In order to recruit the best candidates with the skills and motivation to succeed in the modern workplace, companies need to understand that it’s very much a two-way process. Sure the candidate needs to have the requisite skills, ambition, and motivation – that’s a given – but also the employer needs to impress the candidate, too.

Largely this is because young professionals – Generation Y or Millenials – are tuned into what they expect from their career; expecting not just a good salary but also work that they enjoy and feel valued performing.

To understand this we need to quickly differentiate what makes recruitment today different from the practices of ‘old’ workplaces. Not too long ago companies would only need to advertise their vacancies in newspapers, job centers, and possibly through syndicated online job agencies.

In order to attract the best potential employees, companies need to be aware of the following: 

Social Media is Essential

Nowadays recruitment is far more complex. The internet is so ubiquitous, especially in regards to social networking and blogging, that to attract the best candidates’ employers really need to be proactive in raising and maintaining their digital profile.

Having an active, lively and well-planned social media strategy is important not just in marketing and communicating with clients and competitors, but can really help attract interest in the company by showcasing the benefits of working there. Just tweeting a vacancy with a savvy few lines of what the job entails and how great it will be is likely to gain much interest from professionals and graduates following the company.

Encourage a Flexible, Inclusive & Progressive Environment

Nobody wants to work in a grey little compartment, and you can be sure that the brightest young professionals will simply refuse to! Think about a couple of the massive success stories in recent years, Facebook and Google. They are inundated with applications for their vacancies not just because they are so successful, but they project the image of an inclusive, creative workforce pioneering the future of how humans interact with their technology.

Think open plan offices, bright colors, non-hierarchal debates – that is the kind of workplace Generation Y wants to work in. They want jobs that are flexible, not just part of their lives but an essential component of a lifestyle and their personality.

Opportunities & Advancement

Generation Y may sound like they want to be pampered, but that’s not quite true. They want to work extremely hard provided there is a sense of future progression and that they are improving, gaining skills and experience every day.

This has long been a component of some of the most successful graduate recruitment schemes that offer a structured career path with realistic timescales for promotion. If talented employees are going to be retained, they must never feel that they are at a dead end. If they do, then it’s likely they will take their skills elsewhere.

Remuneration & Benefits

Recent graduates have a huge amount of student and personal debt that will require a healthy wage to service and reduce. Companies that are going places may be able to take on new graduates on average salaries for a couple of years but should be wary of the risk of losing them if pay and progression becomes stagnant. Loyalty bonuses are an option, especially when needing to be sure that employees stick around for a long, important project.

Embrace the Individual

The latest generation expects a degree of freedom and casualness that correlates to the long hours that they are willing to put in. Unless the role demands it there’s nothing to lose in dropping dress codes and allowing a degree of home or off-site working, indeed even allowing employees to use social media at work has been shown to improve their overall productivity and retention rates. Treat them with respect and not only will they work hard, but word will get out that your company is a great place to work.

How To Recruit Today

The way we work is changing, and what employees are looing for in a company is shifting as well. It is time for companies to start considering what they have to offer prospective employees as well as what those employees have to offer the company.