waiting for formal evaluation process

Simma’s Success Strategies for Working Successfully Across Generations

• Avoid assuming that because people are a certain age, they will act a certain way. Be aware of the “generation cultural norms,” but also be aware that there are large numbers of people in each generation that are on the outside of those norms
• Acknowledge age differences and talk about how you can learn from each other and help each other be more successful
• Approach with Interest and ask questions
• Take a learning orientation
• Avoid generational jargon
• Narrow your categories
• Practice active listening
• Be attentive
• Be flexible as to the means of your communication (face-to-face, email, etc.)
• Share your thoughts but be willing to see other ways of finding solutions
• Show respect- Cross generational tension in the workplace is often caused by people feeling disrespected by those that are younger or older, but at issue is that people feel respected and show respect in different waysA key to feeling and showing respect is to not make the other person wrong because respect may mean using last names to one person and first names to another person

• Learn and understand key motivators for each generation and what they need to feel included and engaged