想让千禧一代成长，请摒弃这个恶习

领导力内幕网站是美国的一个在线社区，美国商界最睿智和最有影响力的一些大咖会在这里及时回答与职业和领导力有关的问题。今天为大家分享的是The Execu|Search集团董事长兼CEO艾德•弗莱施曼对“如何让千禧一代觉得他们是企业的一分子？”这一问题的回答。

千禧一代已经成为美国劳动力市场上占比最大的一代人。因此，企业必须了解这部分员工的需求。

根据The Execu|Search集团近日对千余名求职者、职场人士和招聘决策人员进行的一项调查显示，50%的员工打算只在他们当前所在的公司待上两年不到。这意味着2017年企业必须采取前所未有的努力将高价值人才挽留下来，而其中相当一部分都是“千禧一代”人。随着千禧一代渐渐从初级岗位上晋升到中高层职位，他们一旦流失出去，给企业造成的代价只会更高。

将职业发展放在首位

要让千禧一代产生归属感，企业首当其冲要做的就是为他们提供职业发展的机会，以便将这些员工推向领导岗位。在我们的调查中，有四分之三的受访企业表示，千禧一代还没有做好步入领导岗位的准备。对企业缺乏忠诚度和对提拔晋升过于热切，也成为这一年龄段的员工的两大突出问题。然而现实是，随着年长员工逐渐退休，千禧一代迟早要被赋予更大的职权。因此企业必须赋予他们适当的工具，帮助他们做好领导企业的准备。

在受访者中有超过四分之三的千禧一代员工认为，职业发展机会是企业文化中最重要的元素之一。58%的千禧一代受访员工表示，如果企业能为他们提供学习最新技能的机会，他们将对公司更加满意。因此，企业应该为他们创造这种学习机会，一来可以提高员工对企业的满意度，二来也有助于培养持续学习的企业文化。在线研讨会和网络课程都是不错的职业发展工具，但更能为千禧一代提供职业发展机遇、使他们能够胜任未来的领导角色的，仍然是实实在在的项目。

另外，企业还应该就这些职业发展项目与员工进行充分沟通。如果员工知道自己已经处于后备干部梯队中，他们就更倾向于留在公司谋求晋升机会，并且主动承担更多的职责，从而形成了双赢。

认可千禧一代的领导潜质

只要在年轻员工身上进行理性投资，企业是有能力打破千禧一代的跳槽怪圈的。就算他们觉得千禧一代暂时还不能担当领导重任，企业在招聘时也应充分考虑到千禧一代员工的潜质，而不唯经验论。特别是企业应该着重于员工的可转化技能、领导潜质以及与企业文化的契合度。

倘若员工缺乏职位所要求的技能，企业应该考虑他们能获得成功的其他可转化技能。比如一名求职者如果有数据分析方面的背景，那么他或许也适合一些注重细节的岗位。此外还有一些软技能可以从侧面反映一个人的领导潜质。比如一个人有没有清晰的沟通能力，从面试和求职信中就能看出来，从而预示了他将来能否与团队进行有效沟通。

另外，员工与企业文化是否契合也很关键。工作职能和一些“硬技能”是可以学习的，但一个人的职业道德和工作态度是很难改变的。企业在招聘时应该重点考虑那些善于团队合作、具有较高情商的千禧一代人才，这些特质在任何工作环境中都是一笔良好的资产。

只有现在就对年轻人的成长进行投资，企业才能在未来的竞争中脱颖而出，给企业本身和这些年轻人带来长远的成功。（财富中文网）

译者：朴成奎

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question, “How can you help millennials feel like they’re part of the company?” is written by Ed Fleischman, chairman and CEO of The Execu|Search Group.

Millennials currently make up the largest portion of the American workforce; therefore, it is critical for companies to understand the needs of these employees.

A recent survey conducted by The Execu|Search Group of more than 1,000 job seekers, working professionals, and hiring decision makers found that 50% of employees are planning to stay at their current company for only two years or less. This suggests that companies will need to work harder than ever in 2017 to keep professionals—a high percentage of whom are millennials—from leaving their company. As millennials progress from entry-level roles into middle management and executive positions, the cost of losing these talented employees will only increase.

Prioritize professional development

First and foremost, to make millennials feel included, employers need to invest in professional development opportunities to prepare these employees for leadership roles. Almost three-quarters of employers polled in our survey said that millennials are not prepared for leadership positions, and employers rated millennials’ lack of loyalty and desire to move quickly up the ladder as the top two challenges they have with employees in this age bracket. The reality, however, is that as older employees retire, millennials will step into roles with greater levels of responsibility, and employers must equip these professionals with the tools they need to succeed as leaders within their companies.

Over three-quarters of millennials we surveyed said that professional development opportunities are one of the most important elements of company culture, and 58% said that they would be more satisfied at their current company if they had access to projects to keep their skills up-to-date. As a result, employers should provide millennial employees with opportunities to tackle hands-on projects that will keep them satisfied in their roles while fostering a corporate culture of ongoing learning. Webinars and online classes are also good options for professional development, but concrete projects provide excellent opportunities for millennials to prepare to fill leadership roles within the company as they become available.

Employers also must communicate about these programs and priorities to millennials. If employees understand that they are on track for leadership roles, they will be more inclined to stay at a company for longer and go above and beyond in their responsibilities, which is a win-win for everyone.

Recognize leadership potential

Employers have the power to break the cycle of millennial job-hopping by making smart investments in their younger employees. Even if they don’t feel that millennials are ready for management roles right now, they must consider the potential of millennials—rather than their experience—when hiring. Specifically, companies should place more emphasis on transferable skills, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

If an employee lacks the technical skills desired for a role, employers should consider the transferable skills that could set them up for success. For example, a candidate with a background in data analysis might be a good fit for a role that requires attention to detail. There are also soft skills that can be used as early barometers for leadership potential in a candidate. Clear communication abilities, which can be assessed in an interview and cover letter, demonstrate that a candidate would be able to communicate effectively with their team down the line.

Additionally, cultural fit is key. Job responsibilities and hard skills can be taught, but work ethic and attitude are harder to change. Employers should consider hiring millennial employees who are team players with high levels of emotional intelligence, as these traits are good assets for any work environment.

By investing in millennials’ growth now, companies will be getting ahead of the curve and positioning themselves and their employees for long-term success.