By 2025, millennials will be the largest group in the global workforce. In Australia they will represent almost three in every four workers. Understanding their mindset and developing communication strategies that engage and motivate them is a key challenge for organisations.

Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are the most academically qualified generation in the nation’s history. Their work habits are different and they have no memory of life before the internet. As their older counterparts reach retirement, millennials are set to dominate the workplace and lead one of its greatest transformations in decades. They have markedly different values and learning and communication preferences compared with earlier generations.

With digital technology part of their DNA, millennials have grown up communicating via visually dynamic social media apps and, as a result, have a very low tolerance for boring, static content. They see technology as a tool to help them work smarter and are accustomed to multitasking whilst working across multiple devices. Traditionally thought of as easily distracted, their attention spans are not necessarily shorter, but rather more fluid and selective.  

So how can employers and organisations compete with this digital stimulus and ensure they have a millennials’ undivided attention when they need it? There has been a significant amount of research devoted to this question, and here are some of the key recommendations:

• Take a succinct, visual approach when presenting information. Millennials are accustomed to skimming high volumes of new content as they scan their social feeds each day. This means brevity and simplicity, combined with images, are the key to retaining attention and getting the intended message across.
• Bullet points and images alone may not always convey complex information so other approaches may be necessary. Avoid text-heavy documents and present information in bite-size chunks, combined with statistics and contemporary references. 
• Try to avoid traditional language that is directive, (‘do this, don’t do that’) and instead use conversational language, combined with punchy headlines. The use of infographics that combine words with graphics is also recommended when conveying content-heavy messages, allowing the audience to comprehend information at a glance, or by a quick skim.

Re-thinking traditional methods of communication to meet the needs of millennials is an opportunity for organisations, not an imposition. 

Adapting your communication strategy to meet the needs of millennials will have positive benefits on workplaces and enable them to keep pace and succeed.