Part 2: The Millennial view- having grown up with technology see it as an essential part of how they interact with others, including fellow employees and customers

In this part 2 of a two-part series, we’re examining how Boomers and Millennials are surprisingly similar when it comes to how they approach their jobs. So when recruiting and retaining them, organizations should audit their workplaces to better match the wants and needs of both sets of potential employees to get the best from them. Read Part one Boomer vs. Millennials here.

By 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that Millennials (aka Generation Y) will come close to overtaking the majority representation of the workplace. By 2025, it’s projected that Millennials will make up 75 percent of the global workforce, which no doubt puts pressure on businesses of all sizes to attract the top talent from this demographic.

Having grown up in the social and mobile world, Millennials have embraced these new technologies to define the very way that they interact with friends and peers, find and share information, and collaborate and get work done. For this generation of “digital natives,” technology isn’t just a nice to have, but a way of life. Employers will need to be mindful of these expectations for connectivity and readily accessible technology as they look to court Millennials.

Attracting and Keeping Millennials

If you’re looking to attract and keep Millennials in you organization, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Embrace social and collaborative technology. 56 percent of Millennials say they won’t accept jobs from companies that ban social media. Offering more dynamic ways to collaborate and do work, such internal social networks or mobile apps, are a must (and, no, email doesn’t fall in this bucket). Millennials are looking for the same level of connectivity and mobile access in the workplace as they have in tools used for personal use. That ability to seamlessly connect (wherever and whenever) with others – whether to collaborate on a task or share an upcoming event – essential.