By now I hope it’s no secret that millennials are looking for more from their work than just a paycheck and a place to spend their days. The perfect fit is all about culture.
New York University and Harvard Business School graduate Phil Strazzulla (yes, he’s also a millennial) noticed there was a lack of detailed employer information available for young job seekers — and also no clear way for companies to showcase their employer brands — so he started LifeGuides to help both. LifeGuides’ goal is to help employers attract thoughtful young professionals by providing insights into the their corporate culture and help millennials find positions at innovative and growing companies.
I recently connected with Phil to learn more about how employers can use LifeGuides to brand themselves and recruit millennials.
How did you come up with the name ‘LifeGuides’ and what does it signify?
Your career path is probably the most important decision you will make in your life. Especially in today’s tech-infused world, there is a very blurry divide between work and “life” and therefore, your life is greatly impacted by your work. The “guide” part comes from the fact that our site isn’t just a bunch of job postings. These are insiders’ views on what a company and job is like. Forward-thinking companies want to let their potential employees know what makes them different.
Why should employers focus on branding their company culture for job seekers?
The best talent is super thoughtful — they know they are awesome, and they don’t want to spend even a few months at the wrong company. Therefore, they are going to leverage every angle they can to figure out what it’s like to work at your company — and most of their research will be done online.
They Google your company, check you out on social media and visit your “Careers” page because they want to know more than the information included in a typical job posting — especially since we’ve found that many job postings are recycled over the years and begin to lose their meaning.
Companies need to showcase what makes them great, what the career trajectory is like and what makes the culture special. Otherwise, the right people will move on to the next company. We think the best way for talent to learn is through the voices of your employees. Our platform allows your current employees to talk about aspects of their career life, such as the skills they are getting and how they’re being mentored.
What are some of the unique employer characteristics that appeal to millennials, and how can companies best underscore these?
Well, many of these aspects apply to everyone, not just millennials, of course. First, I would say a company’s mission is super important. People don’t want to go work for a widget company; they want to know that the work they are doing is important, both to the world at large and that their contribution is making a difference to the success of the company.
Then I believe that skills and career advancement opportunities are incredibly important. People are switching jobs more often, and they want to make sure they’re amassing the knowledge they need to move forward and accomplish their goals.
And mostly, people want to hear an authentic voice. Many times those recruiting videos with the upbeat music are too over-the-top to believe, and they also don’t hit on what people care about.
The best way to communicate your company’s strengths is through your employees. Get them to tweet about working at your company. Invite them to add interesting content to their LinkedIn profiles. Generally, you want them to communicate with your audience and share the information that prospective talent cares about.
How does your organization recruit millennials? How important is employer culture to you? Please share it in the comments!
Lindsey Pollak is a New York Times best-selling author and a nationally recognized millennial expert who helps employers recruit, train, manage and market to the millennial generation. Her speeches and training sessions inspire multigenerational collaboration and foster lasting organizational success. Contact Lindsey to learn how she can help your organization understand and connect with millennials.
