Millennials and Background Screening
The Millennial’s are coming! What does it mean for background screening?
The Census Bureau estimates that millennials overtook baby boomers as the biggest segment of the US population in 2015. Millennials will dominate the workforce for years to come. But what does that mean for the employee screening industry?
Rethinking Background Screening for Today’s Workforce
Studies show us that millennials are motivated differently than previous generations. They prefer job freedom over job security, hence the growing gig economy. Plus, growing up in a world full of technology, they communicate differently. Employers will need to adjust hiring processes to suit the tech-centric nature of this generation. To attract top talent, you need a seamless applicant experience. Any software flaws or content errors in your online applicant portal will be a big turn-off for millennial applicants. Which is why having an integrated Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is critical for your organization.
Advantages of Hiring Millennials
The fact that millennials are tech-savvy is a benefit for hiring managers eager to implement more automation in their screening processes. Additionally, hiring millennials often involved less work. Younger adults typically have less work and credit history to sort through. And if your organization embraces the gig economy, millennials are more than willing to give up costly employee benefits in favor of more freedom. For tech companies, this could mean hiring a freelancer through UpWork instead of bringing in a full-time software developer.
Social Media and Background Screening
Being more connected has its advantages for hiring managers. “Social Media Background Checks” are becoming increasingly common, and millennials in particular have a lot of digital information out there for public record. A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 59% of hiring managers used search engine results to screen potential job applicants. Out of that group, 49% decided not to hire someone based on information they found on the applicant’s social media profile. But on the opposite side of things, 32% of those surveyed found something positive in social media that caused them to hire a candidate.
Overall the demographic shift means your hiring process needs to be more tech-centered and streamlined. Millennials frequent social media more often, and that can come into play during job applicant screening.
Increased Mobility and the Importance of Thorough Screening
Millennials are less likely to own a home and more likely to move into a new city our even across the country. Being a mobile generation presents unique challenges for hiring managers, and it puts a renewed focus on the thoroughness of background screening. Discount screening solutions often pull from incomplete databased, which might place your organization at risk of hiring a bad candidate. Be sure to use a combination of State, Local, and Federal criminal database searches to limit your risk of liability or employee theft.
Millennials are going to be the largest demographic in America’s workforce for years to come. Make sure your organization’s hiring practices are aligned with the unique challenges and opportunities this trend presents us with.
