Car hire firm Enterprise Rent-A-Car has shifted its recruitment and training focus after analysing what millennials wanted from their first year in a job. Donna Miller, European HR director, says: “Previously, there would have been a far greater emphasis on the medium- or long-term career path. We recognise now, however, that people don’t go into their first graduate job with their future mapped out and knowing exactly what they want to do.”
Enterprise has put in a number of short-term initiatives to appeal to employees who may not be certain about what they want their future career to look like.
“Once they join Enterprise, it’s up to us to demonstrate that this is a place where they will want to stay for the long term,” says Miller. “There is a big focus on the unique training and development they will receive at Enterprise in that first year because that’s what an employee will take with them wherever they may go if they decide to leave.”
The organisation also recognises that different rewards will appeal to different people. “We have a large and very flexible package of benefits that allows people to pick and choose the ones that are most relevant to them," explains Miller. "Childcare and shopping vouchers are always popular and suit different life stages.”
The car hire firm also offers a range of wellness activities, which include exercise classes and yoga at various times during the day, a walking club and a running club, a bikes-for-work scheme, and lunch-and-learn sessions on lifestyle topics such as nutrition, mindfulness and managing stress.
“Many people have actually cancelled gym memberships because they are getting the benefits at work and we run the sessions at different times to help people manage their schedule,” says Miller.
The organisation also offers cash incentives for great business ideas that improve efficiencies, sustainability or performance.
It also continues to offer long-service awards recognising people’s contribution after two, five, 10 and 15 years, then every five years thereafter. “It’s normal for people at Enterprise to stay a long time once they realise there is the flexibility to move between very departments, live in different locations, and build sometimes quite different career paths at the same [organisation],” says Miller. “Colleagues who are with us a long time are typically our highest performers.”
