Today’s Veterinary Business provides information and resources designed to help veterinarians and office management improve the financial performance of their practices, allowing them to increase the level of patient care and client service.
Issue link: https://todaysveterinarybusiness.epubxp.com/i/856474
51 August/September 2017 • TODAYSVETERINARYBUSINESS.COM 2 Provide Guidance and Mentorship Millennials want and need mentorship more than previous generations did. Pair them with employees who can serve as role models. Give them goals and remind them that you are there to guide them. And then let them know they are responsible and will be held accountable. 3 Ensure a Work-Life Balance Millennials want a better work-life balance. Older generations were used to getting the job done, regardless of the time required. Millennials do not feel this way. They are willing to work hard, but only during their scheduled shifts. Overtime is not in their DNA. In fact, studies show that a mil- lennial's attention span is 6.7 hours — less than that of previous genera- tions. Studies show they prefer more time off rather than higher salaries. 4 Offer Timely or Frequent Feedback Yearly reviews are passé. At the very least, meet with Gen Y's once a quarter. Between meetings, your input needs to continue. Provide continuous feedback. Recognize their shining performance soon after it takes place — and publicly. Feedback given days or weeks later will not have the same effect. 5 Build Strong Relationships Interpersonal relationships are very important to millennials. Bridge the gap between coworkers and man- agers professionally and personally. Being recognized in the company of coworkers is important to millenni- als. Team-building exercises inside and outside the workplace — from social outings to volunteer events — can be used to build camaraderie. 6 Offer the Right Compensation and Benefits Millennials are not completely altruistic. They need appropriate and personalized compensation and employee benefits. They hate stagnation and want to move up the ladder. So provide constant educational opportunities. Millen- nials reportedly do not plan to stay at the same job for more than three years, so it will take some serious creativity to retain them. 7 Offer Flexibility Personalized options are a necessity. They can be as simple as allowing employees to choose their break time, formulate a dress code, work from home when the opportunity arises or design a flexible schedule. Involve them in the deci- sion-making process. Millennials who feel they are in control of their life and career will be motivated to grow professionally, take on re- sponsibilities and become an asset to your practice. 8 Play Games Challenges and games can help motivate the troops. This generation grew up playing highly realistic games. Regardless of whether you believe games are beneficial or not, game structure provides a great basis to motivate and retain millennial talent. Objectives are clear and given up front. Basic rules are given, but multiple avenues are offered. Check points, or small goals, are provided along the way to ensure forward movement and affirm progress. Rewards should be personalized when goals have been reached. Here is a simple example: Start a friendly competition to promote specific products and services. If the team persuades 20 clients to do a pet dental cleaning in a given month, you will buy lunch for everybody. And let your team choose the restaurant. 9 Offer Freedom Millennials need freedom. In our technology-based society, they can work from literally any- where. Offer opportunities to work from home when possible. They could work on protocols, standard operating procedures or your employee manual. It helps them feel in control of their career and reminds them that you trust them to complete the tasks requested. 10 Adapt Your Communication Millennials are used to instant com- munication. So adjust your commu- nication style. Use technology and social media to your advantage. Multiple apps allow communica- tion within a team. Others allow sharing schedules and requesting time off. Who needs paper and bul- letin boards? Millennials are visual. Besides text, use photos and videos to communicate. 11 Be Trusting Millennials need to feel trusted. They dislike micromanaging. Give them a due date and clear expecta- tions, and then leave the rest up to them. To be fair, with a millennial, you can expect some mistakes. Failure is a necessary and im- portant part of the learning process. Learning through trial and error will help you shape a better employee in the long run. You may want to assign less significant tasks as learning experiences in the beginning. 12 Offer Enjoyment A millennial's career choice is not viewed as just a job but as an extension of her social life. Building bonds and creating friendships are critical. The workplace culture should allow for fun. The hospital culture significantly affects produc- tivity and talent retention. When employees engage in fun-filled activities, they feel more connected to each other. Millennials can be a won- derful asset to your practice. If motivated correctly, they can be loyal, hard-working, reliable and innovative employees. Dr. Phil Zeltzman owns a traveling surgery practice serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. Stroudsburg, Pa., technician AJ Debiasse contributed to this article. Millennials reportedly do not plan to stay at the same job for more than three years, so it will take some serious creativity to retain them.