600: A new thought on hiring...

There’s a new generation of kids hitting the workforce. So, with thousands of options, how do we attract them to our business?  And how do we make sure we have enough runway in front of them so they don’t just jump at the next available job that pays a little bit more? Well, let’s talk about that today! Good morning friends, Thomas Joyner with Business on Purpose here. We met last week with about 125 business owners and key leaders to plan out the 4th quarter. One of the resounding issues that kept coming up was attracting talent in the trade industries. Now, about 70% of the businesses we work with are in the trade industries, so we asked them to go a bit deeper into the problem. Well, there’s this huge push for high school kids to go to college. Which is great! But, when they get a random business degree or marketing or some other generic degree in communications that they have spent good money and 4 years of their life on, they fully expect to be compensated at a higher rate and to find a job in their field. There’s tons and tons of trade work to be had that does not require a 4-year degree, but those kids aren’t attracted to some of what we have to offer, and seem to not be celebrated as much for working with their hands. And they’re not wrong. Generation Z is coming out of high school or college with an inflated idea of the return on investment from education. They often think, oh I’ll get a degree in X and should make a good living right out of school! Even though that’s not close to how it works. Meanwhile, there are jobs paying 18/20/22 bucks an hour that you could start tomorrow…WITH A SOLID CAREER TRAJECTORY. Now, don’t hear me say college is not important. It absolutely is and higher education should be applauded. But, it should not be some hoop that kids are forced to jump through with no direction. That’s a waste of money. But back to the issue at hand. Plumbers, electricians, contractors, roofers…you name it. All of them are struggling to attract talent. People that want to work in those trades. Gen Z looks around and sees people making Tik Toks, podcasts, food blogging, gaming, anything BUT working with your hands and making a stupid amount of money to do so. But I think the question we should ask is not how do we compete with that pay. Good luck with that one. The question we should ask is what is attractive to Gen Z about all of those jobs? Well, it’s notoriety. It’s having a voice. It’s influencing people and being heard. It’s also the freedom to be creative and self expressive. Well, you say, that’s tough to give kids all of that as a beginning plumber. Yep, I agree…but can we get closer to that? So many of us are stuck in the ways that the trades have worked for the past 50 years and not willing to innovate or change at all. So no wonder kids don’t want to work with a bunch of grouchy 50-year old men who are “stuck in the old days!” It sounds miserable. So how can we get them excited about being heard, using their creativity, innovating, serving people…etc. I think the question we need to start asking is…”What are the employees I’m looking for, looking for?” It’s a simple question, but until we learn how to answer it, we will be stuck waving our fist at the waves upon waves of Gen Z employees who chose to work elsewhere. We can stick our heads in the sand and say, “man they just don’t make 'em like they used to!” Or we can be proactive, recognize the change in the market and get excited about the strengths this new generation brings. Here’s the last thing I’ll point to. This Gen z group of kids does not have the tangible skills that previous generations had. So we have to double down on 3 things… On the job training and support. We can’t just write them off, but have to find unique ways to get them the certifications needed and the hands on experience to survive on their own in the trades. Check-ins and onboarding. This generation wants to be heard more than any generation previously. They want to be listened to and learned from. Give them a voice and genuinely listen. They may surprise you with their perspective. And here’s the extreme…if you don’t, they will find someone else to listen and somewhere else to work. A “Why” behind their work. This generation is more community focused and cause focused than any prior to it. They want to work for something beyond just clocking in/clocking out and having dignity in their work. So find a cause to support…a reason to come to work beyond the technical stuff you do and let them rally behind it. It’s worth it for all employees, not just Gen Z, but without it, they will always be looking for a “Why” to attach themselves to and get behind. Alright! I hope this is encouraging and is a conversation started with your team. What are the employees we’re looking for looking for. And how can we become that. Not until we answer that in a real way and communicate it to the oncoming work force can we hope to have our hiring holes filled by the incoming work force. Get to work!