School administrators are correct in rushing to secure qualified, newly graduated speech pathologists when needed within a school setting. However, beyond reviewing a resume, school administrators should prepare for cultural and skill set differences younger professionals will likely bring to the workplace. We are pleased to offer this White Paper to support school administrators in this endeavor.
The Millennial Generation refers to individuals born between the 1980s and the early 2000s. The 2010 Pew Research Social & Demographic report notes this generation will likely be the most educated in US history. Nearly 40% of this generation have or will attend some college. Author Elwood Carlson highlights that “Millennials” make up 30 percent of the US population.
In this decade, many are sitting across the desk from school administrators looking to begin their careers. Their questions and attitudes may surprise even the most experienced interviewer. This white paper will outline five tips for interviewing and hiring a candidate from this generation.
5 Tips for Interviewing and Hiring Millennial SLPs
An Overview of the Millennials- Three-quarters have created a profile on a social networking site.
- Most Millennials have placed privacy boundaries on their social media profiles.
- One in five has posted a video of themselves online.
- Nearly four in ten have a tattoo.
- 70% say their tattoos are hidden beneath clothing.
- One in four have a piercing in some place other than an earlobe.
- Only about six in ten were raised by both parents.
- Millennials place parenthood and marriage far above career and financial success.
- But they aren’t rushing to the altar. Just one in five Millennials (21%) are married now, half the share of their parents’ generation at the same stage of life.
- As of 2006, more than a third of 18 to 29-year-old women who gave birth were unmarried.
The most negative connotation affiliated with Millennials is a sense of entitlement across settings. According to Ron Alsop, a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, “The millennials were lavishly praised and often received trophies when they excelled, and sometimes when they didn't, to avoid damaging their self-esteem. They and their parents have placed a high premium on success, filling résumés with not only academic accolades but also sports and other extracurricular activities."
At the doorstep of employment, "Their attitude is always 'What are you going to give me,'" says Natalie Griffith, manager of human-resource programs at Eaton Corp. "It's not necessarily arrogance; it's simply their mindset."
Tip #1: Focus on Unique Skill Sets
Unlike previous generations, Millennials are the first to grow up with technology, multiple modes of instant communication, and social media. At the turn of the century, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates encouraged America’s teachers to embrace technology with the first generation to have always known of the Internet. These young people have always known of a personal computer in the home, 250+ channel TVs, personal music players, and mobile phones. Millennials expect to be connected to others and expect communication.
User access and awareness of technology can bring unanticipated benefits to the workplace. Younger employees can be creative thinkers and identify unique ways to build bridges with students, staff, and families. School administrators should ask a candidate what role technology may play in relation to their work. Simultaneously, school administrators need to be open to doing things differently as Millennials are likely to bring new methods to traditional educational experiences.
Tip #2: Recognize family life comes first
Kaye Foster-Cheek, vice president for human resources at Johnson & Johnson, described Millennials as expecting a flexible work routine to allow for their family and personal interests. "For this generation, work is not a place you go; work is a thing you do.”
Many within this generation do not begin their career with the intention of staying with the same employer over the next 30 years. Historically, school districts offered a competitive salary and generous benefits package to influence a specialist’s decision to take or remain in a position. Unfortunately, state budgets and economic realities have influenced employee compensation school districts can offer. However, school administrators retain the ability to be flexible in the areas of professional development, personal/professional goals, and work from home strategies.
Although some topics and questions are definitely off limits when considering someone for employment, it is reasonable to explore professional interests and personal needs to structure the most appealing beginning career opportunity. In addition, retaining a quality employee begins in the first interview. Mr. Aslop, a contributor to the Wall Street Journal, described the key idea of Millennials wanting to define their own work experience in The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplace. “Employers realize the millennials are their future workforce, but they are concerned about this generation's desire to shape their jobs to fit their lives rather than adapt their lives to the workplace.”
Tip #3: Be direct about the challenges of an assignment and ask their strategy
Abandon traditional lines of interview questions. Millennials are well connected and well researched candidates. By the time they are walking into a job interview they have rehearsed accepted answers to traditional interview questions. Asking a candidate’s perceived strengths and challenges will likely result in a polished answer with limited additional information.
At the same time, unlike previous generations, this generation spent K-12 schooling followed by a sophisticated college experience with problem-solving and teaming with others across settings and disciplines. They are well versed in considering a situation from many perspectives and exploring typical and atypical paths to arrive at a solution. A school administrator wouldbenefit from asking open-ended questions related to their past experiences (Describe a situation in which you struggled to find a solution. What did you do to find resolution? Tell me about a time you worked in a team and what specifically, you brought to the table.)
This generation also craves specificity. Consider sharing the known challenges of the current assignment being explored. Summarize difficulties and ask candidates their thoughts or what they might do in the situation. Does the candidate ask questions? Ask about other perspectives. Does the candidate seem familiar with the subject? Millennials will appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate their personal approach, and an administrator will gain better insight into a candidate’s thinking.
Tip #4: Talk less, listen more
School administrators are often tempted to “sell” their district or leadership to every candidate they interview. A shortage of highly qualified candidates can make school administrators anxious to present in a positive light, hoping to secure someone to fill a vacant position. Liz Ryan, founder of the online community Human Workplace and former Fortune 500 HR executive noted “It’s tempting to chatter on, in an effort to connect with the person across the desk, or to smooth over a silence while they decide how to answer a question. If you fight that urge, however, you’re likely to glean valuable information. The more you allow the interviewee to talk, the more you’ll see how her thought process works and whether she has that passion you’re looking for.”
The Wall Street Journal outlines that in addition to filling a vacancy, administrators “will benefit from this generation’s best and brightest, who possess significant strengths in teamwork, technology skills, social networking, and multitasking.” Millennials may present with a mindset of expectation. But an expectation for success often stems from an upbringing of working hard for a tangible payoff. “Smart managers will listen to their young employees’ opinions and give them some say in decisions.”
Tip #5: Be aware of generalizations . . . sort of
No one should judge a book by its cover …or its generation. Individual candidates may present and behave in numerous ways. However, in a twist of irony on the individual perspective, this generation is more accepting of change and diversity than previous generations. The 2010 report by Pew Research confirms that these young professionals are typically more politically liberal, tolerant of differing family configurations and more open to change than their elders. Since the 2000 US Census, which allowed people to select more than one racial group, Millennials in abundance have asserted their right to have all their heritages respected, counted and acknowledged. The trend within this group is social acceptance and tolerance.
This social trend will support school district administrators seeking talented candidates. Individuals with disabilities need advocates and specialists who will focus on possibilities and not what others may have previously identified as barriers or limitations. This generation may be the first to bring multiple candidates to the interviewing table dreaming a bold and unique dream for the children they want to serve. And who wouldn’t want to hire that specialist?
