Behold! A snapshot of the newest [hippest] and fastest growing tech start up. Corporate headquarters are based in a large, west coast city. The office is located in an old, brick warehouse featuring open floor plans, minimalistic furniture, sharp edges, glass walls, multi-purpose office chairs, standing desks, free espressos, and company nap time. 

Changing tech means changing mindsets. 

I've grown up during a technological revolution. Space and time hold no constraints over our generation as we are now able to upload, download, connect, and plug in within a matter of seconds. Corporations seeking to expand are able to engage in international relations without having to physically go abroad making for bigger, booming, and more competitive industries. I like to refer to this as "The Cloud Phenomenon." As technology continues to advance at an exponentially increasing rate, so goes the shift of our generational mentality.

The "Incentive"

But what about those companies that have become so large that updating their dated processes poses more hassle than benefit; where, because of their size, they aren't as receptive to technological innovation? There are companies today that do great things, not only for their particular industry, but globally as well. However, as technology progresses these companies find themselves falling behind. Say there's a corporation, "Unicorn." Unicorn is the leading manufacturer in it's industry and has been around for over 80 years. In a few years, Unicorn will undergo a massive transition where over 50% of its employee population will retire and be replaced by new employees aged 22-35. That leads us to a problem, however, because while Unicorn is one of the most successful companies in the world, flashier, sexier, and more tech-focused companies such as "Farkle" and "Pino" are snatching up the cream of the crop. (The crop being the incoming working population. Too many metaphors. I apologize.) How, then, do companies like Unicorn incentivize the millenial-minded folks coming in to work for them instead of Farkle or Pino? 

 It's About the People.

This is a problem I face at work every single day. Considering the mindset of the incoming working population, developing a strong company culture (like Google, Microsoft, Airbnb, etc.) is key. And I'm not just talking about having aesthetically appealing office spaces or free food because it's truly SO much bigger than that. The reason why the Googles of the world are so successful is because their people are genuinely excited to come to work everyday. They believe in the product, they believe in the vision, they believe in the company, but more importantly, they know that the company believes in them. 

In conclusion, companies like Unicorn need to take into account the mentality of the up-incoming generation when recruiting. They need to generate excitement about what they do and how they do it. It won't be hard either. There's a reason why Unicorn has been around for so long. All they need to do is focus on making themselves visible; they need to open their doors and show people just how incredible they are. In the end, talent can only go so far. Developing a solid company culture provides any corporation with a sense of trust and community, and it's those human elements that make all the difference.