Strategies to Engage Millennial Employees (A Multiple Case Study)

Abstract

Grounded in Kahn’s employee engagement theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies used by leaders in the hospitality industry to improve Millennial employee engagement. The participants were 5 hotel leaders in Virginia who successfully engaged their Millennial workforce. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and note-taking. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5-step data analysis, member checking, and methodological triangulation. Four themes emerged: coaching through education, rewards that improve engagement, enhancing engagement through motivation, and communication that enhances awareness and receptiveness. The results of the study indicated that managers could use mentoring, communication, and incentives to engage millennial employees and decrease employee engagement barriers. The implications for positive social change include providing hospitality industry managers with a framework for understanding their Millennial workers that can potentially promote positive relationships and improve employee morale. Employee engagement strategies could potentially lead to an improvement in the societal workforce, reduce unemployment rates, and increase the US economy and tax base.