HR departments have a duty of care to supply a multinational company with the most effective and talented employees available in the market at any given time. This can be a delicate balancing act between matching the right person to the right role while also meeting the expectations of the candidate, ensuring a good fit for both parties.
Sometimes, HR get lucky and the perfect storm with the right candidate in the right place at the right time actually happens. Most of the time however, it can be a bit of an endurance test involving compromise on both parts as at some point in the process, despite high standards, roles simply need to be filled as work needs to get done.
Many HR managers today are working in a very demanding environment where they encounter a tech savvy and digitally aware labor force who have grown up comfortable with technology. Not only are they comfortable with it, they have a certain level of expectation (possibly even demands) around technology in the work environment. For some of these candidates, it is neither socially nor professionally acceptable to find themselves working in an environment that lacks agility, flexibility and innovation- it is simply against the standards they have set for themselves. Many have grown accustomed to very advanced levels of technology and they simply assume that this is the norm in the working environment too.
Digital Natives
Potential candidates like millennials between the age of 18 and 30 are likely to be digital natives, with a great degree of comfort and even interest in technology. These candidates are not restricted to those team members who have specialized in technology courses as part of their University choices. The modern world means exposure to technology is inevitable and it is simply a part of people's everyday lives-therefore there are many opportunities to embrace and learn new technologies. This means that a lot of candidates walk into an interview with HR anticipating that their technology skills will be put to good use in the company that they work for.
This creates a need among HR to ensure that these candidates are suitably engaged employees at an early stage in their development in the multi-national. HR managers would like all new and experienced candidates to be advocates for the company culture and help them grow their brand-they want their employees to speak about a positive working environment as this helps to create some positive validation in the marketplace, which serves to improve the chances of recruiting strong candidates in the future.
Digital Expectations
Developing employee engagement among digitally savvy new joiners requires a different approach from HR and an understanding of their mindset. Done correctly, it can result in an engaged, motivated audience that become brand advocates, productive employees and regular followers of company messaging. One approach could be around defining their mindset and outlining methods and tools that can tap into this mindset to achieve employee engagement.
Digitally native employees will likely be active on social media, have anything between 5 and 20 apps on their mobile devices and smartphones and be used to engaging with technology that delivers instant answers. They will also have opinions and concerns around the ways in which their employer obtains, protects and safeguards their personal information and data. Digital trends and privacy concerns are priorities for digital natives, and they will be looking to hear reassuring words on this subject.
It is therefore a good idea to make sure that secure online apps and easily available information is a part of any employee engagement plan. HR professionals will also need to be comfortable with social media and social networks in order to engage with them. Any material created that displays an awareness of key trending information on the internet will immediately validate HR in the eyes of the digital native.
Positive impact
Another area where HR professionals can engage with a digital native workforce is by addressing their desire to have a positive impact, both in their personal lives and in their professional careers. Many surveys of young employees reveal for example, that protecting the environment and climate change are subjects of major interest to them. Therefore, any content or employee engagement communications from HR on these subjects will likely be met with a positive response.
Any activities or team outings related to improving environmental conditions will also be viewed in a very positive light and engagement will increase. This is about aligning company values with individual employee values on a specific subject such as climate change. Any employee engagement initiatives around climate change will create a belief among younger employees that both the company and the HR department are forward thinking and conscientious. Communication material around balancing profit and revenue streams with a desire to protect the planet and help solve some of the larger challenges in society is material that will interest this new, digitally savvy generation.
Flexible working
The coronavirus situation means that most professionals with office jobs are currently working from home and delivering on their obligations remotely. There has been a large increase in the use of remote tools such as video conferencing and file sharing. Before the global pandemic, these tools were also used among employees who took advantage of any programs in a multi-national that allowed for flexible working hours which could result in a positive work-life balance.
Flexible working is important to digitally native employees who desire a certain level of flexibility and freedom in their professional lives. They feel that this is the future of working and that companies who do not offer this are somewhat behind the curve - they are likely to examine just how far behind the curve the company is in other areas too, such as the use of technology. If this is something that is important to them, then HR departments need to find a way to engage them and prove that they are in fact working for a flexible and agile company.
Self -Service
Providing digital native employees with easy access to the things they want always helps with engagement. They have grown accustomed to 24/7 access to things that are important to them via their mobile phones, and if the company they work in can provide similar access in their professional lives, this is something they are likely to have a positive response to.
Make their personal employee data easy to access in any location - it is even better if they can do this via a smartphone app. Interactive collaboration tools that allows them to access, edit or change this information while they're out and about will be helpful. This can make them feel empowered while also satisfying their need to work for a company they feel is adaptable and innovative.
It also gives them a sense of personal control over data that they considered to be valuable - they will enjoy the opportunity to review their salary, tax information and other pay elements anytime they want to. There are employer benefits too, as this will result in a huge reduction in employee data queries going to HR or the global payroll team.
Employee engagement is a process
HR departments do not have to transform their company values in order to satisfy one section of their employee population. They can, however, take some positive steps around recognizing the needs of digitally native employees and create content and company behaviors that interest and engage them. This process is ongoing, but it starts with becoming familiar with the latest technology- to engage with somebody, you first must learn to speak their language.
Make content easily available and communicate on social media platforms. Provide an app that allows them to access their personal data along with other information that may be valuable to them - HR departments can also use this app to convey important company messages. Reference trending information both in the public domain and in the specific industry the multinational is operating in- take advantage of opportunities to prove to employees that you are digitally aware and monitoring what is happening in the world of technology.
Embrace video and alternative messaging, respond to any needs for flexible working hours and prioritize the environment in any corporate social responsibility initiatives. Taking these steps will go a long way to ensuring that your digitally native workforce listens to what you have to say and engages with your messaging.