CPA Practice Advisor - 29

FEATURE

What Millennials Want:
How to Woo the Modern Workforce By Chris Farrell
MILLENNIALS ARE INFAMOUS. From avocado toast aficionados and aspiring
homeowners to safe-space seekers, millennials find themselves as the butt
of many baby boomer joke. However, what many non-millennials dangerously
overlook is that this eco-conscious and app-savvy demographic is already
the largest working age group in the workforce.
According to the Pew Research Center, millennials became the largest generation in the
labor force in 2016. For professional services firms
that plan on staying in business after their senior
leadership retires, attracting and connecting with
millennials is the key to success. But, working
with millennials requires an entirely new song
and dance. Not only is this socially minded demographic different than any age group before them,
but they also expect the firms and companies
they invest in to follow suit. Now more than ever,
businesses need to master exactly how to woo,
delight, and retain the millennial workforce.

also prefer it. Millennials want communication
channels that are less crowded than email and
accessible at their fingertips. Chat, in-app messaging, and text are the holy trinity of millennial
communication. These text-friendly avenues provide a clear line of communication that replaces
the noise of spam-filled inboxes with real-time
conversations. Providing customer support solely
through email or the phone is a sure-fire way to
alienate millennials and send them running
into the arms of a competitor - faster than a
full-gluten bagel!

GO MOBILE

Millennials want everything digital. Long gone
are the days of paper records, printed receipts,
and deep-drawer file cabinets. The smartphonewielding population wants information that can
be saved in the cloud and accessed from anywhere
in the world. Millennials want the freedom to
store, share, and review documents wherever they
roam, all while saving the planet from frivolous
paper use. Requiring any form of paperwork
negatively carbon dates you. To meet the social,
environmental, and convenience expectations of
the millennial, you need to lose the paper.

It might sound obvious, but millennials depend
on mobile apps. This tech-savvy demographic is
more comfortable adopting and building tech than
any other age group. As a result, they're looking
for businesses that can keep up. Mobile apps make
professional services firms more accessible and
approachable by planting firms directly into the
palms of their clients' hands. With apps, clients
aren't required to make the trip to your office or
make time in their schedule. They can access
your services any time, anywhere. This freedom
to roam and work at their leisure is the customer
experience millennials expect from a modern
brand. Bottom line, if you're not on the app train,
you're on the road to antiquity.

USE THE RIGHT CHANNELS
To engage millennials, you need to speak their
language. These app-savvy individuals use their
phones more than any other age group. Did you
know 79% of millennials are on their phones at
least three hours a day? And, they aren't racking
up minutes. Millennials are texting connoisseurs. These T9-fluent individuals are not only
accustomed to text-based conversations ... they

DITCH THE PAPER

DON'T LEAVE THEM HANGING
For millennials, top-notch customer experience
(CX) goes a long way. Even if this brunch-loving
bunch prefers text-based communication, they
don't react kindly to bad customer service. Customer experience is a major decision point for
millennials. As they interact with brands daily,
from e-commerce, to transportation, to food and
hospitality, millennials know exactly what great
customer experience looks like and what a bad
one feels like. Ensure a friction-free experience for
millennials with an intuitive website, accessible
support channels, and the right mobile tools.

With years of experience scouring the internet
for research, answers, and the occasional first-date
identity check, millennials are pretty resourceful.
Before they turn to you with a question, they're
going to look online. Take your CX even further
with a millennial-friendly knowledge base filled
with training videos, guides, and webinars.

GET SOCIAL
As consumers, millennials buy brands - not
products. Take advantage of the social channels
millennials are already using to share your brand
story and build relationships. Millennials use
social media to inspire, motivate, and interact
with the community around them. To get through
to the content-consuming demographic, flaunt
your brand personality and contribute value to
the community, no strings attached.
Not sure where to start? Promote research,
skill-building workshops, and webinars to engage
your audience. What can set your firm apart from
competitors is how your audience feels toward
you. As a group that values transparency, millennials aren't afraid to drop a brand over bad press,
a poor experience, or conflicting values. They have
a good nose for fakes. By sharing your brand story,
contributing value, and nurturing relationships
on and offline, you'll build long-term millennial
relevance.
Laying a strong foundation with millennials
today will keep you relevant for years to come. To
build a grade A millennial customer experience,
brands need to ensure they're using smart tools
and the right channels. ■
Chris Farrell is co-founder and CEO of Liscio, Inc., a
next-generation client communication and collaboration platform that provides a safer, simpler solution for
businesses without the risks and distractions of email.
Contact Chris at chris@liscio.me or 310-985-8888.

JULY 2019 ■

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