5 Things a LinkedIn Hackathon Taught Me About Millennials in the Workplace
By: Katharina Harling
Millennials. Those energetic, fickle, creative young minds, bursting with innovation. It seems these days every company is asking themselves, “how do we attract them?” And more importantly, “how to we keep them?” While some might merely be entertaining these questions, LinkedIn is diving in head-first to figure out how to engage millennials in the workplace. Recently, fellow intern Stacy Livingston and I had the opportunity to take part in the first ever non-technical HR Hackathon held by LinkedIn at their base in Sunnyvale, California.
The event was the brainchild of Pat Wadors, LinkedIn’s Head of HR, and put together by the company’s 36 summer interns. Originally a teaching opportunity for these interns, the Hackathon grew into an occasion for innovation and development regarding the role of millennials in the future of HR.
Linkedin asked teams to identify, explore and solve an issue they foresaw in the HR industry. The prompt was open enough to encourage creativity and out-of-the box thinking. “Hackers” were encouraged to think of both a problem to tackle as well as an effective solution. Most of the problems tackled by the 31 teams were focused on attracting and retaining interns and young employees, fresh out of college and ready to make a productive difference.
Here are five key trends and insights I took away during this Hackathon about millennials and how to engage them in the workplace:
It’s Important to Have a Mission to Believe in
According to Pat Wadors, millennials will sacrifice higher pay for ethics, often choosing employment at a company with high ethical values and a strong mission even if it means a lower starting salary. “Millennials will be the first generation to fully push for equality of pay and diversity in the workforce,” she said in an interview with Stacy and I, and spoke about the rising importance of a company’s core values. A strong mission goes beyond simply having a connected and engaged company culture. It has to do with being dedicated to doing good work, and doing good work well.
Community Engagement is Key
Much like a strong mission, the social and community engagement of a potential employer runs high on a millennial’s mind. A 2013 study by Cone Communications indicates that almost 90% of young Americans consider a company’s social engagement when making purchases. Another 2015 study by Achieve breaks down the overwhelming data supporting the rising notion of millennials’ desire to engage actively in social outreach through and with their employers. Studies such as these show how young potential employees bring their passion for activism and volunteerism to work with them, and companies should be doing all they can to get involved as well. Some hackathon teams envisioned possible programs to implement into company cultures, such as mentor-mentee programs within the surrounding community, cultivating relationships and exposing local children to various workplace expertise, such as tech and leadership.
Manager Feedback is Crucial
If we know one thing, it’s that millennials want to be told how they’re doing and how they can improve all the time. One surprising yet unavoidable issue explored at the Hackathon was young employees’ desire for feedback from their managers, and the need for simple, painless outlets for such communication. Slow feedback from managers and supervisors decelerates a new hire’s drive to learn and grow as an employee and stands in the way of an overall productive work environment, where two-way feedback could heighten employee and employer relationships as well as individual performance.
Friends, Friends, Friends
For a generation so attached to their various forms of social media and personal outlets it’s no surprise that millennials believe that having good friends in the workplace is the most significant factor of a strong work experience, affecting both their comfort as well as their productivity. Many teams at the Hackathon came up with apps and platforms that could facilitate inter-work connections and associations. Some took forms similar to online dating platforms, in which new hires could answer surveys about out-of-work interests and get matched with other employees eager to make new acquaintances. Creating an environment where new employees can connect with one another is key to helping this generation succeed.
We Need Outlets to Grow Personally
Growth within a company or career is important, but millennials want more. Increasingly, young employees are looking for ways to incorporate their own interests and personal goals into their work, eager for ways to explore and try something new within their field. Furthermore, they want to be able to share these explorations and achievements with their coworkers. Nothing is more off-putting to a potential young hire than the prospect of a new job stifling creative and innovative output, and companies should look to foster their employees’ multifaceted interests and sense of growth.
All in all, the Hackathon was an insightful experience, especially as I am one of those eager millennials eyeing the job market and potential employers with all the above in mind. The challenges our generation faces are undoubtedly daunting: competition is high, student debt is staggering, and employer expectations increase every year. It’s occasions such as this Hackathon (young minds coming together to create solutions that extend beyond a single problem to cultivate greater, positive change) that make me hopeful about the future, of HR and of the professional world in general.