millennialls

8/12/2019 Millennialls

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What Really Attracts Gen Y to a JobThe recent news that America has one of thehighest rates of youth unemploymentin the

developed world may be horribly discouraging, but it's hardly surprising. For years we've been

bombarded with stories of young people--even college educated ones--languishing in parents' spare

bedrooms or menial jobs.

It shouldn't be hard to hire the best and brightest, but paradoxically many business owners report itis.

"The biggest single challenge will be recruitment, as the world's population ages and companies

seek specialists in fields such as technology," concluded a survey from Odgers Berndtson and Cass

Business School cited byCNN.Meanwhile, plenty of entrepreneurs haveshared storiesof their

heroic efforts to attract thecream of the crop,particularly grads with in-demand tech skills.

But while unemployed young people may seen like a dime a dozen, highly talented Gen Y job

candidates willing to come work for you can be a rare commodity. How can you attract more of

them?

A good place to start is your job ad,Jason Dorsey,a self-described Gen Y expert, told the

blogSmartRecruiters.Sure, you're probably working your network, using social media and perhaps

reaching out to local colleges, but you're almost bound to put out a good, old fashioned notice

when you begin hiring. Do it poorly, and the best of Gen Y will ignore it. Do it well, and you'll

reap the rewards.

Here are three things that draw Gen Y to a job ad, according to Dorsey:

Real pictures:"Everybody shows fake pictures. Its a total turn off."

Stories:"Interview your ACTUAL employees of different ages talking about what its like to

work there and what they really like," he says.

Challenges:"In your job descriptions, talk about the challenges candidates will face in the first

year," says Dorsey. "Everybody talks about responsibilities, or they talk about pay or all this stuff.

Gen Y is very challenge-driven, so they want to know when they show up what kind of challenges

theyll have to face."

It may sound counter-intuitive to put the good and the bad on display, but Dorsey insists that by

telegraphing accessibility and authenticity, you'll end up with a younger--and awesome--pool of

talent.

How Millennials Are Using Stories for Good

Like most 20 somethings, I am a bit of a junky when it comes to having my finger on the

pulse. It may come as a surprise to you that I get most of my news from my viewer-

customized Facebook and Twitter -- but it shouldn't. My zero desire to click down a rabbit

hole of vapid content is indicative of a larger social phenomenon felt by my millennial
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generation. Not only do we want our media to be highly curated and relevant but also

meaningful and not hyper-negative. Turns out, we're changing the face of media

storytelling.

To bring about any social change, hearts and minds have to be set on fire with a vision

offered through great storytelling. Luckily, digital media platforms offer each Average Joe a

megaphone to launch his voice to unimaginable horizons. Though sometimes called "The

Me Generation," millennials are harnessing these resources to tell meaningful stories,syncing offline communities doing social good with online and print outlets.

Millennial social entrepreneur and small business owner of Good Point PR, Jessica Saba is a

real testament to this. Firmly convinced that the stories we tell shape who we are, Saba takes

risks to only work with purpose-driven companies that affect social and environmental

good. She confided in me over coffee that she often fears "standing up for what [she]

believes in," but remains convinced she must be moved by a potential client's story to work

with them. Saba is adamant that to be successful, she and her millennial peers will need to

"find their voice and be authentic, allowing their choices to be driven by purpose."

If popularity is any indication of the truth of her statement,Rally.orgis the proof in thepudding. The brainchild of Tom Serres, named "one of America's most promising CEOs

under 35"by Forbes, Rally.org is a storytelling, crowdfunding platform that allows its 5

million users the ability to harness their separate networks and build a community of

supporters around social good causes. Boasting a vibrant network of 27,000 people --

ranging from veterans who have raised money to adopt their former bomb dog, to parents

who wanted to bring their small toddler with cancer on a vacation -- Rally.orgdemonstrates

that people are hungry for a space to share their stories together and bring about social

change by creating authentic communities of connection.

Rally.org is not the only one feeding this hunger. Like a shelter for those truly hungry, young

entrepreneurs and millennial co-founders ofVerily Magazine*, Kara Eschbach and JanetSahm created a meaningful publication to support women in living integrated, fulfilling

lives. Editor-in-chief Kara Eschbach shared, "We talk all the time that magazines need to

change, but instead of just talking about it, we decided to do something about it." In true

millennial fashion, Eschbach's and Sahm's "generation why not?" mentality resulted in a

genuine online and print space for women's authentic stories.

These and other millennials like them are doing something right. My millennial peers and I

want stories that connect us with one another and help us improve the world. We've been

called the "engaged learner"because we want to participate in something meaningful and

relatable, and many of us are in the business of creating solutions to the problem-ridden

world, which we have inherited.

Nigerian storyteller Ben Orki wisely stated, "If we change the stories we live by, quite

possibly we change our lives." Instead of being passive consumers of a storyline that has

been written for us, now is the time to tell the tales we want to hear. The megaphone is in

our hands.

How to Treat Millennials Like Humans
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Whether you like to classify the millennial generation as Gen Y,Gen Me,or toss around that hipster

word, remember that werepeople too.According toNielson,Millennials are most broadly defined as

ages 1936. And just because ourdigital behavior differsfrom other generations, and were atough

target for marketers,doesnt mean that our culture and habits should be scrutinized like were animals

in a zoo.

And while you can find ways toreverse mentor with millennials,building relationships with an

untethered generation can sometimes feel like more art than science.

Yes, its entertaining topoke funat our generation. We pretend as if the 20 thcentury never happened

(the1890s is when the action reallyhappened,anyway). But its also just plain smart to listen,

understand and communicate in a way that makes sense.

After all, Millennials shape the future of business. Authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, authors

of Millennials Rising, refer to us as the next great generation. And its not just because

ourleadership style is open by default.

Here are some tips to communicate better and build an audience with the Millennial generation:

1. Use visuals + compelling content

According toPew Internet Research,Instagram resonates with Millennial consumers more than any

other age group. And while posting incessant selfies may be a right of passage for some, being self-

aware enough to putselfie rulesin place is always smart.

Millennials are resisting targeted advertising. And were having fun while were at it. Can you blame

us?

This is yet another reasonwhy outsourcing content is smart.Ithumanizes your marketingin a way that

advertising cant do.

2. Nuance matters

Hone in and get meta in your conversations. Take into consideration thegender dividereaching male

vs. female millennial. It tells your storywith more impact.

3. Dont try too hard.

Campbells Soup conductedan extensive field studyto better understand Millennials. But more often

than not, the proof isnt in the soupits in the pudding (and frequentlyin the process).

According to a surveydone by theUSC Annenberg Center for Digital FutureandBovitz Inc.,Millennials

are more willing to allow access to their personal data and a greater interest in cooperating with

Internet businessesas long as they receive tangible benefits in return.

Listen to online conversations andrespect customer privacy.Embrace this new reality to process all

the proof you need.

March of the millennials

They belong to the ill-defined cohortknown variously as millennials, echo

boomers or Generation Y. Their ages range from 24 to 34, or perhaps 18 to 36, or even
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21 to 30, depending on which firm is polling. Theyve been called the Me, Me, Me

Generation by Time magazine, screwed by Newsweek and Salon, entitled by just

about everyone.

And many dont like the term millennial, a word one online commenter called a dumb

way for baby boomers to other-ise the generation that theyve saddled with all the

worlds biggest problems.

Theres one thing about this demographic thats indisputable, however: It is having a

huge impact on Washington, D.C. Almost all of the Districts population growth between

2000 and 2010 was due to young adults age 20 to 34, whose numbers swelled 23

percent. Though the influx has slowed somewhat, the latest round of census figures

showed that half of the Districts population growth between 2010 and 2012 was from

millennials.

Many of these young people were drawn here by the jobs our relatively protected

economy provides, as well as by D.C.s good and evil twins: ambition and idealism.

But millennials are hearing new notes in the citys siren song: more apartments and

condos (26,000 added in the past 10 years, according to Delta Associates, and more

coming); more restaurants (709 between 2001 and 2011, says the RestaurantAssociation of Metropolitan Washington, a 50 percent increase); more bike lanes; more

opportunities in sectors the District hasnt traditionally been known for, such as

technology and the arts.

ome of these changes mirror whats going on nationally, as millennials migrate to urban

centers. Some can be credited to a decades-long, carefully crafted development

campaign by District planners desperate to counter the 50-year trend of population loss

and middle-class flight fueled by suburbanization, the riots of the late 1960s and the

construction of the Metro system.

Along with the growth has come buzz. To longtime residents, the city feels different, in

some places, almost unrecognizable. Once-dead streets are bustling, even after dark.

High-rises are replacing aged structures and overgrown lots. Restaurants pop up

overnight, like dandelions. Pedestrians have to look both ways for bicycles.


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The rep tie has a new friend in the skinny tie, and millennial women wouldnt be caught

dead commuting in ankle socks and sneakers over pantyhose. Some observers claim the

District is getting hip, which even its most ardent fans might think is going a little too

far.

With this issue of the Magazine and upcoming stories in the daily paper, Post staffers

present a look at Washingtons millennials moment, which is full of fizz and optimism

yet carries undercurrents of concern about residents who remain underserved or

displaced and the loss of character to uninspired development.

In these pages, well visit four neighborhoods being transformed by millennials,

consider what makes this generation of Washingtonians different, and hear, in their

own voices, what they think about this District of Change.

As young people flood into the city, the only constant is change

millennialls

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