“ Gen Y and Gen Z groups will expect clear goals , and engaging variety of assignments to tackle and to work for organizations with a go-getting attitude .”
innovative organizations . Secondly , both generations expect you to more dutifully teach entrepreneurial , critical thinking , leadership and dynamic decision-making skills . Thirdly , they demand that you provide avenues that give them the opportunity to create positive , lasting change ( not to mention , see how their contributions can affect change ).
Clearly , millennials and members of Gen Z look at and interact with the world in far different ways than generations who have come before . But with a few simple shifts in perspective and positioning , it becomes far easier to connect and communicate with them on a meaningful level . n
FOR MORE ABOUT millennials , check out page 32 for insights from ISPA Foundation ’ s Consumer Snapshot Initiative : Millennial Perceptions + Preferences .
Award-winning professional speaker Scott Steinberg is a best-selling expert on leadership and innovation , and the author of Millennial Marketing : Bridging the Generation Gap and Make Change Work for You : 10 Ways to Future- Proof Yourself , Fearlessly Innovate , and Succeed
Despite Uncertainty . Steinberg is among today ’ s leading providers of keynote speeches , workshops and seminars for Fortune 500 firms . For more about Steinberg , check out akeynotespeaker . com or connect with him at scott @ techsavvyglobal . com or call 1.888.507.2246 .
Strategies to Effectively Engage the Next Generations
Keep in mind that millennials and Gen Zers will hail from a wide range of age groups . A Gen Yer could just as easily be a college student as a young parent . When crafting communications and outreach efforts , take care to leverage common themes or points of reference that all can recognize — and don ’ t assume that a one-size-fits-all approach will always be most effective .
Don ’ t market or promote — instead , tell stories others can empathize . As several research results have already pointed out , millennials do not respond to routine advertisements or generic messages anymore . Instead , they ’ re looking for causes and efforts that resonate with their values and those they feel they can connect with and support on a personal level .
Keep messaging short and to the point to grab their attention right from the get-go . To hold Gen Y and Gen Z ’ s interest , it ’ s best to lead with a strong , oneof-a-kind message — and , where appropriate , use vehicles such as humor or heartwarming tales to quickly differentiate . Highly visual , these generations also respond far better to short animations , videos , infographics , charts and other graphical points of reference than textual elements .
Make a point to stand out at a glance . Gen Y and Gen Zers are used to quickly dismissing the many messages they are bombarded with . To avoid falling into this trap , help them quickly connect the dots , and explain what makes you and your organization unique , what pain points or problems you can help them solve , as well as how they can quickly and simply interact with you to create positive outcomes . Give them points of shared interest and incentives to rally behind .
March / April 2017 ■ PULSE 31