Distinguished Cellars: Discussing Millennials in Denver

Last week, U.S. News & World Report issued its 2016 report on the best places to live. Out of the 100 metro areas that were analyzed, Denver, Colorado was placed at the very top of the list. Denver’s high quality of life and strong job market have made it an attractive destination for all ages, but notably for millennials, who make up more than 20 percent of the population, according to the report.

As an industry that is admittedly behind in attracting and grooming millennial talent, we decided to investigate further by traveling to the Mile High City. We hosted a wine dinner with several of our local colleagues, partners, and clients to examine the issue more closely. What are businesses doing to attract millennials? What are the current trends among the millennial generation? How can our industry do a better job of attracting millennial talent?

We invited local entrepreneur Sean Campbell to join our conversation and explain how the city of Denver has become a tour de force in attracting young talent. As one of the leading developers of Industry Denver, an immersive next-generation hub for business, creativity, and recreation unlike anything else in Denver, Sean is accustomed to building workspaces that meet the lifestyle needs of millennials. Industry Denver is attracting tenants such as Uber, Roximity, Cloud Elements, FiveFifty and several other millennial-powered organizations. Each company has its own dedicated space, but also benefits from the opportunity to interact and cross-pollinate with other companies, thanks to the plethora of community areas scattered throughout the development.

Between his experience building Industry Denver and beginning the redesign for the World Trade Center in Denver, which will purposefully include scattered community areas with an international focus, Sean’s work has solidified a few insights about working millennials:

• They care about working at a job they feel passionate about, regardless of compensation.
• Benefits such as in-house yoga, being able to bring your dog to work, and a flexible work schedule go a long way with this bunch.
• They also enjoy collaboration and seek out environments that will provide inspiration for their work.

We’re interested in hearing your thoughts. How can the insurance industry do a better job of grooming our next generation of leaders?