Findly White Paper

Recruiting Millennialsand New Grads21st Century Advice for Recruiting This 21st Century Generation

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com2

From the increasing popularity of cellphones in the early 2000s to the

near ubiquity of smartphones today, technology has changed how we

live, interact, and operate, both in our personal lives and our careers.

This is especially noticeable when we observe the habits of different

generations, each having been exposed to the different phases of the

technology revolution at different phases of their lives.

Much has been reported about the habits of Millennials, individuals born

between 1980 and 2004, who were exposed to computers and cellphones

from an early point in their lives. Stories have emerged about how this

unique group of individuals differs from their predecessors, including

differences in how they communicate and behave in the workplace.

To understand how to recruit Millennials and new graduates, first we

need to understand how this group has grown up and how experiences

involving technology, society, and the changing economy impact

professional activities and motivations.

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com 3

About Millennials

A recent US Census makes it clear why understanding the size, scope, and preferences of Millennials is

important. Those born between 1980 and 2004 make up the largest generation presently. With the oldest of

this group now reaching their mid 30s, they are now becoming the critical consumers and business leaders

that businesses must target and engage. The younger members of this generation are now either starting to

attend or currently attending college, thus beginning to prepare themselves for a job market unlike that of

their parents and previous generations.

Millennials grew up alongside the rapid evolution

of technology. Consider these major technology

milestones:

Though this is only a partial list of the many

technological innovations that have surfaced in the

past two decades, the general trend is the increasing

accessibility and customization of information. The

vast amount of information was organized by search

engines in the 1990s, curated for consumption in the

early 2000s and then delivered directly to users via

handheld or wearable devices a decade later.

Even from within this cohort, technology is seen as

a major differentiator and defining factor. When Pew

Research (2009) asked members of each generation,

“What makes your generation unique?”, the most

popular response from Millennials was “technology

use” (24%). Interestingly, the most popular response

from Baby Boomers was “work ethic” (17%).1 The

concepts of technology expertise and work ethic

often come up in stories of workplace frustrations

between Boomers and Millennials.

Millennials and Technology

Generation Zborn btwn 2005-present

Millennials1980-2004

Generation X1965-1980

Baby Boomers1946-1964

Silent Generation1928-1945

Source: US Census, 2010

40,438,669 107,449,443 61,660,996 76,484,374 30,095,357

Excite launches first web search engine tools in 1993

Yahoo launches its web portal in 1994

Google launches in 1998

iTunes store launches in 2001

LinkedIn launches in 2003

Facebook launches at Harvard University in 2004

First generation iPhone launches in 2007

Fitbit launches its first wearable fitness device, the Fitbit classic, in 2008

Web

Web

Web

OnlinePlatform

OnlinePlatform

OnlinePlatform

Hardware

Hardware

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com4

Millennials in the Workforce

Given the size of this generation as well as the

upcoming exodus of Baby Boomers from the job

market, there is a strong focus on recruiting and

nurturing new grads and Millennials to become the

leaders of tomorrow. A 2012 survey jointly released

by the Society for Human Resource Management

(SHRM) and AARP shows that US employers are

increasing investments in training programs to

narrow expected skills gaps left when Baby Boomers

retire.2 The point is succinctly summarized in a

SHRM article: “corporate America must reinvest in its

workforce and come up with creative ways to retain

that massive amount of knowledge that will walk

out the door as millions of Baby Boomers retire.” In

fact, Millennials are expected to be 75% of the global

workforce by 2020.3

Additionally, companies plan to increase hiring

of new graduates. A recent Careerbuilder survey

showed that 65 percent of employers say that

they plan to hire recent college graduates in 2015,

compared to 57 percent last year and the highest

outlook since 2007.4

For various business reasons, there is a great need

to recruit and hire high quality Millennial workers

and create the necessary programs to develop these

individuals for tomorrow’s business needs.

What Habits Drive Millennials and Young Workers in Their Job Search

Having grown up surrounded by computers,

cellphones and social media, Millennials are often

described as “digital natives” and their behaviors,

activities, and expectations are a result of this early

digital exposure.

• Network dependent. With social media and

other instant communications applications

always accessible, Millennials are most

influenced by friends, personal contacts, and

word-of-mouth when making major decisions.

In their job search, they care about company

reputation and will seek out information from

their network to get a full perspective of the

opportunity.

• Digital first, and in some cases, digital only.

Online is not only the first source of information

for Millennials; for some, it is the only resource

they have ever had to utilize to find the

information they require. In their job search,

Millennials rely heavily on online resources,

with the corporate career site being the most

important.

What Makes Your Generation Unique?

Millennials Generation X Boomers

Technology use (24%) Technology use (12%) Work ethic (17%)

Music/pop culture (11%) Work ethic (11%) Respectful (14%)

Liberal/tolerant (7%) Conservative/traditional (7%) Values/morals (8%)

Source: Pew Research (2009)

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com 5

• Time/attention constrained. Millennials spend

the greatest amount of time online (35 hours

per week) and on their cellphones (14.5 hours

per week) compared to other generations.5

They also switch their attention between media

platforms at a higher rate (27 times per hour

compared to the 17 times per hour for previous

generations).6 To grab their attention, websites

including career sites should use clear and

simple navigation, and have just the right amount

of real and authentic information.

• Content hungry. With information always

available and often right at their fingertips,

Millennials expect to have a wealth of data and

insights with which to make important decisions.

They will check a company’s career site, social

media presence, YouTube, and review sites, and

they will use search engines to find compelling

stories about the company’s culture.

Technology as well as the economy in which

Millennials came of age has also impacted how they

see their lives related to work.

What Millennials and Young Workers Care and Think About Related to Work

• Higher turnover / lower loyalty compared

to predecessors. A 2015 Jobvite survey

reported that Millennials are twice as likely as

30-somethings to leave a job after 3 years. More

than one-third (36%) of Millennials expect to

change jobs every one to three years.7 PWC

calls this phenomenon “loyalty-lite,” stating that

enduring previous downturns has significantly

impacted the loyalty that Millennials feel towards

their employers.8

• A desire to make a difference. A Bentley

University survey showed that 84 percent of

Millennial respondents said that “knowing

I am helping to make a positive difference

in the world is more important to me than

professional recognition.”9 Having witnessed

corporate failures and recessions, 94 percent of

college-educated respondents agree that their

generation is questioning the assumptions of

the business world and asking themselves,

“What is the best use of my heart and mind?”10

• Company culture matters. Whereas previous

generations are focused on job stability and

compensation as major priorities, Millennials

prioritize company culture as a huge motivator

for selecting and staying at an employer. A Hodes

study showed that around half of Millennials

say that “Work environment/culture” is an

attribute that makes an employer attractive

(41%) and impacts their decision to stay at an

employer (47%).11

• But make no mistake of it—money and stability

matter too. While Millennials are known for

valuing authenticity and purpose in their

professional endeavors, they also care about

compensation and job security. A 2015 study

by EdAssist shows that financial security is

Millennials’ #1 concern, with 71 percent saying

that they would prefer a retirement savings plan

over other financial perks. A Hodes study mirrors

this finding, with Millennials and Baby Boomers

both overwhelmingly saying that compensation

and job security are the #1 and #2 attributes that

make an employer attractive.12

Continues next page

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com6

• Opportunity for growth is an important factor.

Millennials want to see an opportunity for

personal and professional development when

assessing employers. A PWC report entitled,

“Millennials at Work,” showed that almost

two-thirds (65%) of respondents stated that

“the opportunity for personal development”

most influenced the decision to accept their

current job—even more than the organization’s

reputation (36%) or even the role itself (24%).13

Another report stated that 52 percent said

opportunities for career progression made an

employer attractive.14

Knowing that Millennials hold different values

and expectations as it relates to assessing work

opportunities, employers should adapt how they

communicate with Millennials in order to put their

best foot forward when trying to appeal to and

recruit this group.

Tips for Recruiting Millennials and Young Workers

Content. As previously noted, Millennials are content

hungry and will want as much authentic information

about employers as they can secure. Make sure

the right information is available to Millennials via

the right channels so that they are armed with the

information that they desire in making professional

decisions.

• Career website. Sixty-three percent (63%) of

business students (US) use an employer’s website

to learn more about a company, making it the

most important information resource.15 For

the most part, employers understand and are

on board with this idea; almost three-quarters

of employers (71%) state that their career site

is an online/interactive way to engage with

potential candidates who have not yet applied.16

Understand what compels Millennials—

including the opportunity for development and

professional progress, company culture, and an

authentic look into how the company operates

and what it cares about—and be sure that you

share your company’s unique perspective on

these and other topics.

• Email. A 2015 study by Principal Financial Group

found that despite the popularity of social media

and real-time communication media such as

chat and SMS, Millennials overwhelmingly prefer

to communicate with companies via email. For

4 in 10 Millennials, email is the preferred method

For more information on optimizing your

recruitment email marketing strategies,

please download the Findly tipsheet or watch

our webinar on this topic. See resource links

at the end of this document.

Top-Ranked Employer Attributes That Make an Employer Attractive

Millennials Boomers

Compensation (68%) Compensation (68%)

Job security (44%) Job security (40%)

Work environment/

culture (41%)Benefits (40%)

Source: Bernard Hodes Group (2012), The Growing Value of Employer Brands

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com 7

of contact for outbound communications.17

Beyond just an application confirmation, email

offers your company an opportunity to express

its unique traits, give updates, and offer the

information that Millennials require to feel

good about their professional choices. Email,

unfortunately, remains an underutilized form

of candidate engagement with 91 percent

of employers admitting that they make no

additional contact beyond the automated

acknowledgment of application receipt.18

In-person engagement. Onsite events, including

career fairs and on-campus recruiting, remain

a popular way for companies to connect with

interested candidates. Companies should use best-

in-class technology and have a strong game plan in

order to maximize ROI of these recruiting activities.

• Events, including on-campus recruiting. Sixty

percent (60%) of business students indicate

that they learn about employers at career fairs

and 45 percent say that they do so at employer

presentations on campus.19 According to the

Talent Board’s 2014 CandE Awards report,

employers use in-person events to develop

relationships directly with candidates including

internship fairs (46%) and career fairs (27%).

These in-person events are often themed and

therefore allow companies the opportunity to

connect with military, university, diversity, and

industry candidates.20

• Mobile technology. Advances in portable

technology, including mobile phones and tablet

computers, extend the opportunity to interact

and collect vital information from candidates you

encounter at events. Thirty-nine percent (39%)

of job seekers feel that the ability to leave their

contact information with an employer and apply

later is extremely or very important.21 Yet, this

remains an area where employers are missing

out on connecting with great candidates—the

Findly Customer Success Story #1

One of Findly’s customers, a well-known, global

hospitality company, reported that Findly’s

automated candidate engagement was one of the

highest performing external sources of hires (second

only to a niche job site). Within two months, these

company branded emails were the source of 171 of

the company’s hires—nearly the same number of

hires referred by four job boards and job resource

sites combined (173 total for all four sources).

Findly Customer Success Story #2

One of Findly’s customers, an energy products

manufacturer, determined that attending a student-

centered STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering

and Math) Conference would be the best way to

interface with high quality, hard-to-hire engineering

candidates. Over the course of one day onsite at

the conference, they captured over 300 candidate

profiles into their recruiting CRM. Better yet, they

were able to source and shortlist candidates in

real-time, interviewing over 50 candidates on

the spot.

Findly emails

Glassdoor.com

Indeed.com

CareerBuilder US

Monster US

171

64

41

39

29

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com8

approximately 90 percent of job seekers who

may express interest in your company but who

do not apply. More than half (57%) of companies

admit that they do not use a tool to capture

candidates who do not apply and 21 percent

are not sure if they do or do not.22 When you

have just moments to interact with candidates at

events, make sure you have the means to quickly

capture essential information, such as an email

address, so that you can continue to interact

with candidates over time. This increases your

capture rate and will enable higher ROI for your

event marketing investments.

Technology and candidate experience. Millennials

have grown up alongside technology and research

has shown they have the highest of expectations

when it comes to digital experiences. Compared to

other generations, they have higher expectations

of seamlessness in job search activities, with one-

third (33%) stating that the ability to apply for a job

using a mobile phone is important.23 And 6 in 10 job

seekers have started but failed to complete an online

application due to how long or complex it was.24

The candidate experience, from beginning a search

to a click of the “Submit” button to the continuous

engagement that enables you to keep in contact

with your talent community, should be simple and

easy, and it should be an extension of your employer

brand and your employment value proposition.

Finally, while this paper focused on the Millennial generation—digital natives

who have grown up alongside technology—many of the habits and expectations

that we have shared extend to other job seekers who may be equally tech

savvy. As such, the tips and recommendations we have provided should be a

part of your company’s strategy for engaging any/all job seekers via effective

engagement, compelling content, and cutting-edge recruitment technologies.

About Findly

Findly’s talent acquisition solutions are innovative

in concept, differentiated in execution, and proven

in the value experienced by customers. The unique

combination of award-winning recruitment

marketing, candidate relationship management

(CRM) cloud-based technology, employer branding

strategy and deliverables, and assessment testing

enable Findly’s customers to address the challenge

of finding and hiring the right talent with a single

partner, easily and cost effectively.

The company’s technology business is

headquartered in San Francisco and its employer

branding services agency, Findly Hodes, is located

in New York. Findly is privately owned by Symphony

Technology Group (STG), a private equity firm

in Palo Alto. Findly services over 2,000 global

clients today. Learn more at www.findly.com or

contact us at 1.800.603.0680 or sales@findly.com.

Recruiting Millennials and New Grads | www.findly.com 9

Additional Resources

With a focus on helping employers provide the best of candidate experiences, Findly has created a number of

resources to help you understand talent acquisition best practices and provide valuable tips. Here are some

topics we have covered:

The 5 Do’s and Don’ts of

Recruiting Digital Job Seekers

5 Tips for Successful Recruitment

Email Marketing

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down:

The Consumerization of

Recruiting Technology

1. Millennials: Portrait of Generation Next, 12. Pew Research Center, February 2010.

2. Minton-Eversole, Theresa. “Concerns Grow over Workforce Retirements and Skills Gaps.” SHRM.org, April 9, 2012.

3. “By the Year 2020, Almost Half of the Workforce Will Be Made Up of These People,” Upworthy.com. http://www.upworthy.com/by-the-year-2020-almost-half-of-the-workforce-will-be-made-

up-of-these-people-5

4. “Companies Planning to Hire More Recent College Graduates This Year and Pay Them Better, According to Careerbuilder Survey,” Careerbuilder.com, April 23, 2015.

5. “Millennials Spend More Time With Digital Than Traditional Media, But…,” Marketingcharts.com, July 1, 2014.

6. “By the Year 2020, Almost Half of the Workforce Will Be Made Up of These People”

7. Job Seeker Nation Study. Jobvite, 2015.

8. Millennials at Work, Reshaping the Workplace, 4. PWC, 2012.

9. Millennials in the Workplace, 4. Bentley University, 2012.

10. Millennials in the Workplace, 2.

11. The Growing Value of Employer Brands. Bernard Hodes Group, 2012.

12. Adams, Susan, “What Millennials Want At Work.” Forbes.com, April 7, 2015.

13. Millennials at Work, 11.

14. “By the Year 2020, Almost Half of the Workforce Will Be Made Up of These People”

15. Building a Global Employer Brand, Insights from the World’s Most Attractive Employer Survey 2014, 20. Universum, 2014.

16. Candidate Experience 2014, 10. Talent Board, 2015.

17. Millennial Research Study 2015, 50. Principal Financial Group, 2015.

18. Candidate Experience 2014, 27.

19. Building a Global Employer Brand, 20.

20. Candidate Experience 2014, 11.

21. How Candidate Experience is Transforming HR Technology, 58. Careerbuilder, 2014.

22. How Candidate Experience is Transforming HR Technology, 34.

23. 2015 Job Seeker Nation Study, Inside the Mind of the Modern Job Seeker, 8. Jobvite, 2015.

24. How Candidate Experience is Transforming HR Technology, 56.

Watch recorded webinars: http://www.findly.com/resources/webinars

Download tipsheets and guides: http://www.findly.com/resources/research-and-analysis

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