Today’s younger job seekers are making their demands known. To employers, they may seem brash, entitled, distracted, uncommitted, and self-centred. Every generation quotes these perennial themes, during the transition from the old guard to the new recruits. Do not let notions of generational gaps fool you. Understanding and meeting the demands of today’s job seekers can actually be good for business. Let’s look more closely at the top five demands generally being made by the next generation of employees and why meeting these demands can be good for your business.
Expectation #1: Show me the money
Many young job seekers are faced with large student debts, have higher living costs, and are faced with purchasing many of their firsts: cars, furniture, and of course their first home. If employees are compensated well from the beginning of their employment, you will limit turnover, reduce training costs, and may attract more experienced people. We all know how hard it is to find great real estate administration staff. Paying them accordingly will help you in the long run, even if it is a bit more than you originally planned. Let’s be fair, housing prices has increased ridiculously in the past 10 years, yet employers are still trying to pay $15 – $20/ hour as if we are still in the year 2000.
Expectation #2: Career advancement
Today’s real estate administrative employees want to keep learning and growing with their brokerage or team. They want to know that this is not the end of the road for them and that they can do more to contribute. They are looking for a sense of purpose in their career. They have a high sense of motivation and while they may not want to advance to becoming a realtor, you may find yourself surrounded with employees who want to make a real difference in your business success. Providing them with the means, tools and options for growth and advancement will go a long way to keeping them interested in sticking around.
Expectation #3: Work-life balance
Millennials grew up watching their parents work long hours. They noticed that long hours could yield a larger bank account, but not necessarily a happier existence. With this in mind, employers must develop a workplace that offers and encourages a work-life balance that leads to productivity and employee satisfaction. Job seekers today are pioneering the movement that their personal life is just as important as their professional one. They seek growth, attentive managers, and jobs that support and encourage their talents and interests. Happy employees are productive employees and that is the fit that works.
Expectation #4: Learning and Development
Today’s job seekers want to be passionately committed to their job and want to work for a boss who will invest in their growth and success. Strong supporting relationships will help your employees perform their assignments better. Those who are given the opportunity to embrace growth and new learning challenges will feel more engaged, appreciated, and valued, which will result in benefits for your business. A recent article in The Journal of Workplace Learning found that successful workplaces today have developed a “culture of learning”. This kind of environment will empower and encourage employees to regularly strive to give their best performance. As real estate agents and their staff work so closely together already, aiding them to advance in their position will also help your business grow.
Expectation #5: Regular feedback
Research shows that employees are trying to connect with a better management culture. Communication between real estate team members and administrative staff should be constant. The more you communicate with your team, the less room there is for error or confusion. Letting them know they are doing a good job and on the right track will also go a long way to bumping morale. It will help employees to feel more committed and engaged because they will be more confident that their concerns and suggestions are being listened to. By combining these mini performance management conversations with real-time feedback tools for employees, management can help facilitate a culture of transparency in which both positive and negative business outcomes can be celebrated or addressed openly.
Hire Smart – Manage Strong
Hiring the right fit is only half of the equation. There is a smart, efficient process to hiring the best talent for your company. Managing strong is the other half. It takes strong leadership skills to know the fine intricacies of managing a team. If you need help headhunting and hiring the right candidates for your brokerage or real estate team, our real estate recruitment services can help you find that perfect employee! Our guidance can help you successfully manage your team.
