ENGAGING THE MILLENNIAL CANDIDATE A ccording to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, 40 per cent of jobs created in the next decade in Ontario are expected to be in the skilled trades, but only 26 per cent of those aged 13-24 are currently considering a career in the skilled trades. In order to recruit more young people and help them stay in the skilled trades, it is important to first understand what drives Millennials and what they are looking for in their future employment. Millennials, or Gen Y, are those who were born between 1980 and 1994, while Gen Z are those born any year after 1995. For the purpose of this discussion, we will focus on those between 16 and 30 who are looking to enter the workforce. MILLENNIALS AND THE CURRENT EMPLOYMENT LANDSCAPE According to a SHRM Skills Gap Survey report, 52 per cent of HR professionals said that “the skills gap has worsened or greatly worsened in the past two years” and 83 per cent said “there’s been a perceptible decrease in the quality of job applicants.” In addition, it is taking longer and becoming more expensive to fill vacancies. SHRM estimates that it takes 42 days to fill vacancies and companies are spending an average of $4,129 to recruit candidates. Millennials are increasingly moving the job application process onto social media channels, with the average Millennial and Gen Z’er having over five social media accounts. At the same time, Millennials and Gen Z’ers are demanding greater ease and better content from employers regarding both the job and the application process directly. In fact, according to Fosway, “the tolerance of applicants for bad interfaces, poor company and job content, and the inability to achieve ‘one click’ resume submission from their smart phone are becoming untenable.” That’s a “screen out” moment for what might be your best candidate. These factors mean that recruiting Millennials and Gen Z’ers requires a greater focus on moving the application process online, while providing superior and fulsome content about the job and the firm. ENGAGING THE MILLENNIAL CANDIDATE BY WAYNE BURNS SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF MILLENNIALS Although Millennials are often perceived as self-absorbed and entitled, they also exhibit clear, often deep values, and want to see those values reflected in potential employers. Young people seeking employment care most about brand authenticity and transparency, corporate social responsibility and excellent communications. They also want an employer focused on providing them with career growth, work that is fulfilling and workplace stability. According to a Harris Survey for the University of Phoenix, over 80 per cent of young people claim that they will make employment changes early on if they can’t achieve their goals. Practices including inaccurate job descriptions, spelling or typographical errors on company websites, and stagnation in their role are not only not tolerated, but they will detract good candidates and reduce ROI on recruitment. TRENDS IN THE MILLENNIAL EMPLOYMENT LANDSCAPE AND HOW TO LEVERAGE THEM TO RECRUIT BETTER 1. The Passive Candidate is aware but not actively searching According to TalentNow.com, over 70 per cent of qualified job seekers are passive ones. This means that they may not even be considering a new job. In order to engage these candidates, who spend the majority of their time online, posts and advertisements must be compelling with content that cuts through online noise to inspire, motivate and prompt action. 2. Be cognizant of the social browser Of those actively looking, 79 per cent leverage social media to research companies and find their next job (EveryoneSocial.com). Many employers see LinkedIn as a great source for posting and finding opportunities, but candidates also only spend on average 17 minutes each month on the network ("40 Essential Social Media Marketing Statistics for 2018"). Although users typically go on Facebook for a blend of personal and professional interactions, they are much more likely to use Facebook daily; therefore, employers should consider Facebook an important medium to target job seekers. 14 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SCAFFOLD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA