Engaging the Head, Heart and Hand of the Millennial Workforce

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to discover the strategies employed by Information Technology (IT) companies in India to engage the millennial workforce, and assess the effectiveness of these strategies. A concurrent mixed method approach was used. In the quantitative phase of the research, a questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 306 IT employees from the millennial generation to discover which strategies or employee benefit schemes had been effective in positively influencing employee engagement. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling. In the qualitative phase of the study, 18 millennial generation managers belonging to the IT sector were interviewed. Purposive sampling was used. The qualitative study offered a deeper understanding of the phenomenon Employee Engagement and insights into lived experiences of employees. Both studies confirmed that activities related to corporate social responsibility, outdoor and cultural activities, and opportunities for informal communication determined engagement of the millennial workforce in the IT sector. Work life balance and opportunities for physical activities were desirable hygiene factors, but not determining factors for engagement. In the qualitative study, it was found that gamification of learning was not considered a proactive engagement strategy; however, the quantitative study showed that it was most effective in engaging the millennials.