What do millennial agency supplied staff and contractors expect from recruitment technology?

Issues facing millennials

Millennials are members of the generation born from the mid 1980s to 1990s. Definitions of exact ages are loose, but the government suggests they are roughly now aged 25 – 34.
There is a lot of focus on this group in society by the media, researchers and policy makers.
The ideas and perceptions about economics, politics and the future of many millennials are shaped by events following the credit crunch and the Great Recession. And quite understandably, they have a lot of gripes.
Faced with issues such as being indebted through tuition fees; set to be poorer than their parents’ generation; and a lack of affordable housing, there is much that may inspire sympathy toward them from older people.
However for some, this is undone when millennials see these issues as an excuse to rage ‘generational war’ against the Baby Boomers and Generation X, with their dissatisfaction often expressed through ‘victim culture’ and recalcitrance worthy of unruly teens.

The opportunity for millennials in the workforce

However, despite all this, when it comes to employment, there is an awful lot for this generation to be positive about, because 82% of millennials are in work, many have opportunities to increase their earning potential through excelling in the workplace.
Millennials are the first generation entering their working lives as digital natives that have grown up with technology, and that have been tutored in it and used it as tool to facilitate their basic education. The generations that follow are set to be even more tech-savvy.
To make sure that the best talent is attracted by recruiters, it is well worth recruiters and employers paying attention to what millennials and successive generations expect from recruitment and contracting processes and workplace technology.
With the right technology tools, the most ambitious and talented millennials may be able to raise the bar on the achievements of previous generations and to be handsomely rewarded.

Be social

Social media is an absolute ‘go to’ for millennials, whether it’s friends, news or advice on new purchases, social platforms are a must. For recruiters there’s a need to integrate social with systems that provide job ad management, to get the word out about a role on Facebook and LinkedIn or what have you.
In the workplace, digital communication platforms that provide real-time group collaboration are technology tools they know and understand. Their expectation for instant acknowledgement on social media makes them impatient, so any system that facilitates immediate response may be a winner with them.

Be mobile

Unless it’s a full blown twin-turbo gaming PC, fixed computing devices simply don’t fit in with the millennial mind-set. As much as possible there is a need to make sure recruitment technology works on mobile. Websites should always be responsive, and where necessary consider using mobile apps where there is a need for them to interact with back office processes.
In the workplace, millennials like the idea of ‘hot desking’, so give them tablets and any supporting tools, wherever possible.

Be in the cloud

Millennials live on the Internet, so make sure recruitment and contractor management tools like timesheets and documentation management is provided with online software.
In the workplace, there’s a need for flexible working and a better life work balance, so being able to work where and when it suits is a must. Cloud-based business technology enables anytime, anyplace working 24/7.

Be organised

Back in the old days (around 2003) mobile voice communication got married to the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and the first smartphones were born! The Filofax (remember those?) has long gone  and millennials like to organise their lives around their smartphones.
Consider providing recruitment process information, such as interview appointments through a web portal or mobile app, and any agency back office processes such as timesheets, documentation management and payments through it as well.
In the workplace, provide tools to let millennials schedule their work digitally and to provide alerts. Social collaboration tools such as Slack and Basecamp are popular for providing functionality in this direction.

Support for millennial agency supplied staff and contractors from ETZ

ETZ cloud-based recruitment solutions provide the functionality wherever millennials need to interact with the back office. Timesheets and documentation management are integral parts of our browser-based software which is compatible with any suitable fixed or handheld computing device.
To find out more about we help agencies meet the expectations of millennials for recruitment technology, simply get in touch.