Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER June 13, 2016 34 FEATURES CONNECT TO ATLANTIC CANADA'S LEGAL NETWORK Stay connected with the 2016-17 Atlantic Legal Telephone Directory. Order your copy today. Visit www.carswell.com or call 1-800-387-5164 for a 30-day, no risk evaluation New Edition Perfectbound • June 2016 $44.50* • L7798-5929 ISBN • 978-0-7798-5929-0 Multiple copy discounts available *Plus applicable taxes and shipping & handling (Prices subject to change without notice) The 2016-17 Atlantic Legal Telephone Directory connects you to your legal community providing accurate and essential legal contact information in all four Canadian Atlantic Provinces. Each year find new and updated names, mailing addresses, email addresses and phone numbers for lawyers and law offices. Get quick, easy access to: • Law and Barristers' Societies • Courts of Appeal • Federal Court of Canada • Government of Canada departments • Judicial districts and judicial officials • Incorporated Municipalities • Land registration and information services • The Associations of Land Surveyors • Law Foundation • Provincial government departments • Boards and Commissions • Law Related Services, Institutions and Organizations • University law faculties ... and much more. RECRUITMENT Attracting millennials Flexible, collaborative and meaningful workspaces add to the appeal By Naomi Titleman N ot that long ago, busi- nesses sought millenni- als to "inject new life" or "bring fresh thinking" into their organizations. But as these workers grow older and become more experienced, those reasons are starting to feel outdated. e truth is millennials are now the largest generation in the Cana- dian workforce and attracting them is essential for all compa- nies looking to stay competitive. So the question then becomes: How do you build an office culture that millennials want to be a part of? Basically, it comes down to of- fering flexibility, fostering collabo- ration, offering meaningful work and prioritizing wellness. Developing a flexible work culture To attract, motivate and engage millennials, it's important to implement flexible work envi- ronments. is is a generation that has spent a good part of their lives using mobile phones and so- cial media to interact with family and friends, so it's second nature for them to communicate and col- laborate with colleagues virtually from a coffee shop or home office. American Express recently moved to a new, flexible work- place that gives the majority of its roughly 2,000 Canadian employ- ees the freedom to work from anywhere. As part of a "Blue- Work" model, staff are free to work from home some days but are encouraged to use a variety of office work spaces that cater best to their work needs at that moment. Instead of sitting at the same desk every day, employees can stay connected with colleagues via instant messenger, virtual meet- ings or calls from their computers. Instituting a flexible work cul- ture is also crucial to creating an environment where women can succeed on their own terms. Many millennial women are now young mothers or at the age where they're at least thinking about starting a family. In this competitive business landscape, a company's best ad- vantage is its people, and offering flexible work is the surest way to both attract and retain them. Enhancing collaboration While it's vital to give employees the tools and technology to be productive away from the office, employers also don't want rows of empty desks creating an uninspir- ing environment. To preserve a business' culture, it's important to complement flex- ibility with collaboration. Make designated cubicles a thing of the past. Instead, give employees the freedom to reserve any worksta- tion. At American Express, one- fifth of every floor is dedicated to open, collaborative spaces so em- ployees can set up meetings in the conference room, grab a couch by a window or enjoy a whiteboard brainstorming session over lunch with a colleague — all without compromising their connectivity. It's also important to encourage greater communication between all employees, regardless of title, and to promote teamwork be- tween different business groups. As the first generation to grow up with the Internet, millennials have always had information and answers right at their fingertips. erefore, it should come as no surprise that they often exhibit far less patience for seemingly need- less workplace processes and hier- archical structures than previous generations. To give young people the open, honest communication and real- time feedback they want from their colleagues and superiors, it's important to knock down those cubicles and eliminate need- less channels. When teams are brought together, projects are completed faster and employee productivity and engagement in- crease across the board. Offering meaningful work While salary and growth oppor- tunities are certainly important motivators for millennials, stud- ies show performing meaningful work that contributes to society — rather than just a company's bottom line — is a big priority. Millennials intending to stay with their employer for at least five years are more satisfied (88 per cent) with their organization's sense of purpose compared to those who plan to leave within two years (63 per cent), according to the 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey of nearly 7,700 millennials in 29 countries. A great deal of satisfaction comes from making an impact on the world around us. Whether it's helping a client out of a difficult situation, mentoring a co-work- er or supporting philanthropic programs, it's crucial to provide these opportunities to employees. American Express offers employ- ees an opportunity to get involved in the community by supporting numerous charitable partners through the employee volunteer program Serve2gether. Promoting health and wellness Millennials are looking for more than a good dental plan. ey look for employers to invest in their health and well-being. And for companies, it's a wise investment. More than two-thirds (67 per cent) of U.S. employees said par- ticipation in workplace wellness programs increased their engage- ment in their employer's mission and goals, according to the 2016 Humana study e Wellness Ef- fect: e Impact of Workplace Pro- grams, based on a survey of 209 U.S. HR executives and managers and 500 full-time employees. In addition, nine out of 10 re- spondents say participating in wellness initiatives improved their fitness, as well as their overall hap- piness and well-being. Equipping employees with everything they need to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle can improve their fitness and boost a company's profits. at's one of the reasons Amex chose the loca- tion for its new Canadian head- quarters in Toronto. e build- ing features a state-of–the-art, 40,000-square-foot fitness centre with areas for cardio, strength and conditioning, group exercise classes and a spinning studio. e building even has a saltwater swimming pool and year-round, temperature-controlled tennis courts. By providing subsidized gym memberships to employ- ees, the company aimed to make it accessible and affordable for employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle. While these kinds of amenities may be beyond what most em- ployers can provide, all sizes of businesses should make preven- tative health care a priority. This could include offering smoking-cessation programs, on-site flu shots and screenings to help employees track their blood pressure, body mass index and cholesterol. Or it could simply be encour- aging employees to eat better. After all, one in five employees say their current workload has caused them to regularly eat un- healthy foods, according to the 2015 Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey of 1,504 primary holders of group health benefit plans. e reward for hard-working staff who skip lunch to meet a deadline shouldn't be a vending machine chocolate bar. Business- es must ensure employees have access to affordable and healthy food options onsite. As with flex- ible work, it's about making sure people have what they need to be successful. When it comes down to it, if an organization can show millennials — or anyone, for that matter — it will do everything possible to help them maximize their potential and do their best work, all while keeping them both physically and mentally healthy, then why would they ever want to work anywhere else? Naomi Titleman is vice-president of human resources at American Express Canada in Toronto. For more infor- mation, visit www.americanexpress. com/canada. Credit: Anchiy (Shutterstock)

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