Not all that long ago millennials were seen as an opportunity to bring youthful thinking and fresh ideas to a company. Now, they are the strongest part of the workforce. Has your dealership kept pace with what they are wanting to see employers provide?
One of the highest ranking things that attracts these workers is a flexible work environment. This can be challenging for dealerships where client face time, covering multiple shifts and engaging customers is the back bone of a business. However, there are a few basic things that can still keep your image as a cutting edge employer possible.
Think outside of the box and challenge yourself to see your culture in a different light. How do you view mobile phones in the workplace? Are there roles where ( at least part of the time ) work can be done from somewhere other than the traditional cubicle? How much input do staff have in their schedule?
Also important to this generation of workers is the feeling of contribution and collaboration. Do your employees feel connected to your big picture goals? Do they know how their work contributes to achieving them? How does your dealership look at suggestions from junior employees? How is your physical environment set up- does it promote individualism or collaboration? Which behaviours do you deliberately or inadvertently reward? Millennials have grown up with information at their fingertips, so traditional processes and a rigid hierarchy are often sources of frustration, impatience and discontent at work. These workplace contributors thrive on feedback and also expect to be asked to contribute. On a similar note, although compensation is important, actively contributing to society is a big priority. In fact, those that intend to stay with their employer for more than 5 years are 25% more satisfied with the organization's sense of purpose than those who say they plan to leave in the next 2 years.
And finally, we need to remember that this is a group of professionals who have grown up with the latest technology as a basic standard.Having an employer that is using modern technology at it's full level of effectiveness is aw basic expectation. This is viewed as an indicator of how employers view the value of their time and contribution. An employer that is still using manual processes is seen as archaic and disinterested in the employee experience. Does your dealership offer technology that is easily accessible, compatible with their mobile lifestyle and reduces "old school" processes?
Millennials see their workplace as a key component of their overall lives. If we want to stay competitive with other industries in attracting and retaining these talented workers, we need to re-evaluate ourselves We may be great people, doing great work, but if this generation, and the next, do not see your dealership as a great place to spend their time and invest their talent very few will stay for the long haul.
Are you interested in learning more about how you can maximize millennial potential so they don't want to work anywhere else? Want to know more about how we can help? Contact us at info@dealerpilothr.com.
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