They check their phones 150 times per day on average.

They won’t call you, they’ll text.

They may still live at home with their parents.

They are your millennial employees. Tech savvy, connected, and soon to be America’s largest generation (citation)

And more and more employers are having a difficult time communicating and motivating this generation. We’ve seen it firsthand working with our clients.

One reason are misaligned expectations, and the other is ineffective modes of communication.

Just because millennials are in the workplace, that doesn’t mean that they will be able to quickly adjust their habits to fit your business or corporate environment. In fact, it’s likely that they won’t, which will make working and communicating with younger employees frustrating for you and for your young employee. But it doesn’t have to be.

Here are 4 techniques that will help you to improve workplace efficiency and communication with millennial employees. You’re going to love this…

1. Leverage communication platforms that they are already familiar with. Forget internal emails or expecting them to walk over to your office. Millennials are used to instantaneous communication sources, like using Snapchat, text, and messenger. Instead install an in-house messaging system that will pop-up on their computer screen. Try Google Talk as part of the business G-Suite (not the stand alone version), SKYPE, or Microsoft Lync. If using Microsoft, use a version that is integrated with Office365 to maintain a full audit trail. The standalone version will not give you the same audit and archive capabilities that you may need for follow-up and legal matters.
2. If you have a mobile workforce, then video conferencing is essential for millennial employees. Millennials are not camera shy. Try SKYPE for Business or Zoom.us for internal and external video conferencing.
3. Create a secure and diversified mobile office space. Millennials use a variety of communication platforms that includes their phone, tablet, gaming system, and computer. To meet their needs and the needs of the business, it’s important that you have business grade apps. This will give you, the business owner or manager, administrative control, keeping them from going on social media platforms during work hours. This will also increase your business security.
4. Leveraging and Securing their mobile phone. Lastly, millennial mobility in cyber space can create some serious security risks to your financial and customer data. For that reason, we recommend that you use a business grade VoIP system that again, will give your employees a secure phone number and you admin control. Try Ring Central, Cytracom, or 8x8 for virtual numbers, conferencing, call recording.

At Consilien we are experts at creating an IT environment that is productive, cost-efficient, and helps to position your company for growth. If you’d like a free consultation regarding creating an efficient mobile or hybrid office space call us at 866.860.3388.