Staffing Smart Series: post 4 of 6

Success factor #3: Give millennials career advancement opportunities

In our last few posts, we shared some of the insights we’ve gained into attracting millennials to hard-to-staff industries. Most recently, we talked about their desire to learn on the job – and how employers can offer them an educational, career-building experience, even in roles that have traditionally not been career-track.

But millennials don’t just want to learn. They want to get ahead. In truth, they can get dead-end hospitality jobs at home. To attract young Canadians, you have to offer them something more: the secret to hiring millennials is giving them a chance at a future.

That’s why employers need to provide new and different options for career advancement. Lots of options. Here are a few creative ways Mobilize partner employers have been able to leverage the millennial work ethic and add value to what have been stereotyped as dead-end entry-level roles.

Top 3 ways to build career advancement opportunities at your business:

• Train employees in multiple areas.
  Banks and government have been doing this successfully for years. It creates a well-rounded, versatile worker with multiple skill sets, which benefits both the employer and the employee. Try rotating between front and back of house (e.g. kitchen helper to server, housekeeping to front desk, etc.)
• Create an entry level role that’s clearly mapped out for a year.
  Break it into sections and show them exactly what they will be learning and when. Managing millennials is easier when you outline when and how the opportunity for advancement exists, and make sure you follow through.
• If you belong to a group of companies, share staff.
  It’s an excellent way to give employees exposure to as many locations, roles and skills as possible, keeping them interested, engaged and always learning.

Seasonal job placements help build a variety of skills through different roles and locations

The Mobilize program makes it easy to get the staff you need, while giving millennials the breadth of experience they want and opportunities for future career advancement. They commit to seasonal job placements with different placement partners (employers) in different roles in different locations. They get opportunities to learn and advance their careers, and all participants are encouraged to return to their favourite placement for permanent employment. You get the staff you need, and your customers get the service they expect. Everybody wins.

Coming up in the next installment of our youth recruitment series: creating the structured experience millennials are looking for.

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