Michael DeSafey | Executive Recruiter and HR Professional
What You Should Know About Hiring Millennials
What You Should Know About Hiring Millennials
In the construction industry, it will very often be necessary to hire within the generation known as millennials: the ones who grew up being told they could do anything, with social media always by their sides–they’re from a different world than other generations, and they bring an entirely new perspective and attitude to the workplace. To properly choose the employees that you know will succeed, and to further motivate them, here’s what you should know about hiring millennials:
They’re intrinsically motivated. This means that millennials care less about rewards than you may think: they want purpose, they want positive feedback, and they want to grow in their careers. This means you’ll need to be aware of your management; criticism should be constructive, and praise should be offered any time you see great work. For hiring, this means you should stress the opportunities for growth that are available, and if possible, offer a mentorship program. Flexibility in hours is difficult in construction, but if you can offer any, make sure it’s known in the hiring process, as millennials place importance on this, too.
They’re idealistic. This means they may job hop until they find a situation that benefits them best for their goals. But it also means (and this is important) if they care about the job they have with you, they’ll want to make a difference in the workforce. You’ll want to show them how you’re contributing to the local area’s entire lifestyle–and as millennials can tend to be more in tune with technology, and less with labor, be sure to give them the time and flexibility to discover which role within your construction company may provide the best fit. You may even find that if you hire the right fit for your company, a truly motivated person, they’ll start finding ways to improve business you never thought of.
They can tend to be individualistic. (Meaning, not team players–which is not always great news for the construction industry.) How do you find the millennial you can mold and fit to the team? For one, hire for skills rather than personality. If the millennial you hire is suited more to your construction opening, then they’ll be more likely to want to stick around and to fit with the team. That being said, millennials are motivated by great work and great people. Surround them by an appropriate team and with good mentorship, and you’ll find a vast difference in their growth with you.
Hiring millennials will become increasingly important for you in the construction industry, so it’s very valuable to understand this generation’s needs and motivations. With the right approach, millennials with your construction company could make a wonderful difference and help your organization succeed.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com
Mistakes Hiring Managers Make!! How To Avoid Them…
Mistakes Hiring Managers Make!! How To Avoid Them…
As a professional recruiter who has been working and recruiting professionals in the environmental, engineering and construction industries for over 18 years now at Webuild STaffing, I have noticed that candidates feel Job interviews can be an intimidating experience, even for the most experienced candidates; But hiring managers are under the same amount of pressure..
A candidates nerves may get the best of them. But you need to remember that, you as the interviewer are under the same amount of pressure. Employers need experienced candidates and the managers that are doing the interviewing suffer the same insecurities.
The hiring manager is under a great amount of pressure to hire the right candidate. His or her decision directly reflects their abilities to run an organization and a bad hire will greatly impact their reputation within the organization. Candidates on the other hand can simply, continue interviewing and find the right opportunity for your specific skills and situation. If a hiring manager makes a mistake and hires the wrong person the effect could be career ending.
If you are hiring your first or 1000th employee there are a number of basic steps every manager should follow to avoid making a mistake and hiring the wrong employee.
1. The Resume
The resume introduces a candidate’s experience and career history to you. It is a necessary document that allows a candidate to introduce themselves to you as an employer. Do not rely simply on the resume to understand a candidate’s skills, experience and accomplishments.
Use the resume as a guide to learn about the candidate. Talking with them on the phone or an in person interview allows you as an employer to gain a full understanding of the individual. Ask questions; learn about a candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments in detail. Have them explain what they did, how they accomplished tasks, worked with others, etc. You can challenge candidates and see how they respond to questions under pressure, as well.
2. Always Check A Candidates References..
One of the most critical mistakes a hiring manager can make is to fail to check candidate’s references. This is of prime importance before hiring any candidate; gaining a outside view point from another as to a candidates experience, skills and reliability will give you as a hiring manager a rounded picture of the candidate; from someone who has worked with them in the past.
References should always be from past employers, candidate’s superiors or business associates that has direct experience working with the individual. On average you should check a minimum of 3 references for each candidate. Additionally, many industries are well connected and a hiring manager may want to check with colleagues or friends from other organizations that they may have in common with the candidate for an additional perspective.
3. Do you Know What Position You Are Hiring For??
A hiring manager needs to know specifically what position they are interviewing for and have a clear understanding of the skills they are seeking. Many times hiring manager’s interview candidates before they even know what skills they are seeking. This leaves a candidate confused as to the position advertised and the interview process within the organization. A candidate may be exceptionally skilled for the position that was advertised, but then finds out in the interview the employer is not sure what they are seeking for the position. This leaves a candidate with an ill faded view of the company and wastes precious time for both the interviewer and candidate.
You, as a hiring manager must fully understand your needs, the position responsibilities, skills required and be able to fully explain the position to a candidate during the interview process. Providing a candidate with as much information as possible will go a long way in making sure you hire the correct individual for the opportunity and assure their expectations are in line with the company goals.
4. Skills Testing?? What’s That…
What’s a skills test? Many employers are asking that same question, but human resource professionals have been using them for years in assessing a candidates skills and the potential fit within a corporate culture.
Utilizing testing for skills assessment can be as simple as a typing test to as complex as an engineering design; that will allow you assess candidates abilities in specific areas that they will be required to accomplish in their daily routines. Employers can additionally expand on the skills testing and incorporate in corporate culture testing to see how a candidate may fit into the overall corporate culture, based on their personally traits, matched against all the other employees of the firm.
With advances of internet technology and cloud based software; these testing processes are now much more affordable and easily accessible by any employer seeking to utilize them as a tool within the scope of overall hiring.
If a hiring manager practices the above tips and assure they check the details when they hire an new employee, your next hire will be a great success.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing (www.webuildstaffing.com). To learn more about Michael or Follow his Blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com