The relentless rise of the Millennial Generation is ushering in a revolution in HR practices as ambitious young talent chooses to work in a ‘gig economy’ involving portfolio careers built around their laptops and smartphones.
With reports from PwC and Deloitte predicting that the millennials will soon make up 75 percent of the global workforce, the hiring and retaining of top talent is set to become a key battleground of commerce and HR departments will be on the front line.
Flexible work schedules and the opportunity to work from home on more than just an occasional basis are among the key demands from millennials, who have the talent and outlook to take their pick of top organisations to work for. They change jobs every three years on average and expect to have had multiple careers by their thirtieth birthday.
Millennials have grown up in a digital world where the use of smart devices and social media is the norm. Their affinity to technology sets them apart from other generations and a common dislike of rigid organisational structures, inflexible work practices and information silos are among the issues that can dissuade them from joining or staying at an otherwise attractive workplace. As well as a flexible approach to work, they value professional development and regular feedback and encouragement.
The challenges of incorporating this so-called ‘gig economy’ approach into HR departments are redefining the relationship managers have with technology, putting electronic communications and automated enterprise information systems into the heart of the HR digital strategy.
To build a HR department able to cope with the millennial challenge, all processes must be linked to a single enterprise information platform that takes documents or images from any format and makes the information available to all authorised users. For example, an HR manager conducting employee assessments should automatically see details entered at the job application and recruitment stage, including what training a worker has undertaken, and any feedback that they left. These systems will increasingly be built by HR practitioners themselves, who are already expected to be highly IT literate. Happily, the enterprise content management software behind these hubs is designed to be developed and adapted without the need for specialist IT teams.
What’s more, such unified information platforms, whether implemented across HR or an organisation as a whole, have the advantage of being compatible with the electronic communications favoured by millennials. Indeed, faced with people who prefer to fill out forms on a tablet or smartphone, the department can simply use a portal that allows employees to update and access their own records, securely and confidentially.
This saves time and money but also makes young workers feel at ease by simplifying the process for those looking to change the nature of their contract while still carrying out key tasks for the same company. At the same time, these systems ensure all functions are easily auditable and automatically comply with current employment legislation.
Meanwhile HR managers, freed from the need to fill out forms and micro-manage incidental procedures, can take an overall view of the workforce, from recruitment to on-boarding, including training, professional development and, ultimately, off-boarding. These increasingly digitised practices will ensure no-one is left out of training, or regular assessments, opportunities and feedback, and can even flag up employees who are likely to leave.
Increasingly, every possible need of key employees – from help re-locating to suitable networking and development opportunities – can be anticipated and catered for online. These processes, once designed, are delivered automatically, or made available on a self-service basis. HR managers will see time freed up to concentrate on the most human and creative parts of the job, such as designing the systems and materials which identify and nurture key employees.
Those who master the new approaches best will have the most success in attracting and retaining the best millennial talent. Increasingly, this will be crucial to all employers.
