What you can do to pin down your Gen Ys

There are five reasons Millennials want to quit, according to this HR pro – here’s what you can do to stop them from leaving.

A recent survey by Gallup found that almost a third of millennials are disengaged or ready to jump ship – one HR pro thinks she knows why and says it’s not too late to stop them.
 
  1. They don’t feel challenged
According to the survey, 30% of Millennials think the greatest benefit to job hopping is gaining new skills so it’s imperative that employers encourage development.

“Let them know they can be challenged where they are,” Beverly Kaye, founder of Career Systems International, told TINYhr.

“For example, asking a young employee; ‘What do you hope you’ll get to do in this new project?' can help the manager and the employee focus on career goals and the specific skills being developed through various assignments," she says.
 
  1. They don’t feel like they’re using their skills
According to Kaye, managers should conduct a constant conversation with Millennials to find out what they want to be bringing to the table. If they think they can offer something extra, then that’s only of benefit to you and your company.
 
  1. They don’t get continual feedback
It’s not because they want to be lorded with praise, Millennials want to know exactly how they can grow and improve, insists Kaye.

“Offer one to two minutes worth of feedback,” she suggests. “By having ongoing conversations—instead of just a formal review once a year—employees are continually reminded they are being developed."
 
  1. They don’t like being in the dark
A transparent culture is top of the list for most Millennials and employees become disengaged when they feel managers aren’t being honest or open.

Help them understand how various events and trends effect both the industry and their jobs and they’ll feel more in control and more connected to the company.
 
  1. They think they don’t have options
 Take note of what your Millennial employees really don’t like, says Kaye. “You might mention you saw someone grimace when a subject was mentioned,” – initiating these conversations will help managers identify what young workers are really interested in and better assign them tasks in the future. 

“These aren’t just things that young workers want, but keep in mind that if millennials feel underused, overused, or abused—then they’re out of there,” Kaye concluded.