Aftermarket Insider Issue 83 - (Page 6)

STEP onE: Understand That Millennials are not Bad Employees The overall sentiment in the aftermarket of the Millennial employee is that of a positive one in that, when managed correctly, this generation can be a significant asset to an existing business. This employee, most likely, has never lived nor can remember life without a computer, which gives them a huge advantage in areas of technology, social media and online marketing. “This generation, in general, are very effective and efficient employees. They do some of our best work and are extremely computer literate,” said Brian Tarnacki, director, global market strategy, Federal-Mogul Corporation. “They are also excellent at prioritizing workflow and managing their projects.” Millennials have been subconsciously training for positions like social media specialist since they can remember. Gener Arriving with an entrepreneurial mindset, Millennials are ready and eager to share their ideas and, when given the green light, successfully lead projects. “Our marketing person has expanded our social media presence to areas we didn’t realize we could do something with,” said Bob Barstow, vice president, marketing, Aftermarket Distribution Network. In knowing this, some aftermarket leaders have taken the initiative to target Millennials in creating new positions specifically meant to take advantage of their intuitive skills. For example, Millennials have been subconsciously training for positions like social media specialist since they can remember. And if you have decided to focus on online marketing, what better person to fulfill the position of marketing coordinator than a Millennial who already spends 25 hours per week online? “As with all employees, some have better habits than others,” said Steve Marks, Veyance Technologies, Inc. “I believe it is all in the expectations you 6 | AFTERMARKET INSIDER | VOLUME 83 set for these employees. Given the right parameters, these Gen Y’s can be as productive as any other demographic.” STEP TWo: Keep Your Millennial Challenged Dubbed the “first generation of children with schedules,” Millennials are used to being busy, which makes them perfect for positions with multitasking, but also means, to prevent an unhappy Millennial employee, they need to be challenged. A generation where work culture is a huge deciding factor, Millennials refuse to work a boring job, so their response to each task is, “What’s next?” Aftermarket leaders have noticed this trend and adjust accordingly. “Our current team member is on an upward path, so we know we need to continue to challenge him and offer him new and interesting opportunities to learn and grow,” said Tom Marx, president/CEO, The Marx Group. This also means educating your Millennial, another aspect this generation loves albeit in an instant fashion. (What did we ever do without the Internet?) In ASAE magazine Associations Now’s The Future of Learning, According to Millennials, Samantha Whitehorne touches on a new study of U.S. college students who were asked to describe what they think education will look like in the near future. “Respondents said that they are more willing to learn online and that they view the future of learning as more virtual and social media driven,” details Whitehorne. Of the 1,345 college students, “43 percent say that online education will provide them with courses of the same or higher quality than traditional colleges.” STEP ThREE: Be Genuinely interested in Your Millenial’s Career Goals “On the negative side, they have been born into a culture that expects ‘instant gratification.’ They expect to be promoted or jump jobs much more frequently than the older workforce,” said Tarnacki. “This is difficult in an established and mature industry. They also don’t feel any sense of loyalty to their employers as

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider Issue 83

Health Care Help:industry News
Millennials:The Aftermarket Generation
Talking Telematics:INSIDE TECHNOLOGY
Dress for Success
Workplace Wear:TOOLBOX
Conflict Minerals
Facts and Feedback:MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Words from a Winner:HEAD OF THE CLASS

Aftermarket Insider Issue 83