Last year Millennials became the majority generation in the workforce. According to Pew Research, there are now more Millennials than Gen X or Baby Boomers in the American workforce. You may think of Millennials as social media obsessed, selfie-taking young adults, but don’t overlook their desire for a sense of community, to make a difference, and to take advantage of opportunities for advancement.
COMMUNITY
Millennials want to belong to a group or community. This seems like a no-brainer considering the success of social media, but don’t think that it stops with virtual communities. Millennials are brand loyal, compassionate, and want to be a part of something bigger. According to Adam Poswolsky in Fast Company, millennials aren’t really motivated by financial gain, instead, “they aim to make the world more compassionate, innovative, and sustainable.” Because this fits with the mission of most community nonprofits, try to appeal to millennials on those grounds by stressing the importance of your organization to make your shared community a better place.
IMPACT
You’re likely to find Millennials volunteering their time and money to causes they believe in. Don’t miss an opportunity to get your Millennial staff involved in your cause—don’t assume that just because they work for you that they’re allocating their limited resources to you.
OPPORTUNITY
You may have heard that Millennials are a job-hopping group, but data shows otherwise. Millennials are looking for opportunities to grow in their career and advance in their company. Poswolsky explains, “millennials will work hard when you get serious about investing in their skills development. Young talent wants the opportunity to learn from someone with expertise; they want that on-the-ground experience to happen today, not tomorrow – and certainly not in five years."
I’ll leave you with this: Understanding the Millennial Mindset goes further than understanding your staff. Millennials are also the future of your membership. So don’t overlook this pivotal group of game-changers.