Many millennials working in construction are at a time in their lives when they are looking to establish themselves in their career. Having a solid income is important to them as they seek to advance in their line of work. But because they are young, there is less pressure for them to stay with a firm if they don’t like their job. Ultimately, having a sense of purpose in their work will keep a millennial at a job longer than just a paycheck. Here’s how highlighting your firm’s vision and values will help to retain millennials in construction.
Bring Purpose into the Workplace
Millennials want to feel like the work they do contributes to the greater good. This might seem strange to older generations who lived through periods of economic hardships and have developed a firm belief that financial stability is first and foremost. But millennials were raised to value their social conscience over their wallets. Finding a way to create a meaningful work culture will benefit both the firm and the employees. In an age where construction companies struggle to retain talent, you have to address what employees truly value. Essentially, millennials are looking for a way to feel connected to humanity through their work.
Create a Meaningful Work Environment
You do not have to have a charity or social justice mission statement to create a meaningful work environment. To bring a sense of meaning into the workplace, it’s important to make employees feel like the work they do helps others, not just themselves. One way to accomplish this is to communicate to employees what the company’s objectives are and how they as individuals contribute to those objectives. It’s also important to acknowledge when an employee is performing well by giving positive feedback. If your company uses sustainable products in any of their operations, you want to communicate this to your employees. Meanwhile, having ethics training courses shows them you care about respectful conduct and moral issues.
A Sense of Connection
The most important thing to keep in mind is that millennials want to see a connection between their personal values and their work life. They cannot do this if they do not have adequate time to reflect. In fact, reflection is the most important way that millennials gauge whether they feel a sense of fulfillment at work. With most jobs, people cannot see their contributions on the day-to-day, but it comes to light when they take the time to think about their accomplishments. Providing work-life balance to your employees by allowing sufficient time off for personal days and vacations, will also help build a sense of connection with the company.
To retain millennials for the long term with your construction firm, you’ll need to establish a meaningful work environment, develop a sense of purpose, and cultivate a sense of connection. Giving positive feedback and providing work-life balance will go a long way toward building trust and keeping millennials for the long haul.
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