Companies are constantly challenged with learning how to engage a digitally social workforce online and offline to create a transparent culture. Our non-profit contact center, Education at Work, is powered by digitally active college students (mostly millennials) who spend just as much time on their phones as they do working or studying. We’ve learned that keeping our employees engaged online is equally as important as keeping them engaged during work. The success of a strong community of employees is in the establishment of a connection that transcends the everyday causal greetings within the office. With the right balance you can have a ”family” that works together during the work day and reconnects online afterhours. In order to reach this goal, you might consider:
Taking the community online
Having social media accounts that are focused solely on employees is like having a constant bonding activity that’s streaming in the background. The beauty of online internal company profiles is that you can keep the conversation going with your millennial employees, but work doesn’t have to be the main topic. Having a place to share anything and everything helps build relationships within the office that can all be traced back to shared moments.
Be worth the share
According to a research survey done by The Media Institute Project, who studied the way millennials use Facebook and Twitter, it was discovered that 69% of respondents used Facebook mainly to see what was happening in their friend’s lives and what they’re talking about. Also, 7 in 10 respondents reported regularly reading or watching news stories on Facebook, followed by 49% on Twitter. Ciscohas predicted that by 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic. By focusing on trends like these, you can get a better idea of how, as a company, you can create content that your employees will feel compelled to share. Education at Work uses its blog to share meaningful stories, creates promotional videos, as well as just-for-fun videos. EAW makes it a point to pass along content that will resonate with its employees. Millennials love to follow companies that inspire them, so become a company that not only employs them, but inspires them.
Address instead of suppress bad opinions
Often times, it’s hard to control the negative feedback that gets spread outside of the office. With online avenues making it easier to write public reviews and express personal opinions, addressing issues inside the office as they occur is crucial. Encouraging open conversation and criticism of operations, management, and process is the gateway to making a millennial happy. Often times it’s not the rules that turn them off, but the lack of information relayed to them. Keeping employees clued in at all times can help prevent them from taking their anger into the online sphere. However, if that should be the case, issuing a response and explanation to every post, review, or other online communication is important.
At the end of the day, having employees who live online is great for the workforce culture. You get tech savvy and quick-witted people who aren’t afraid to tell it straight. Channeling that power has growing potential for any company looking to attract more millennials. Education at Work continues to frame its contact center culture to encourage face-to-face and online connections.
Tell us, how do you engage your millennials employees online?
About Education at Work
We are a non-profit organization helping college students graduate with less debt by partnering with our clients to address their customer service needs through a high-achieving, millennial workforce. Learn more about us: www.education-at-work.org.
About Laura Forero
Laura Forero is currently a junior at Xavier University studying Public Relations and Advertising. She enjoys reading, writing, and following a good PR crisis unfold in modern day media. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
