It’s been said that Millennials are the least engaged generation in the workplace, and some studies are proving that to be true. In fact, it’s been found that only 29% of millennials are engaged at work. Why does that statistic matter? Because engaged millennials are 64% less likely to say they will switch jobs if the job market improves in the next 12 months. Engaging your Millennials is going to take time and effort, but it is not an impossible task.
A great way to boost engagement among your Millennial workforce is through mentoring. Millennials aren’t just asking but demanding that organizations give them mentoring programs and one of the reasons is because they want to be engaged. They want to care about the company they work for and the work they are doing. Having a mentor gives them the tools and resources they need to achieve those goals.
3 ways that mentoring increases Millennial engagement
- Mentors Give Feedback
Studies have shown that only 19% of Millennials say they are receiving routine feedback from their managers, and only 17% of Millennials say that they feedback they are receiving is meaningful. Why are these statistics significant? Because Millennials crave feedback.
Millennials look for feedback from everyone in their life, and that includes their professional life. Unfortunately, when they don’t get it, their engagement level decreases. Having a mentor gives Millennials an opportunity to receive this feedback on a regular basis.
- Mentors Help Navigate Careers
Millennials have very high expectations for their careers and at times these high expectations can be unrealistic. If expectations are not met, Millennial engagement suffers. This is where a mentor can help.
Millennials are looking to their Mentor to help them create a road map for career success. It’s not the mentors job to squash the Millennial’s dreams, but they can give them the realistic outlook on how and when they can achieve their goals.
- Mentors Share Knowledge
Millennials want knowledge. Millennials have grown up in an “on-demand” world with a large amount of knowledge at their fingertips. If they have a question, they are able search for the answer online, and they are asking for that same approach from their organization.
Having a mentor helps them to gain the knowledge that they are seeking. Especially when they are participating in a Flash Mentoring program. When Millennials continue to gain knowledge, they become more invested in their job and their engagement is boosted.
