The Key To Retaining Millennial (and younger) Employees - Be Like Drake

First off, we need to stop using the term millennial so loosely. Your five-year old nephew who knows how to surf the web better than you isn't a millennial. But he is smarter than you (and me), and will take your job in ten years.

For the purposes of this piece, we will use the term "young people" as a replacement for the overused, and abused, millennial. One of the biggest problems any people leader faces today is, "How do I attract and retain all the young people?".

There seems to be so many barriers blocking people from across generational lines. And all the older people seem to question the younger people's intentions, and vice versa. Will this young person stay with us for longer than six months? Does this older person want to gatekeep their position forever?

Well, there is a way to break down these barriers. The secret sauce for retaining young people at your company is - honesty. Honesty is something that young people value greatly. It's the force that drives the culture young people embrace. So, how can you practice being honest? It's simple, you have to be like Drake.

Who is Drake?

Drake is a singer, songwriter, and actor from Toronto. His music has touched genres from hip-hop to R&B, and even pop. There's not one artist who has made a bigger impact over the last decade than Drake. Ask any younger person if they know Drake, they know Drake.

What makes Drake so special?

Drake has always practiced honesty in his image and songwriting. While other rappers hid facts from their personal life, Drake became famous for being open about issues in his relationships. As an up and comer from Canada, many doubted Drake's credibility. But instead of hiding, Drake embraced his Toronto roots, and now nobody questions whether a Canadian artist deserves to be a Top 100 artist.

So I should be like the biggest musical artist of this generation?

No, but you should be like yourself. In the workplace, we are taught to put up walls in front of our true selves. And that's why young people don't trust the leadership at work. They don't know who they are, like they know who Drake is. If you really want to retain young people at your company, start by being honest. That honesty will recipricate, and you will no longer have to stress about if you're "getting" the latest meme posted in Slack.

Good luck, old person 👵.