the new hr

future
workforce
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhijit
Nimgaonkar is
Office Managing
Principal and
India Capability
and Expertise
Center Head, ZS
Associates.
harbour a great desire for affirmation. To sum it
up, we can easily say that they are eager to learn,
succeed, and please.
Growing up in the technology-driven era, these
employees always have answers at their fingertips.
This group is usually more well-informed and is
eager to upgrade skills to be more attractive to
the recruiters.
Engaging millennials
• Millennials are very particular about having a
healthy work–life balance, a work culture that
matches their style of working, and relies heavily
on career structure and clarity at the workplace.
• They appreciate mobility and flexibility. Allowing
employees to enjoy the freedom of working from
home or on the go is a major plus point.
• They are passionate about contributing toward
society and the environment. Firms that
have genuine CSR programmes running help
build a sense of loyalty and appreciation in
their employees.
• Work can be interrupted by play, and veice-versa.
These are not separate entities for Millennials
and a fine balance is necessary to ensure
employee engagement.
• Even the rules of employee engagement are
being redefined. They may or may not appreciate
a ‘bring your family to work day’. However, they
will be pumped to participate in a hackathon or
even represent their organisation in a cross-city
marathon. Organisations are slowly observing
that traditional controls such as compensation
and incentives are losing value as the main
motivational factors for employees to join or
even stay at a firm.
• Firms have realised that compassion is a two-way
street. If firms encourage employees to pursue
their dreams and passions, be it a sport, hobby or
interest, it often results in a happy employee and
a happy organisation.
• Millennials value freedom of thought and
encouragement from the firm to take charge.
A lot of firms have taken steps to ensure that
newbies are assigned to seniors who would help
fast track their learning curve.
• Providing a conducive work environment: casual
clothing is a growing trend in the corporate
sector. It is yet another way to make employees
feel comfortable at work and focus on the
important things.
If an organisation is able to win the trust of a
millennial, they are sure to benefit greatly from
their commitment.
38 INDIAN MANAGEMENT NOVEMBER 2015