Best practices for recruiting and retaining millennial employees in Iowa

Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Millennial Employees 1
Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining
Millennial Employees to
Organizations in Iowa
William Johnson, Heather Preston, Dave Mitchell, Morris Amara and Samuel Swarbrick
Drake University

Abstract
The authors in this paper illustrate an examination of current practices and policies of
Iowa businesses to recruit and retain millennials (defined as individuals born 1980-2000). In
addition, the authors outline in this paper an assessment of efforts by Iowa businesses and their
efficacy by way of an extensive literature review, a short survey, and interviews with major
employers within the state. The results of these efforts construct a framework for measuring
Iowa business practices against millennial preferences for a desired workplace. Additionally, the
outcomes of the study provide a foundation of best practices to effectively recruit and retain
millennials that various organizations can adopt within the state of Iowa.
Keywords: recruitment, retaining, millennials, Iowa

Literature Review
An inordinate number of theories and opinions exist for what millennials want out of their
employment or career. While not all millennials are the same for the purpose of this paper, we
will make generalizations in regards to millennials’ wants, needs and their socialization within the
context of recruiting and retention, combining data and behavioral characteristics to provide
insight on generational needs. The information will aid in establishing best practices in the
recruitment and retention of millennials.
Millennials make up the largest generation in the workforce, and that number will continue
to rise in the immediate years ahead. Millennials are no longer a sub-group of employees on the
horizon, they are the people leading teams, redefining corporate goals, and contributing business
ideas for the future (Gidado, 2015). What’s more, the largest millennial one-year age cohort is
now only 23. This means that the millennial generation will continue to be a sizable part of the
population for many years (Millennial Impact Organization, 2014). Aside from their numbers,
millennials’ diversity sets them apart from other generations. Many millennials are immigrants or
the children of immigrants who arrived in the United States as part of an upsurge in immigration
that began in the 1940s. The share of people age 20 to 34 who were born in a foreign country is
now around 15 percent – much higher than it was in 1950, and near the peak of almost 20 percent
in 1910 during the last great wave of immigration to the United States (Council Of Economic
Advisers, 2014). Because immigrant populations can have different cultural competencies and
expectations surrounding employment, such a significant increase of immigrants (or children of
immigrants) in the workforce can make it challenging for employers to know how to recruit, train,
and retain employees (millennial or otherwise) with a different cultural background (Friesen and
Ingram, 2013).

While recent millennial immigrants may have unique beliefs regarding employment, all
millennials bring with them different expectations of their employers as well as how they perform
within the workforce. This is reiterated by a point that Hardy (2015) makes in his article
Companies competing for grads amid low unemployment. In it he states that due to the recession
of 2007-2009, a cognitive-behavioral change occurred in millennials; not only did they have to
work harder to secure employment, but also often had to compromise their desired location and
position. The recession continues to effect millennials in unique ways. Research suggests that new
entrants take jobs that are a worse fit for them when they start their careers in a recession and
thereby earn lower wages. Workers who start their careers in a recession earn 2.5 to 9 percent less
per year than those who do not for at least fifteen years after starting a career. This substantial loss
in earnings can persist for more than a decade, with negative effects lasting longer for college
graduates. The Great Recession likely will have important implications for millennials’ future
labor force outcomes, since research finds that macroeconomic conditions in childhood and young
adulthood are important determinants of future earnings and financial behavior. Early career
economic conditions have large and lasting impacts on lifetime wages, particularly for college
graduates (Council Of Economic Advisers, 2014). However, the same research has shown that
the single most important determinant of a person’s income may be their level of education. As
the most educated generation in history, this will tend to boost earnings for millennials over the
course of their lifetimes—and help to offset any longer-term harm from the Great Recession.
Millennials themselves remain largely optimistic about their ability to move up socioeconomically,
with over half agreeing that their generation has a good chance of improving their standard of
living. While this number has been trending down in the wake of recent economic turmoil and

follows a more long-standing decline that began in 2000, millennials, like all young people, are
more optimistic than older respondents.
Despite the negative effects of the recession of 07-09’, the nation has been able to recover,
specifically the state of Iowa. The state of Iowa has a much lower unemployment rate than the
national averages, remaining consistent at 3.8% with even lower numbers in larger cities such as
2.3% in Ames, 2.5% in Iowa City and 3.2% in Des Moines (Hardy, 2015). In spite of these
employment figures, millennials are still choosing not to remain in Iowa. Fredlick (2015) in the
article; State looks to encourage you to stick around after graduation stated, “While Iowa’s
economy continues to grow and unemployment is well below the national average, young people
aren’t always sold on the state.” This phenomenon of individuals being educated in Iowa and then
choosing to leave the state after graduation, is dubbed brain drain and is further discussed in
Developing connections could keep young talent in Iowa (Tendall, 2015). Tendall cites a study
conducted by the Iowa Watch Report on brain drain, which was conducted by ten student
journalists at seven Iowa campuses who conducted interviews with eighteen graduating students,
found that fourteen of the eighteen students graduating said they planned to leave the state.
Programs such as the Innovation Fund Tax Credit that incentivize tech industries to come to Iowa
to attract young millennials are not having the desired effect of stopping the brain drain from Iowa.
With millennials continuing to flock from the state (Fredlick, 2015).
Millennials are faced with an economy with average pay compared to the rest of the United
State when deciding to work in Iowa. Iowa wages tend to be lower on a national level thereby
causing issues in attracting millennials, which may be another reason why millennials are leaving
the state. Iowa’s average weekly wage is $754, which ranks 42 in the United States. Median
household income ranks 25 at $49,545 annually. See figure 2. The wage gap between Iowa’s

annual income and the rest of the United State is very large. See figure 3. These incomes fall under
many types of employment, but Iowa’s largest employment sector is manufacturing, followed by
education, and lastly, health services. See figure 1. Heavy manufacturing positions can be a
deterrent for the younger generation whom are interested in more high-tech positions. Iowa
employers have to find other attractions besides high pay and trendy jobs to fill their openings with
millennials.
Iowa faces steep competition for
recruitment and retention of
Figure 2 (Iowa workforce Development Employment
Statistics Bureau, 2012)
Figure 3(Iowa workforce DevelopmentEmployment Statistics Bureau,
2012)
Figure 1 (Iowa workforce Development Employment
Statistics Bureau, 2012)

millennials. In addition to the issue of lower wages, the make up of the economy itself is an issue.
Part of this stiff competition involves the issue of millennial migration. The millennial population
is shifting to urban areas. The shift is due, in part, to the majority of urban job opportunities
becoming major source of most Iowa jobs. A New York Times article by Michael Barbaro, With
farms fading and urban might rising, power shifts in Iowa, outlines the increasing demographic
shift. Iowa’s once farming culture has produced fewer jobs resulting in a complete economic shift.
This shifting away from an agrarian economy interplays with how millennials interface with
Iowa’s economy as a whole. With fewer farms and an increase in manufacturing, service, and
healthcare related jobs, there has been a rapid expansion in Iowa cities and suburbs (Barbaro,
2014). While Barbaro discusses specifically the shift in Iowa’s population from rural to urban, it
can be assumed that not all those leaving rural Iowa relocate to a city in Iowa.; some likely relocate
to larger mid-western cities or states.
The issue of young professionals leaving Iowa, specifically those graduating from Iowa
universities or colleges leaving the state of Iowa, has been an ongoing problem. As a result of this
problem, various groups and panels have been established to address the situation. In a forum held
on July 22, 2015, to address the issue of brain drain, the president of Cedar Rapids Metro Economic
Alliance stated, “We are at war in the nation with 19,000 municipalities. It gets amplified in the
Midwest because we’re not well known.” Our apparent invisibility, coupled with the continued
exodus of college students makes the assumption that Iowa could possibly experience a workforce
shortage a tangible reality. It is because of this potential shortage and issues of brain drain, that it
is so important for Iowa to continue looking at ways of recruiting and retaining millennials
(Tendall, 2015). As of 2013, Iowa Workforce Development in partnership with the Governor’s
Office, Department of Education, and Department of Economic Development renewed efforts to

empirically frame the conversation surrounding the migration of young professionals and young
college graduates from the State of Iowa. The results of their analysis can be found in the Iowa
College Student Analysis: A survey of Iowa’s College Students (2013). The study provides
business and community leaders in the state of Iowa a framework to understand what the millennial
workforce is expecting from their employers. It also provides an outlook as to what would motivate
a millennial to remain in within the state of Iowa. The investigators of this study-contacted
college(s) located throughout Iowa and distributed the survey amongst their students, receiving a
total of 5,074 responses (Iowa Workforce Development, 2013). The research indicated that close
to half of students responding, 44.6%, were inclined to stay in Iowa. Conversely, 32%, of students
were unsure of their plans and 23.4% were inclined to leave the state of Iowa. Thus, about 55.4%
of new young professionals could be leaving the state of Iowa within six months of graduation. So
why are millennials leaving? The study found that 85% of graduates’ decisions to stay are
impacted by appealing benefits. According to the study, only 1:2 millennials feel that Iowa offers
attractive benefits.
Given the uniqueness of millennials’ socialization, it is understandable that they also bring
with them different expectations of employment on several different levels. Intelligence Group, a
division of the Creative Artists Agency that focuses on analysis of youth-focused consumer
preferences and trend forecasting, found 64% of millennials say it is a priority for them to make
the world a better place. 72% would like to be their own boss. If they do have to work for a boss,
79% of them would want that boss to serve more as a coach or mentor. 88% prefer a collaborative
work-culture rather than a competitive one. 74% want flexible work schedules. 88% want “work-
life integration,” which is differentiated from work-life balance, in that, work and life now blend
together inextricably (Taylor, 2014). Based on the statistics, one could make the statement that

millennials want it all. A study conducted by Bussin, Shlecter and Thompson found that while
non-financial rewards such as flexible work schedules and career advancement were statistically
significant on attractiveness of a job to millennials, it was also necessary for the non-financial
rewards to be in step with pay (Bussin, Schlecter, Thompson, 2015). This is a very important point
as it places the employer in a unique predicament: not only do millennials expect a high degree of
non-financial rewards, they also have high expectations for payment. In short, millennials really
do want it all. Some employers recognize the strong desire for career advancement in the
millennial workforce and are responding with a flattened work structure. Companies such as GE,
who reduced their 17 layers of a management structure to 6, are distancing themselves from a
hierarchical framework (Bersin, 2013). Bersin (2013) acknowledges that millennial employees
grew up in an era where they witnessed their parents struggling to climb corporate ladders.
Millennials emerged into the workforce within a recession and struggled to find employment that
was equitable to their skillsets and experiences. With this background, millennial employees do
not want to wait to show their talent and solidify their place in the company. Rather they want to
showcase their skills in an environment where anyone can be a leader, using assignments and job
rotations that shift every 12-24 months. A flattened structure speaks to the millennials need for
transparent and accessible leadership. Millennials see feel that this increases the level of
responsibility they have and feel more autonomy in the decision-making (Meehan, 2013).
The National Journal Communications Council’s report “Bridging the Gap in Millennial
Recruitment” states, “The P’s have it.” His statement refers to purpose, pay, and professional
development opportunities, which encompass nearly 85 percent of millennials’ needs (Gidado,
2015). In an overview of generational differences on wants, needs and expectations of employees,
Benefits Canada (2011) discussed characteristic differences among Gen Y (millennials), Gen X,

and Baby Boomers. They found that millennials are less likely to stay with a job. Benefits Canada
also found that millennials require more feedback from managers, along with increased recognition
of their achievements and talents. The best way to recruit and retain millennials is to create a sexy
and slick e-recruitment presence and highlight social activities at the workplace (Benefits Canada,
2011). These characteristics differ than those of Gen X and Baby Boomers, whom both have higher
retention rates, and would prefer job security to flexibility. Millennials’ value systems differ
greatly than the generations that preceded them. These generational differences imply that
organizations are now in a predicament as they must craft a message speaks to each generation
without isolating the others. Despite generational gaps, most employees wanted fair compensation,
flexibility, and a strong tie to company mission (Benefits Canada, 2011). One way it may be
possible to combat the generational gap is to implement a successful onboarding program that
speaks to all generations of new hires.
Research has shown that the first step in retaining employees is to bring employees in
alignment with the company’s mission, expectations and value system from the earliest stages of
employment possible, including their recruitment (Reese, 2005). This type of system, called
onboarding, differs from a simple orientation program and sets the foundation for employee’s
affiliation with the company. A traditional orientation typically involves a day or two of training
with all of the employment policies, or a manual that is to encompass all of the company practices
and the employee is expected to learn all about the company with little real explanation and follow-
up. Patton (2014) points out that this form of training new hires is not likely to increase retention
or create connections for the employees. While the majority of the legal and daily operational
information may be provided, there is little discussion or presentation of the company’s culture or
mission to form a lasting impression with the newly hired employee. Boe (2014) found that most

millennials would give their onboarding process a C- grade. The type of orientation process the
older generations were used to is not actually engaging to millennial employees. For example, the
classroom orientation style that many companies adhere to will often leave a millennial feeling
that their new employment is boring and will offer a poor first impression. Boe went on to say
that different approaches such as peer mentoring, job shadowing, and continued learning labeled
as onboarding, even after the “real” onboarding is completed, are more likely to allow the
employee to understand the company mission more quickly. Jenkins (2015) found that following
a successful onboarding program, the millennial should have a basic understanding of the
following: culture, values and vision, roles and responsibilities, opportunities and promotions,
training and safety, ethics, and accountability and feel that they are part of a team. Jenkins went
on to emphasize that while an effective onboarding program is essential for all employees to
become acquainted with their company and mission, it
is likely to be even more important for its millennials due to their differences in needs, especially
in their need for feeling welcomed and accepted into the organization.
Organizations have looked to non-traditional models to encourage feelings of acceptance.
Through a strong digital presence organizations find multiple benefits, which reach past just
feelings of acceptance. Millennials have taken the lead in seizing on the new platforms of the
digital era—the Internet, mobile technology and social media—to construct personalized networks
of friends, colleagues and affinity groups. Millennials are more connected to technology than
previous generations. A quarter of Millennials believe that their relationship to technology is what
makes their generation unique (Millennial Impact Organization, 2014). While all generations have
experienced technological advances, the sheer amount of computational power and access to
information that millennials have had at their fingertips since grade school is unparalleled.

Computational processing power has roughly doubled every 2 years, and storage prices continue
to drop. Under these trends, millennials have come of age in a world in which the frontiers of
technology have appeared unlimited. (Council Of Economic Advisers, 2014). The long-term
relationship that millennials have with computers is likely the reason why it is the preferred method
for finding a job or learning about a company. A study done by Paradiso, Marketing to Millennials
(2015) found that millennials are the first generation to grow up online therefore mediums used
need to be mixed to accommodate how millennials acquire and use information. Paradiso points
out that for a recruitment of millennials, an e-recruitment strategy is absolutely necessary. An
effective e-recruitment strategy will be organic and live and not static. Allowing the millennials to
feel as if they are interacting and being heard. In doing so, companies can create an experience
that is transparent and that millennials will want to brand (Paradiso, 2015).
Millennials also identify with groups in different ways than previous generations. For
example, about half (49%) of millennials say the phrase “a patriotic person” describes them very
well—with 35% saying this is a “perfect” description. By contrast, 64% of Gen Xers, 75% of
Boomers and 81% of Silents’ say this describes them very well (Millennial Impact Organization,
2014). This gap may be due more to their age and stage in life than a characteristic of their
generation. When Gen Xers were young, they lagged behind their elders on this measure in a
similarly worded question. Millennials are also somewhat less likely than older adults to describe
themselves as environmentalists—just 32% say this describes them very well, compared with at
least 40% among all older generations. On the other hand, they are far more likely to say they are
supporters of gay rights—some 51% do so, compared with 37% of Gen Xers and about a third of
older adults (Pew 2014). A report from the Millennial Impact Organization (2014) suggests the
group is more likely to be involved in volunteerism or giving to charity. In 2014, 84 percent of

millennial employees made a charitable donation, while 70 percent spent at least an hour
volunteering (Millennial Impact Organization 2014). These changes in social identity can impact
how millennials identify with and search for an employer, as well as how long they stay with that
employer.
So why is it so important to recruit and retain millennials? Given their unique desires and
characteristics that can appear taxing to some organizations? Simply stated, the United States work
force is aging and one of the largest generations, the baby boomers, will soon be retiring. Thus,
millennials the second largest generation, will need to fill the ranks. Iowa will be one of the most
affected by boomer retirement. According to a report Older Iowans: 2015, conducted by the State
Data Center of Iowa and the Iowa Department on Aging, Iowa had an estimated 480,879 people
aged 65 and over in 2013. That number is expected to increase to 672,560 by 2040. It is also
expected that by 2040, 20% of residents will be 65 years or older in over 83 of Iowa’s 99 counties;
an increase from current rate at which 20 of Iowa’s 99 counties have 20% of their population 65
years or older (Older Iowans, 2015). As of 2013, Iowa ranked 10th amongst the state with a largest
percentage of their population 65 and older. This has huge ramifications to Iowa’s workforce.
Especially when considering that as of 2013 only 83,667 of Iowans over 65 were employed that is
just slightly over 17% of that population (Older Iowans, 2015). Subsequently, Iowa is not growing.
According to Wilson and his article published in the Washington Post, Iowa is one of the eight
states in the nation whose population did not double over the last century (Wilson, 2013). If
population-aging estimates for 2040 are correct, workforce disengagement for individuals 65 years
or older will continue to be an issue. This, in conjunction with Iowa’s brain drain problem, will
leave Iowa’s workforce population stagnant if not understaffed. In short, it is increasingly
important for companies and organizations to look to millennials to fill those positions.

Methods
The authors of this study, wanted to determine whether the literature review conducted was
accurate in its representation of how millennial Iowans seek employment and examine what keeps
them there. While the research conducted by various organizations appears to be representative of
what millennial Iowans are seeking in future employment, the authors thought it was necessary to
provide a mixed methods analysis that looked at efforts both quantitative and qualitative aspects
in recruiting and retaining millennials. A survey, along with interviews from Iowan employers
was decided upon as the best methodology to obtain this data. We will first speak to the survey.
The survey was sent out to individuals that met the definition of millennial employees. The survey
was of a non-probability sampling design and consisted of thirty questions that focused on three
main areas: how and why millennial employees chose their current employer, is and or was
residing in Iowa a main factor for them in regards to employment, and what factors have swayed
them to stay with their current employer. The questions were fashioned based on prior research
discussed in the literature review. The survey examined what millennial employees were seeking
when looking for employment and what actually enticed them to remain at their employers. The
survey was created via Survey Monkey, a free online survey software and questionnaire platform
and was sent out to all College of Business and Public Administration graduate students. The
survey was also sent to private contacts of the researchers via email and Facebook. The survey
was distributed to an unknown number given the viral nature of social media. A total of 201
responses were received. Survey Monkey allows for the option for a question to be skipped and
left blank. As the survey progressed, responses dwindled with the final questions receiving 117
responses out of the 201 total respondents. The results of this survey provided a quantitative
framework in which to assess the accuracy and relevancy of the previously cited studies.

The survey did have limitations. The largest one being that the sample was one of
convenience and was not statistically representative of the population. In addition, the survey was
conducted over a short period of time. Because of time limitations and the scope of the analysis,
the survey was limited in the methods used for delivery. It is very unlikely to reflect a statistically
accurate sample of millennials. Given the channels of delivery and that both the surveyors and the
Drake University College of Business and Public Administration as a whole is predominantly
white, it limited the diversification of our sample population. Therefore, most of the respondents
were likely white and not reflective of Iowa’s minority population. Many of the respondents were
also likely predominantly living and working in urban areas of Iowa as the surveyors resided in
urban areas and Drake University is located in an urban area: Des Moines. Our surveyors failed
to question the type of workplace the respondents worked in: private, public, or nonprofit. This
was a drastic oversight as the researchers were unable to determine if, at least from the millennial’s
perspective, there is a difference in how they are recruited or retained based on the type of industry
they work in. If further research were to be conducted on this topic, it would be imperative to
assess the industry the millennial employees were working and match it with the research data we
obtained from companies on their recruitment and retention techniques. We would also want to
see if the employees that are seeking flexibility, a flattened work structure, and development
opportunities. lean towards working in particular industries. While it can be assumed that
employers that are actively promoting best practices for recruitment and retention of millennials,
we ascertained from our research there is currently no data to support whether that is truly the case.
It is also necessary to consider whether current employer practices are truly what recruits and
retains millennials. It’s also necessary to see if organizations that do not employ what has been
identified best practices, have a harder time recruiting and retaining the millennial population.

With respect to privacy and autonomy the respondents were not asked to identify their
specific location or race. Survey Monkey records the responses when a survey is taken but does
not record who has taken the survey; they are simply referred to as respondent 1, respondent 2,
respondent 3 and so forth in the analysis section of the data collection. Therefore, all identities are
protected and there is no way to track the actual age, race, or identity of the
respondents. Subsequently, Axten (2015) defines millennial workers as those individuals being
born between 1980 and 2000. Because the definition of millennial employees includes individuals
under the age of 18, the survey investigators altered the definition of a millennial for the purpose
of the survey to ensure that no minors filled out our questionnaire. However, there was no
methodology that would preclude a minor from taking the survey and not properly disclosing their
age. Additionally, most of the respondents likely were not recent graduates of an undergraduate
program, but were individuals who were college graduates who had been in the workforce for a
few years, as opposed to millennials who had not attended college at all. Most of the research that
has been conducted in this arena surrounds college graduates. Little research can be found on
millennials who did not attend college. Further studies would need to include these populations
and would need to have additional questions added to the survey to distinguish which part of the
millennial population they fell into: recent graduates, or millennials who have been in the
workforce for a few years (both college graduates and millennial employees with only a high
school education or less). Therefore, while the results did support research that was conducted as
to what millennial employees are looking for in employment, reasons for remaining with their
employers nationally, further research needs to be conducted in order to truly consider the results
significant in such a way that true implications could be extracted on a state level.

To help formulate best practices the authors conducted interviews with some of these top
employers in the state of Iowa to garner a qualitative perspective on how to recruit and retain
millennials based on their experience. The sectors that we reached out to were private industry,
publically funded organizations, and non-profit organizations. The authors focused on the top ten
in each sector by employment size. The 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW program, with
permission of inclusion from the employers, established these numbers (Iowa workforce
Development Employment Statistics Bureau, 2012). The authors were faced with some limitations
while conducting the interviews with these organizations. Time limitations did not allow for all of
the organizations to set time aside to be interviewed, while other organizations contacted did not
have a strategy pertaining to millennials and would thereby not have been beneficial to our
research. The authors focused their attention to the human resource departments of these
organizations for the interviews. The decentralization of some of the organizations’ human
resource departments also created issues in a top-down relay of an overall strategy.
Interviews were secured with four organizations in Iowa. Their participation could be
considered anonymous by request of the organization. Only one of the four organizations chose to
remain anonymous for this study. Ten questions were distributed via email to the representative
of these organizations. The questions were formulated to find the importance of millennials to
organization’s workforce with focus on strategies and techniques these organizations are using to
combat the issues of bringing millennials to Iowa. Researchers focused on the age gap and trends
of hiring in state and out of state millennials. See Appendix B for a list of the questions asked of
Iowa employers.
Results of the Survey

Iowa millennial employees are in alignment with some research on the national level, but
divergent in others. This could be, in part, due to the limited scope of our survey or an indicator
of differentials that would require further analysis in order to confirm their validity. Two of the
main areas where our survey findings aligned with existing research were surrounding that of
flexible work hours and work-life balance. Schramm (2015) showed a trend that a flexible work
schedule was important to recruit millennial employees (36%) but was of even greater importance
to retain them (53%). Our results mirrored that trend, but with higher percentages of importance:
60.8% for recruiting and 74.6% for retention. Likewise, Hershatter and Epstein (2010) cited that
work-life balance is one of the most important things to attract and keep millennial
employees. Our research supported this; in fact, it was the second highest issue of importance that
we surveyed with 90.5% stating it aided in their recruitment to their current employer and 89.2%
stating it was an important factor for them to stay there.
Fallon (2009) stated that millennial employees thrive of community activism through their
employer and often fit this into their flexible schedule and work-life balance to make their work
more satisfactory. Our research may support this theory. While only 44.2% of employees
indicated that community activism was an important factor within their recruitment, 54.3% of
millennials showed that it was an important factor in their retention. This could indicate that
millennial employees find more satisfaction in community activism by fitting it into their work-
life balance that their employer provides. Further, 78.0% of our respondents indicated that their
company’s corporate culture was an important factor to their recruitment and even more so as to
why they stayed on, at 79.7%. Because companies with a positive and healthy culture also tend to
have a healthy corporate responsibility program, these results are very congruent with Axten’s
(2015) observations that millennial employees want to work for a company that is innovative and

outward focus. But also allows them to participate in social responsibility on a personal level. With
corporate culture being a significant factor to our respondents, the way that employees are
onboarded into their company may play a significant role in their belief in their company’s culture.
Robinson (2012) showed that 69% of employees who attended a formally structured
onboarding process remained with the company for at least three years following their
training. Our research showed that 54.8% of employees felt that their company’s onboarding
program allowed them to hit the ground running and become acclimated to their position quickly.
This reiterates a statement made previously in the literature review that most employees want to
ensure that they are closely tied with their companies’ mission. Because our survey’s scope did
not include parameters to determine how long employees actually were retained within the
company, we cannot specifically say that an employee onboarding program was a factor in the
retention of millennials. But because our findings appear to be in alignment with current research,
an assumption can be made that having a structured onboarding program aids in the retention of
millennials.
The research we conducted indicated that the location of the employer was of great
importance. The statistics of location being a factor in recruitment and retainment were very
similar, with percentages of 87.5% and 86.3%, respectively. The employer’s location in Iowa was
actually of great importance as well; in fact, 80.8% of the respondents indicated that an Iowa
location was very or somewhat important to them. This could still be in alignment with research
conducted by Iowa Watch; (Mills, 2015) in that many individuals may return to Iowa later in their
careers to settle down to raise a family. Considering our survey did not have many, if any, recent
graduates of a four year program as respondents the likelihood that the respondents had families
and had returned to Iowa is high. This assumption can also be extended to whether or not the

location of employer close to an entertainment district was of importance. Vasilogambros &
Whiteman (2014) argued that entertainment was a reason that millennials were moving to Iowa,
specifically, its urban areas, to live and work. However, our survey results indicated that the
location of entertainment was not a factor significant to where they looked for work, nor whether
they stayed there, with only 27.2% stating that it was an important factor for them. Further studies
would need to be conducted to determine whether or not entertainment is a factor in where
millennial employees look for work and if so, is this something that is also true for Iowa,
specifically?
Schramm (2015) showed that the largest factor for recruitment and retention of millennial
employees was levels of monetary compensation, especially in the area of retention. This finding
was upheld in our survey results with 91.7% stating that monetary compensation was either
somewhat or very important to their recruitment and 95.0% saying that it was either somewhat or
very important to their retainment. Additionally, Mills (2015) showed that Iowa millennials that
are recent college graduates feel that monetary compensation is important to their recruitment, but
that only 46% felt that Iowa’s wages were competitive. Our survey held slightly higher
percentages, with 70.2% feeling that Iowa’s compensation was comparable to other states. This
discrepancy can result from Mills only surveying recent or soon-to-be college graduates and not
including millennial employees who have been in the workforce for several years. Recent
graduates may hold the perception that Iowa is not competitive in salary, but millennials whom
have been working for several years may have either gained the experience to be in a higher
compensation bracket, or simply just from the observations of actually being in the workforce and
experiencing what the compensation of Iowa companies truly is. Our survey also found that 54.4%
of respondents felt that being in Iowa was important to their career advancement. This is an

interesting statistic in that, 80.8% had responded that being in Iowa was an important factor in
their choice of employer. In other words, some millennial employees may feel they could advance
in their career better elsewhere, but being in Iowa was of greater importance to them. This could
again follow Mill’s (2015) theory that individuals who are ready to “settle down” choose to live
in Iowa for employment.
Millennial employees grew up in the digital age and have different expectations of how
and where to connect with others in all areas of their lives, including employment (Hershatter &
Epstein, 2010). Paradiso (2015) showed that social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram and
Facebook are how many millennials make their decisions, making it one of the more effective
forms of advertising. In spite of this finding, our survey results did not necessarily indicate that to
be the case in terms of recruitment. Only 7.3% indicated that they found out about their current
employer via social media, while the second highest percentages of millennials heard about their
employer through a referral (32.7%). What was not clear, however, was how many millennials
discovered their employer by referral on social media. It is entirely possible that there are a
percentage of those referrals that found their employer from a friend, the referral, who simply
posted a message that their employer was looking for work. In further studies, an additional
question should be added to try and tease out that percentage to see how many still discovered it
via social media, even if through a friend and so technically, a referral. Additionally, only 29.4%
stated that an employment website was a factor in their decision-making to work there and 15.2%
stated that their specific employer’s website was how they had learned of the position. While the
percentage is small, it still shows that at least some individuals were swayed by the layout of the
website once they had navigated there since that may be how they discovered the position from
the get-go. The highest percentage of millennials discovered their employer through employment

websites (33.9%) and only 0.6% found the employer through older methods of recruitment such
as an ad in the newspaper. Yet, if you consider that employment websites, employer websites and
social media which in total is (56.4%) were avenues that millennials found employment it points
to the necessity of having a multimedia e-recruitment strategy. This finding is consistent with
Hershatter & Epstein’s (2010) observation that millennial employees are more apt to use things on
the Internet than in prior generations.
Torrado (2015) discussed the need for millennial employees to voice their opinions and
have a very open and supportive manager. Our survey results were consistent with this
premise. 61.0% of our respondents stated they looked for new employment due to dissatisfaction
with their manager and 94.2% stated that they were very happy with their current manager’s
attitude towards them and this was very influential in their reason to remain with the
company. Reiterating prior research that states millennials look to their managers as coaches and
mentors more so than as a supervisor. Moreover, 83.3% stated that they felt comfortable enough
in their current environment to voice any concerns with their upper management. Hershatter &
Epstein (2010) stated that millennial employees have a need to exceed and excel. 65.0% of our
respondents stated that their company offers such opportunities as development and
advancement. However, we did not look into whether the presence or absence of these was a
factor in their retainment and would require further study to ascertain this information.
A total rewards system encompasses every aspect of employment: compensation, standard
benefits, work/life balance and fringe benefits (Schlechter & Bussin, 2015). Schlechter and Bussin
(2015) showed that millennials thrive on the whole total rewards package and system of
ideals. The scope of this study only touched on two fringe benefits, but will assume that the results
would be similar with other fringe benefits as well. The first fringe benefit we looked at, wellness,

showed that 62.3% of our respondents felt that having a wellness program was important and
recruitment and 62.4% felt that it was important to their retainment. This is virtually identical. Our
second benefit, office layout, was not very important for member recruitment (at 25.2%), but
increased and aided with employee retention at 49.6%. For fringe benefits, the results clearly
varied. While we only looked at two, in can be assumed that the personality and life situation of
the respondent was a factor on what fringe benefits they like. For example, one may prefer having
daycare on site but a millennial without children could care less about childcare and more about a
different benefit. In short, while our results were variant on what type of fringe benefits are
important; the main factor of importance is that whether or not there are fringe benefits at an
employer at all. As pointed out earlier, the results of our survey reiterate a prevailing theme, which
is millennials want it all, the fringe benefits regardless of what they are and competitive
compensation.
Results of Private Business Interviews
Pella Windows Corporation in Pella, Iowa and Principal Financial Group in Des Moines,
Iowa, agreed to answer the authors’ questions. The largest employer in Iowa according to the
2012 Bureau of Labor report, Hy-Vee stores, does not have a millennial strategy and chose not to
participate (Iowa Workforce Development Employment Statistics Bureau, 2012). Wal-Mart does
not answer research questions according to their public relations hotline. The other ten largest
employers did not return phone calls or email requests for participation.
Pella Windows Corporation

Leslie Johnston from Pella Corporation’s human resource department assisted in the
authors’ study. According to the 2012 Bureau of Labor Study, Pella Corporation is the 9th
largest private business employer in Iowa and has 6,000-team members company-wide. Pella
Corporation has window and door showrooms across the United States and Canada, but is
headquartered in Pella, Iowa. The company’s primary purpose is window and door
manufacturing with ten different manufacturing facilities in the United States (Pella Corporation,
2015). Pella Corp. views millennials as an important part of their team who add significant value
in their organization. Johnston stated, “Millennials bring in different perspectives on how they
solve problems, work with others, what they want for work culture, and their value proposition.”
While Pella Corp. takes into consideration that millennials need to be recruited differently; it has
not made any large changes in their organization’s structure to specifically recruit millennials.
By targeting different niche sites and using different verbiage Pella Corp. is able to attract the
desired personality for their open positions. Pella Corp. has started to use tactics like recruiting
through social media. Showcased on these websites are the company’s value propositions,
company’s technologies, flexible work place, and how they empower their employees to make
decisions. Emphasizing corporate responsibility was an important factor that is relayed to
millennials during the recruitment process. Pella Corp. viewed the usage of social media and new
job posting outlets to be the largest differences they have incorporated to recruit millennials.
Pella Corp. also has a large footprint at local universities, which allows them to successfully
recruit millennial employees. They partner with 31 schools each fall and spring. Johnston
emphasized the importance of going beyond just having a booth at career fairs, but rather
working directly with the school. Her team works closely with the universities career offices and
professors to help them secure desired employees. New staff members at Pella Corp. participate

in a six-month onboarding program. This onboarding program has been in place for over ten
years. Pella believes it has helped their retention rates. The organization credits their “People
Focused Culture” to their successful retention of employees. Their culture focuses on listening to
their employees, empowering them, and communicating to their employees often.
The Principal Financial Group
Ben Keenan from Principal Financial Group’s human resource and diversity department
assisted in the authors’ study. According to the 2012 Bureau of Labor Study, Principal Financial
is the 4th largest private business employer in Iowa and is headquartered in Des Moines.
Principal is primarily a global investment and financial management firm, managing $516.2
billion in assets and services 20.6 million customers worldwide in 18 countries. (Principal
Financial Group, 2015).
Keenan emphasized that millennials bring valuable, new perspectives to their
organization. Principal looks towards millennials inexperience as an asset. Their newness to the
field is used to provide a unique perspective to their current corporate structure and to bring in
fresh ideas. This enables Principal to step outside of their current processes, restrictions, and
limitations. Having millennials as a part of their organization helps them deal with old problems
with new perspectives and create new opportunities. Principal views their millennial population
as an asset. Because of this they’ve implemented quality assurance controls that allow for
continuous improvement conversations, which enable them to meet the expectations, and needs
of millennials by adapting current processes and systems. They have labeled it their new “swag”
approach. This “swag” has created a more useful, environmental, and practical recruiting
process. One of the most important changes Principal has made to recruit millennials is to bring

potential employees into the organization to job shadow at company events. Principal believes
millennials want to see beyond just the job fairs and see the company in action. Principal has
extended their resources as far as creating an internal team to focus on millennials. This team
works to research problems and new business opportunities driven by the behavioral trends of
today’s millennials.
Principal gears their recruiting techniques towards the individual and position being
filled. They have seen some new areas of importance to recruiting millennials compared to past
generations. Annual salary is not mentioned as often in the top three needs for employees as it
once was. Instead, the top factors they see are development, travel opportunities, and senior
leader visibility. Strategies to speak to millennials also differ inside their organization. Keenan
has found millennials appreciate genuine, non-wordy communication and don’t like wasted time,
but at the same time, prefer visuals and a humorous atmosphere.
University recruitment is also a large emphasis in their recruiting strategy. Principal
Financial partners with hundreds of colleges and universities to find interns and full-time
employees that would be a great addition to their workforce. Their strategy ranges by institution
and their company needs. Annually, Principal reaches 10-15 campuses. Hiring employees
outside the state of Iowa is also important to Principal as these employees have a tendency to
bring different backgrounds and perspectives to the organization.
Principal has had an onboarding program in place for over thirty years, but they
continuously look to mold it in new ways. Employees are asked to commit to a half day of
orientation to go over the company values, future career development, and meet their leaders and
teams and it also aims to create unity with their fellow new co-workers. Principal has many
strategies to retain employees, with personal development as their main focus. They have

development classes, lasting two weeks that employees can attend. These development
programs focus on work-life balance, fun, and learning.
Publically Funded Organization Interviews
The University of Iowa and one other organization, which chose to stay anonymous,
agreed to answer the researchers’ questions. According to the 2012 Bureau of Labor report, the
largest publically funded employers included may public schools, universities and community
colleges, the United States Postal Service, the Veterans Administration and the State of Iowa
itself (Iowa Workforce Development Employment Statistics Bureau, 2012). In researching these
organizations, a theme developed where there were less millennial-specific recruiting strategies.
This disconnect is credited to the lack of funding and time these organizations are allowed to
develop extensive recruiting processes and thereby had an affect on the responses the researchers
were able to gather.
Major Public Community School District
One of the major public community school districts in Iowa responded to the research
questions, but chose to stay anonymous for the purpose of this study. Millennials are seen as an
importation part of their workforce. The district notices millennials bring more technology savvy
skillsets to their positions, think outside the box, and are geared towards teamwork. The school
district finds an added amount of enthusiasm when millennials are brought into new positions.
This school district uses campus recruiting to find new employees. Like the private
organizations, they stayed on with the trend of using social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn,

and Twitter to recruit. The district finds it is important to communicate to millennials differently
through social media and through their websites. Instead of very long and detailed job
descriptions, brief descriptions are listed on the websites. This district also has recruiting
strategies that reach outside of the state of Iowa and has traveled as far as California. They also
have an exchange program with Spain where they have attracted applicants.
While the hiring process and retaining process is set by statute, a mentor program has
been put in place to help support newer hires. The district directs the recruiting and retaining
process the same for all generations including asking the same interview questions and their
onboarding strategy. This formality shows a slight difference from a private organization, which
has more freedom to extensively customize their recruiting programs.
The University of Iowa
Keith Becker from the University of Iowa human resource department assisted in the
researchers’ study. Iowa University is the 2nd largest publically funded employer in Iowa
according to the 2012 Bureau of Labor study (Iowa Workforce Development Employment
Statistics Bureau, 2012). Iowa University is headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa and is a known for
its arts, sciences, and humanities education; it has been a part of the Big Ten conference since
1899 and has a student body of over 31,000 students (The University of Iowa, 2015). Becker
believes millennials bring diversity of thought, new perspectives, technology skills, and a
collaborative work ethic to their university. Iowa University sees the importance of recruiting
millennials through new avenues such as social media. They strive to sell their company,
location, work-life balance, and culture on these sites. Similar to the community school
interviewed, University of Iowa does not isolate millennials in the recruiting process. They have

a uniform hiring process for all employees. However, the University of Iowa us uniquely placed
in regards to hiring from universities, as they are a university themselves. Because of this,
recruiting is mainly done with their student body or near-by Kirkwood Community College for
applicants. However, for some hard to fill positions the university has moved to a sourcing
model where they identify passive candidates and invite them to apply.
For onboarding, Iowa University holds many orientations throughout the year. During the
orientations, they have multiple departments come to give presentations on the different aspects
of the university. Supervisors are required to keep a checklist to make sure new employees are
adapting. From a retaining standpoint, University of Iowa knows they need more improvements
and strategies to move ahead. University of Iowa has been fortunate to have a well know brand,
nature of work, salary and benefits, and work-life balance to be successful at retaining
employees. Becker mentioned they have many employees who have been with the university for
twenty to thirty years but they understand the new millennial generations need more to attract
and keep them as long-term employees than just the Iowa brand.
Iowa Non-Profits
Researchers were unable to secure interviews with an Iowa non-profit. During the
solicitation process for interviews, the researches noticed a lack of strategy amongst the non-
profits human resource departments. It appeared that nonprofits faced the same issues as
publically funded organizations. It is common knowledge that these nonprofits can be
understaffed and underfunded. Non-profits have a higher annual turnover rate than private and
government organizations. They are 3.1% compared to 2.7% in the private industry and 1% in
government organizations. These organizations cannot always compete with the salary and

benefits private and public organizations can provide. Non-profits are faced with the challenge of
recruiting mainly on the mission of their organization. Non-profits struggles cause a domino
effect, which leads them to hire under-performing and under-qualified staff. Also non-profits
may cancel or postpone programs due to lack of employees or funding (Gazley, 2009).
Non-profits look to low-cost retention strategies to help them recruit and retain employees.
To recruit, non-profits align these strategies with their organizational goals and mission driven
cultures. Some of these suggested strategies that research has shown works include: investing in
employee development opportunities, having work flexibility that allows for a work-life balance,
telecommuting, family leave time, transportation subsidies, low-cost health benefits, childcare
and elder care subsidies, reverse mentoring, and public recognition (Gazley, 2009).
Another issue non-profits face is recruiting and retaining valuable volunteers. As many non-
profits are already struggling to recruit and retain full time employees, volunteer recruiting
activities can become low priority. However, if employers are unsuccessful at finding full time
employees, they may have to rely solely on volunteers to fill the void that the open position has
left. Many non-profits are successful in attracting volunteers, but many do not return or stay on
as long-term volunteers. Non-profits are looking to private organizations to provide stipends to
employees for volunteer work. There is a large push in local and national governments to
encourage volunteering. Non-profits are looking to a new trend amongst teens and young adults
to volunteer. Additionally, as baby boomers retire these individuals are looking for volunteer
opportunities (Gazley, 2009).
Discussion & Recommendations

Our literature review, along with our research allowed us to establish five best practices
that Iowa employers can adopt to recruit and retain millennials. First, it is important to have an
onboarding program at your organization. An effective onboarding program will bring
employees in alignment with the company’s mission, expectations and value system from the
earliest stages of employment possible, including their recruitment. Onboarding programs
operate as a way for employers to acculturate individuals to the organization. By aligning the
individuals’ values with the organization a social identity can be established thereby increasing
loyalty to the organization and encouraging group cohesion. Secondly, it is important for an
organization to establish and facilitate an effective e-recruitment strategy. What research has
shown, and what our survey demonstrated, is that millennials look towards the Internet to find
their jobs. Anecdotally, it is assumed that they utilize social media to find jobs. It is important
for organizations to understand that an e-recruitment strategy needs to be multifaceted. That it is
important to utilize social media, employment websites, and lifestyle advertisements, to create an
omnipresent recruitment campaign that encourages millennials to promote your brand and want
to join your company. Subsequently, brand recognition is also important; companies need to
have a regional presence to increase recruitment of millennials. Without this, Iowa could face a
workforce shortage as Iowa graduates flock to other states. Our research found that companies
that had a regional presence and expanded their focus to not just Iowa but nationally anecdotally
saw success in their recruitment strategies. The easiest way for an organization to do this was by
partnering with multiple universities. That said, having a regional recruitment strategy that
crosses state line is important, in that, there is the potential to capture Iowan’s that previously
left, individuals looking to settle down, or capturing recent graduates who may be on their way
out. Our research also demonstrated the importance of professional development. Millennials

want a flattened organizational structure that allows them to be mentored and grow within their
company. They are looking for the right amount of autonomy and encouragement to operate
independently while being able to receive constructive feedback from their managers. As our
literature review pointed out, millennials want to succeed and desire recognition for their efforts.
A company culture that implements this and allows millennials the opportunity to be heard will
be successful in their recruitment and retention strategies. Finally, but most importantly,
organizations need to look at its fringe benefits and non-financial rewards. It is essential that
organizations look at their current employees and their future employees as to what fringe
benefits they will offer. As in the article HR at every stage, and demonstrated in our survey, its
important for organizations to ensure that their benefits flex to employee needs so their benefits
program is alluring to multiple generations and adapts to the uniqueness of individual needs.
In conclusion, without implementation of these best practices, Iowa employers may lose
the recruitment fight to other companies. Young adults flock to Iowa to attend school and then
promptly leave after, enriching the workforce of other states, while slowly killing our economy.
With the workforce in Iowa continuing to age, and the millennial migration moving to larger
cities, it is important that we use these techniques so that we can ensure that these young
millennials flock to our local cities and not leave the state.

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Appendix A
Survey Questions delivered online to various groups via Survey Monkey
1. Are you between the ages of 18 and 34?
2. How flexible did you require the working hours to be?
3. How much of a factor was the location of the employer
4. What type of location do you prefer for your employer?
5. How important was the company’s presence in community activism?
6. How much did the company’s website influence your decision?
7. How much did your employer’s corporate culture and value system influence your
decision?
8. Was dissatisfaction with your previous employer a factor for looking for new employment?
9. How important was the level of monetary compensation you receive?
10. How important was the company’s stance on work/life balance?
11. How important was the company’s stance on wellness?
12. How important to your decision-making was the company’s office layout when you
interviewed?
13. Which of the following methods of job searching did you use the most?
14. How important is your employer’s location being in the state of Iowa
15. How comparable do you feel your compensation is relative to other states?
16. How beneficial is your current location in Iowa to your career advancement?
17. How close do you feel you are to your peer group at your Iowa employer?
18. How important is your employer’s location relative to an entertainment district?
19. How flexible do you require the working hours to be?
20. How much of a factor is the location of the employer?
21. How important is the company’s presence in community activism?
22. How much did your company’s onboarding program help prepare you for your position
and allow you to hit the ground running?
23. How much does your employer’s corporate culture and value system influence your job
satisfaction?
24. Does your current manager’s attitude towards you influence your decision to remain at the
company?
25. Do you feel comfortable enough in your position to voice concerns to upper management
effectively?
26. How important is the level of monetary compensation you receive?
27. How important is the company’s stance on work/life balance?
28. How important is the company’s stance on wellness?
29. Does the company’s office layout affect your ability to do your job adequately?
30. How often does your company allow you to explore development and advancement
opportunities?

Appendix B
1) What benefits, if any, do you see in having millennials as part of your workforce?
2) Have any special considerations been made when trying to recruit from the millennial
workforce? What changes has your organization made to incorporate these
considerations?
3) Do you use different recruiting techniques when hiring for specific positions and if so
why do you chose those different outlets for these positions?
4) Have you noticed any trends in your recruitment efforts that have made recruiting
millennials easier? How do these differ from other generations?
5) How do you speak to millennials without isolating other generations?
6) Does your organization have a corporate responsibility campaign?
7) If Yes: Have you found that it has impact the organization’s recruitment efforts of
millennials?
8) What type of onboarding program do you use? How long has it been in place? How has
it affected your employee retention?
9) What types of strategies does your organization use to retain employees after an initial
orientation?
10) (If applicable) What strategies do you use to recruit at local universities?
11) Which universities do you work with?
12) What does your organization do to recruit out-of-state employees? Do those strategies
differ from recruiting in-state employees?

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