It’s your culture, not their credentials

Everything about the recruitment process has changed in the 21st century. In fact, in 2016, the hiring process has turned into something no one would have expected 10 years ago.

Received wisdom would have you believe that Millennials have a sense of entitlement, move around too much and are not grounded in the realities of an office culture.

So how do you make sense of it all? How do you sift through the multitude of ‘give me a job because you need me’ and the ‘give me a job because I’m good for your company’s image’ to find the right candidate for the job? Here are five points to remember when you interview a Millennial.

1. A mind willing to learn is better than a CV
A year ago, I interviewed a young woman from Yemen for a marketing post. The role was demanding and I was tempted to focus on candidates who either had an MBA and/or had at least five years experience in a digital marketing environment. Yet, during the interview (this candidate had an undergrad degree and just one year of marketing experience) I discovered a sharp mind and a passion for the industry I hadn’t seen in the other candidates. She told me a lot of things about my industry and my products and gave her opinion about the pros and cons of our digital marketing efforts. She had done her homework and learned about my industry and thought about what sort of marketing we could do and more importantly should not be doing. This was something none of the other candidates were able to display. And yes, I hired her.

Elon Musk (the Canadian-American business magnate) has been quoted as saying: “As much as possible, avoid hiring MBAs. MBA programmes don’t teach people how to create companies...our position is to hire someone in spite of an MBA, not because of one.”

This doesn’t mean you don’t respect an MBA. What it means is that a degree or experience is no guarantee of passion and a curious mind. You can always teach marketing or processes to a new recruit, you cannot teach passion.

The questions Millennials ask are centred on whether they can earn more somewhere else, can they make a bigger impact on the world at your company and when is the next holiday? Is your company ready to answer these questions?

2. Beware of Buyer’s Remorse
Gone are the days when 10 or even more years worth of tenure at a job was the norm. Millennials focus on career growth, self-improvement and life growth – not the company’s. Loyalty no longer works, because unlike the 1970s and 1980s, there are tens of thousands of companies exactly like yours offering the same or better opportunities for growth. It is a buyer’s market, no matter what the national employment rates tell you.

The questions Millennials ask are centred on whether they can earn more somewhere else, can they make a bigger impact on the world at your company and when is the next holiday? Is your company ready to answer these questions?

3. They want to make a difference
Ten years ago, when the average professional started work in a company, their focus was on their career, managing their family and influencing their social circle. Today Millennials (who have grown up with Google, Facebook and Instagram) want to change lives with the click of a like or share button. They want to leave their mark, even if it means only 15 seconds of fame. They want to make the planet and humanity better.

If you cannot offer them a chance to see how their work impacts the greater good, you will lose out. This doesn’t mean you have to start charities and committees; it is as simple as demonstrating how your product (the one they will be marketing or creating) will directly impact the life of the average Joe on the street. Your company and the role they are given there will be their way of telling the world they matter. Prepare yourself for this responsibility. (Because, really, if your company isn’t benefiting the world or the people in it, why are you working there in the first place?)

Millennials want and need direction from their peers. They are hungry for mentorship and direction by people they trust. And there is no bigger arena where trust comes into play than in the workplace.

4. Figureheads inspire them
Thanks to social media, larger than life personalities are shaping much of the daily conversations online and offline – and this shapes much of the culture and mindset among Millennials. This is the age when a sound bite can turn a simple topic into a globally-trending sensation.

Elon Musk may be a billionaire, but not many Millennials had heard of him before his comments about life on Mars turned the world’s attention to outer space. Mark Zuckerberg may have founded Facebook, but it was years before most people knew who he was.

The conversations that shape the world today are led by a proliferation of opinions expressed by Millennials. Topics such as the US elections, the refugee crisis, Islamophobia and Brexit may have been created by the older generation, but make no mistake – the conversation that took these topics to a global level was spearheaded by Millennials.

Yet, at the same time Millennials will turn to the influencers in their midst to tell them what their opinion should be. Look at how Mona Eltahawy on feminism, the Black Girl Nerds on black pop culture and Rockstar Dinosaur Princess on consent defined the conversation for an entire generation in five minutes. Millennials want and need direction from their peers. They are hungry for mentorship and direction by people they trust. And there is no bigger arena where trust comes into play than in the workplace. Does your company have leaders who can mentor, inspire passion and drive motivation? Then showcase this in your interview process and induction.

5. Clash of the titans
Everyone thinks they are important to a company. From the seasoned manager who has been sitting at the same desk for 20 years to the star VP who started as a clerk and worked her way up to the top. Yet, this has never been truer than with the Millennials. Because they are so connected with both the global and the local conversation they consider their input essential to a company, even if the company doesn’t. This can lead to disaster if not handled properly: the old guard clashing with the rookies. Is your company equipped to handle a generational standoff? Do your managers micromanage and lord it over the younger generation or do they lead, inspire or make the effort to build a bridge?

Remember, when it comes to hiring Millennials it is your company’s culture that is in question and not the credentials of the people you are hiring. Your adaptability to ‘the new’ rather than a fixation on ‘the old’ is what will determine your success when you hire Millennials.

And yes, I said ‘when’ you hire them; if you don’t, your competitors will anyway.

Anthony J. Permal is a marketing specialist based in Dubai. @anthonypermal or @marketingdude