Millennials are taking over the workforce. According to the US Census Bureau, 2017 saw 56 million millennials who are either working or in search of jobs, a number that eclipses the 53 million Gen Xs.
If your firm is like many others out there, you’ve noticed that unlike their predecessors, Gen Ys have a different level of drive. Research by the ManpowerGroup shows that just over 70% of millennials are confident that if they lost their main source of income, they’d be able to replace it if not better it within three months.
You’ve also realized that you need to be thinking of ways in which to integrate your millennial lawyers and retain them, especially if you want your firm to maintain and elevate its status in the future.
The legal industry, like many others, has a set way of doing things. Annual reviews are a mainstay for most firms, but is it possible that what used to work with the older generation is just not cutting it with millennial lawyers? We think so.
Millennial lawyers are feeling less valued
A worry many business leaders are contending with is a growing trend of millennials who easily exit roles and search for more. In Deloitte’s 2016 Millennial Survey, it’s estimated that around 44% of millennials would join a new organization given the chance.
This trend is symptomatic of many issues facing Gen Y in the workplace. For example, personality conflicts, culture, and even boredom lead to attrition in firms.
While ditching the annual review process has worked for some firms, yours may want to hold onto it. If so, we believe that strengthening the review process with regular check-ins and an employee integration plan which commences when a new hire enters the building is a more comprehensive and effective approach to keeping millennials engaged on the job.
At vi by Aderant, we develop software that helps law firms create the very best experiences for new hires, whether they are lateral partners or associates, so that your talent never wants to leave.
If you’re wondering how to piece together a plan to ensure that you can retain the best talent who walks through the front doors of your firm, here are five ways real-time employee feedback software can help your law firm put millennial lawyers first.
1. Think holistically and start on day one
An essential element of growing a successful firm is the integration of talent. Often, hiring an associate or lateral partner is a complex process, which is why you need to have a plan for how you introduce your new staff members to the firm.
vi’s real-time employee feedback software gives you the option to choose from proven integration paths, or to personalize one to make any new team member feel at home immediately. This means that no one is left to fend for themselves or feel left out in your environment as there’s always something on the agenda to keep them engaged.
2. Get leadership involved
Many millennials who have already reached senior positions say that leadership skills are not being developed—and this is often cited as a reason why people jump ship, but it is possible to get ahead of this trend by getting leadership involved in the employee integration process.
What does this look like when software is involved? You’re able to get leadership involved in interactions that make your new employee feel welcome. These can be welcome phone calls, meet and greets, social events, mentor meetings, and, where possible, client introductions.
All of these interactions are scheduled and diarized for leadership and new hires, so everyone knows what’s happening next.
3. Think diversity and inclusion
Millennials want to make a difference and, according to Deloitte, more millennials believe that businesses need to be more ethical and focused on society.
By ensuring that your millennial lawyers have access to diversity and inclusion programs that your firm is aligned with, you create a place where contributing positively influences your employees and society. Employee integration software affords you the ability to track which staff member is participating in which program and how they’re doing.
4. Create social connections
According to research, millennials sometimes struggle to make connections, which can lead to a sense of isolation. A smart and effective way to help your millennial workforce engage more with colleagues is by creating the right social settings.
Using , you can schedule social gatherings for new hires, ensuring that they meet co-workers and form bonds to add to a more welcoming introduction to your firm.
5. Keep your finger on the pulse in real time
While feedback in the workplace is a challenge for many businesses, Gen Y is not at all afraid to make a change when they feel unfulfilled. According to research firm Clutch, 47% of millennials feel that their jobs are unfulfilling and most are willing to consider new positions elsewhere.
By using employee onboarding software to track your new hires and their progress, you gain access to real-time feedback on how staff are performing, so there’s no need to wait a whole year to find out that your new hires are not happy.
Real-time feedback gives you the opportunity to track new hires, anything from how an associate is performing on a specific legal matter, to whether they are not making it to social functions, or who’s just become a specialist in a certain field.
Conclusion
The growth of the millennial workforce is affecting legal firms, making them relook at how they manage, develop, and retain millennial lawyers. Advancements in employee integration software give HR managers the ability to involve leadership, promote diversity and inclusion, foster social connections, and track all performance in real-time to ensure a smooth and effective employee integration process.
Need to show your millennial workforce that you care about them?
We’d love to take you through a short demonstration of our real-time feedback solution, and how you can begin to realize the value of a structured approach to creating a more empowered workforce. To book a time, just follow the link below and leave your details.