Relationship management with the Millennial generation of public relations agency employees

•Millennials want to make a difference with their work.•Millennials’ commitment increases by feeling like they are being groomed.•Research is needed to explore normative commitment in the context of being groomed.•Continuance and affective commitment are important to employee relations.•Relational quality could be enhanced by going outside of duties to employees.

This study investigates relationship building with the Millennial generation of public relations agency practitioners from their own perspectives. A recent survey of this population revealed that they have strong relationships with their agency employers, except for a measurement that asked if a long-term bond existed between themselves and their organizations (Gallicano, Curtin, & Matthews, 2012). Consequently, this study explores long-term relationship building with this employee public based on five asynchronous online discussion groups. The conclusion of this study offers theoretical insights about commitment and relationship types. In addition, this study can be helpful to public relations researchers who study Millennials by providing participants’ descriptions of how they characterize their generation of public relations practitioners.