The idea of an employee sticking with one company for their entire career is almost completely a thing of the past.

With the majority of workers changing jobs after 1-3 years, today’s students and new grads are more likely than ever to experience several jobs – and even careers – during their time in the workforce.

As a campus recruiter, you invest a lot of time and effort into finding the perfect hire, so how do you ensure that your top talent stays with you? The first step is understanding the mindset of a Gen-Y job-hopper. Job-hopping is not the resume red flag it used to be. In fact, you might be surprised to find that it’s the top performers who tend to jump around the most because, whether true or not, they feel like they’ve outgrown you.

Therefore, the recipe for keeping your brightest hires with you for the long haul is quite simple: make sure that your company offers them the same benefits they’d get from going elsewhere. And as a recruiter, it’s your job to make sure your top candidates know about these advantages from the get-go.

Career advancement

Research shows that employees who stay with a company longer than two years get paid less over their lifetime than their job-hopping counterparts. For new grads with staggering student debt, the idea of making more money somewhere else can be quite enticing.

To show Gen-Y workers that their hard work and loyalty will be rewarded at your company, make sure your recruitment campaign highlights your career advancement opportunities. Knowing they have room to grow will help millennials feel happy and secure in their role within your organization, rather than look for fulfillment elsewhere.

Gen-Y Perspective: Having plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement helped new grad Dieter Kusel find his career fit at Suncor Energy.

“Every day, I’m given more responsibility and challenging assignments that will help me become a more confident professional engineer,” says Dieter. “Right now I’m working on multi-million dollar projects as a 25-year-old. I never dreamed I’d lead those.”

Continued learning

Millennial workers are always looking to grow their skillset and many feel that the only way to do that is to start a new position. To combat this notion, recruiters need to communicate to candidates that the learning never stops at your organization, even after the initial training period.

Whether it’s providing access to continuing education classes, or helping employees obtain additional degrees and designations, emphasizing the ways in which you invest in your employee’s development will show prospective candidates that committing to your organization is worth the investment.

Gen-Y Perspective: The mentally-stimulating and challenging work was what initially attracted Mike Epp to Nav Canada, and it’s what continues to keep him excited and invested in his role as an Air Traffic Controller.

“You get a wide range of traffic complexity and unique scenarios,” says Mike. “I think a lot of people think [Air Traffic Control] is a bunch of people speaking in monotone voices, but it’s really exhilarating at times.”

Engaging work

After a while, a daily routine can turn into a rut and young workers become disillusioned with their work. Starting a new job is often seen as an effective way to reignite that spark, but there are plenty of ways for companies to keep their workers engaged in their roles for years to come.

For example, a perceived lack of autonomy is a major reason why Gen-Y employees start to disconnect from their work. Knowing that, it’s important for recruiters to illustrate the ways in which candidates can “be their own boss” within the context of the larger organization, such as through volunteer initiatives or leadership development programs. Fostering a sense of ownership among younger employees will help keep their role interesting, as well as help them see a future with your company.

Gen-Y Perspective: The entrepreneurial culture at TTi is Field Sales Representative Garret Howes’ favourite part about is job.”

“It’s super important to love what you do,” says Garret. “I come home at the end of the day, and I’m thinking about what I can to do to build my territory and I think the culture helps produce that. It makes you excited to go to work.”

Discussion: How does employee retention factor into your campus recruitment strategy?

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