10 Mistakes to Avoid When You Hire Millennial Employees

10 Mistakes to Avoid When You Hire Millennial Employees10 Mistakes to Avoid When You Hire Millennial EmployeesMillennials are a difficult bunch, arent they? They seem to have their own ideas about how the corporate world works, and arent afraid to express them. The generational differences can sometimes make hiring difficult. Still, its not a good idea to dismiss them when their resumes land in your inbox. According to LinkedIns 2015 Talent Trends Report, millennials will comprise 50 percent of the workforce by the time 2020 rolls around. Thats a 50 percent mglichkeit of a wide-eyed greenhorn showing up in your interview room. Thats also a 50 percent chance of nabbing a youthful, energetic and talented employee for your company. Here Are 10 Things Not to Do During the Hiring Process- and What to Do Instead. Write Vague Job Offers When you reach out to millennials to offer a job, dont just give them a list of duties and responsibilities. Talk about concrete reasons why you chose t hem in particular and perhaps give them a ballpark salary range as well. Theyd rather you use email to reach them, according to LinkedIns Talent Trends Report- but LinkedIn Mail, phone calls, and text messages are also acceptable.Chart an Unclear Career Path Unlike their predecessors, millennials want to be leaders right off the bat. This desire to lead doesnt mean they want to be promoted as soon as they set foot in the office. Instead, they see a leader as someone whos able to make an impact in the workplace- whether that someone holds a formal leadership title or not. If your company can help its millennial hires plan where they want to be five years from now, youre more likely to retain those hires. Refuse to Offer Flexible Work Arrangements The traditional 9-to-5 setup just doesnt work for millennials anymore. Theyd rather have a job where they have flexible hours, telecommuting options, and extra vacation time. Its not that theyre lazy- its just that this setup makes them more productive.Entice Them Only With Money fruchtwein millennials would rather make a difference than make a ton of money. Compensate them enough for their work, but encourage them to give back to the community as well. You can also hold regular fundraisers, organize trips to impoverished neighborhoods, and do other things that will enable millennials to have a positive impact on the world. Disqualify Those Without the Necessary Skills and Experience Yes, skills and experience help. Most millennials dont have either of theseand have no other means of obtaining them other than through an actual job. Its better to hire the ones who show the most potential, have them learn on the job and make a decision about them from there. After all, thats how Google hires employees- and look where it got them.Use an Excessively Rigorous Hiring Process If your company weeds out high-potential millennials on a regular basis, it might be a good idea to loosen things up a bit. In place of the usual two-th ree-round interviews, you can hold informal professional development classes, conduct informational interviews or show potential candidates around the office. Through these, you can let the candidates decide for themselves whether they fit your companys culture or not. Keep Them Away From Social Media For millennials, a no Facebook rule in the office is a death sentence. One-Third considers social media freedom a higher priority than salary. In a recent survey by web company WebpageFX, 90 percent of teenagers said they use social media more than three times a day. Encourage them to use popular social media sites for their age group- on the condition that they become ambassadors of goodwill for your company through those same sites.Use Corporate Buzzwords to Win Them Over Millennials appreciate it when theyre not bombarded with meaningless phrases like bottom line or take it to the next level. Theyre more likely to gravitate toward a company that speaks to them in simple, yet punchy, language. Go through your job ads targeted towards millennials, clear them of corporate speak and buzzwords, and watch more millennial resumes pour into your inbox. Try Too Hard to Get Millennials If the feed of Twitter user BrandsSayingBae is any indication, millennials can see right through a company that tries too hard to get cute with them. The remedy for this is the same as that in the previous point Express your companys brand through copy that highlights strengths in simple, succinct language.Fail to Provide Post-Interview Feedback According to LinkedIns Talent Trends Report, 95 percent of millennials want to hear what you thought about them after the interview. It might seem a ton of effort to follow up on applicants you rejected, but they need the feedback so they can improve for future interviews- and, perhaps, come back to your company so you can make use of their newly acquired skills and knowledge.These might seem like a lot of concessions to make to millennials. Howev er, its important to note that they just want to keep up with the timesand hope that the company theyll work for will do the same. Avoid the mistakes mentioned above, and youll be rewarded with a vibrant workforce. Sarah Landrum is a freelance journalist specializing in career development. Sarahs work has been featured on noted publications including Forbes, Business Insider, The Muse and Entrepreneur.