Millennials are the largest workforce, as they are one in three in the labor market. Many of them take the lead from their predecessor, Gen X. It is noteworthy to state that most of the oldest millennials are 40. They are not insulated from having hitch-free interviews. Therefore, there is a need to develop and master the right recruitment skills for a millennial job interview.
Due to the generational gap, many employers still find it challenging to handle a millennial job interview. An informed understanding of the Millenials will offer an employer an edge in making the best use of them in a millennial job interview. Likewise, the millennials will perform better if they could understand the employer’s perspective during the interview.
Who are the Millennials?
Millennials are quite different from their previous generations due to their accessibility to digital technologies. They wake up seeing technologies around them. They are even taught in their various schools using technologies. Moreover, they often see technological devices as their right to own and explore.
The millennial generation is born between the 1980s and 2000s. The boom in the economy and the affordability of technologies enable millennial generations to afford the luxury people from the past couldn’t think of affording.
They are comprised of the fastest-growing segment of the labor force, and they enjoy multiculturalism. Hence, there is much more for the employer to know, to adapt to their living style and engagement.
The Great Recession has changed the way millennials perceive their careers; unlike the previous generation that depicted long-term loyalty to their employer, the millennials are flexible in approaching their career. Hence, they are always looking for career opportunities and are not being swayed by long-term loyalty.
Millennials are still conscious of their social life, and some resort to freelancing to achieve self-dependence and flexibility. Millennials value diversity and inclusion in workplaces, and they are often bothered by stereotypes.
In seeking more opportunities with other organizations, the interviewers often regard the millennials as job seekers. Then, when they eventually get the job, they tag them as opportunists.
Pros of Millenials entering the workforce
Productivity
The millennials’ social activities, such as tweets, social networks, text messages, etc., could be a plus for the smooth operation of the workforce. These activities optimize, prioritize, and make communication concise, ending the long boring, repetitive meetings and phone calls. Conversely, older generations are still very contented with older technologies and approaches to doing things.
Networking Skills
The millennials grew up with technologies around them, and the advent of social media has been a plus for them in imbibing an open and multicultural society. Hence, millennials are more inclusive and can collaborate with others for greater productivity. In addition, they often use social media to hook up with families and friends.
Also Read: 10 networking mistakes that make you look unprofessional
Ambition
As some millennials are being recruited for a job, they have specific goals they would want to achieve. They are influenced by role-playing video games. The players achieve a difficult feat, and they often try to replicate this in real-life situations. More women graduated from the university with ambitions to reach the peak of their careers.
Entrepreneurial
According to the research report by JWT, which affirmed that if millennials are laid off or have difficulties in securing a job, more than a quarter would become an entrepreneur, and more than a third would have friends who are entrepreneurs.
Cons of Millennials entering the workforce
Lack of commitment
It has been observed that most millennials are not committed to their career, as they are comfortable putting families and friends ahead of their career advancement. Besides, rather than spending long hours to establish their career, they would rather spend it socializing. Millennials often perceive work as an avenue to support an attractive lifestyle, which always triggers them to look out for the next line of opportunity, with no iota of loyalty.
Overconfident
Growing up, millennials have always enjoyed undeserved praise from their parents due to their accomplishments, which encouraged their sense of entitlement. They can’t stand any form of reprimand, but they can quickly question the authority for any slightest possible reasons.
Questions for a millennial job interview
With all the identified above, it is therefore of utmost priority that employers be on the lookout for hardworking, motivated, and committed employees when interviewing millennials. The following should be a guide:
- Question them about their level of loyalty and commitment in pursuing the organizational goal rather than their paycheck. Millennials with credible examples should be employable.
- The interviewer should also ask the millennial applicant, “how can we sustain your motivation and interest in this organization to align with our organizational goal?”
Their response would give the interviewer the bigger picture of how the millennial applicant will fit into the organization’s long-term goals. Besides, the interviewer will also know if they can sustain the millennial applicant.
- The millennial job interview should seek to know the applicant’s weakness, which might be a possible liability to the employer. For instance, questions like” I guess you will be willing to work independently and with confidence, how are you going to do that in our organization if employed?”. This might allow the employer to identify the expected qualities of the millennial applicants. Applicants who find it difficult to state the expected attributes might not be the best fit for the organization.
- Please note that millennials want straightforwardness; stressful interviews might be a turn-off for them. Hence, the organization should plan for the interview process.
Also Read: Answering the question – “What can you bring to the company?”
Each generation is not disposable. They all come into the organization with their unique skills and limitations. Hence, organizations should make sure that they improve on their minuses and make the best use of their pluses, especially the millennials. Interviewing millennials might be challenging, but a careful understanding of their thoughts and expression mode will make it an interesting experience for the interviewer.
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