51
COMMENT
Who’s who at the
Specialized Carriers
& Rigging Association
CHAIRMAN
Michael Battaini
Sheedy Drayage
San Francisco, CA
PRESIDENT
Ron Montgomery
Intermountain Rigging & Heavy Haul
Salt Lake City, UT
VICE PRESIDENT
Alan Barnhart
Barnhart Crane and Rigging
Memphis, TN
TREASURER
Delynn Burkhalter
Burkhalter
Columbus, MS
ASSISTANT TREASURER
Bruce Forster
Rigging Gear Sales
Dixon, IL
ALLIED INDUSTRIES GROUP CHAIRMAN
David Wittwer,
Hays Companies
Salt Lake City, UT
CRANE & RIGGING GROUP CHAIRMAN
David Cowley,
TNT Crane & Rigging
Longview, TX
LADIES GROUP CHAIRWOMAN
Cathy Moore,
NBIS
Atlanta, GA
TRANSPORTATION GROUP CHAIRMAN
Geary Buchanan,
Buchanan Hauling &
Rigging
Fort Wayne, IN
SC&R FOUNDATION OFFICERS
President:
Robert Moore,
NBIS
Atlanta, GA
Vice president:
Stephanie Bragg,
Bragg Companies
Long Beach, CA
Treasurer:
Jim Sever
PSC Crane & Rigging,
Piqua, OH
G
eneration Y is
fast becoming a
group of interest
for industry leaders the
world over. Born between
1978 and 1990, this collective can be
challenging to manage but also quite
beneficial to have on your team. As
these youngsters come of age in the
workforce, it seems that a mountain
of descriptive information steadily
emerges around them. Regardless, at
some point we’re going to have to admit
that Generation Y has arrived, and that
it’s in our own best interests to make
sure that the best of them arrive at our
doorsteps.
So how do we do this? Recruiting
Generation Y can often require as
creative an approach as it does to
maintain them (once you have them).
Many members of this gang were
raised in overprotective households
and school systems that conditioned
them to believe that everyone would
treat them fairly, and to expect some
type of recognition or reward for even
the most pedestrian of efforts. As a
result, they usually have considerably
high expectations of themselves – some
might call it a sense of entitlement;
some might call it confidence. However
you spin it, a large portion of this
generation has entered, and will
enter, the workforce with a distorted
awareness for how competitive and
unforgiving a real job can often be.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t
adjust, or that they aren’t cut out for
it. In fact, with the proper mentoring,
these young recruits can add depth to
your company’s established success with
their social connectivity expertise, fresh
perspectives, entrepreneurial tendencies
and technological productivity. After
all, who better to connect your business
to the ever-widening modern era
than those individuals most closely
associated with it?
As a general rule, recruiting
Generation Y – just like managing and
retaining them – requires some finesse.
Many members of this group possess
a unique approach to authority, which
may include a lack of recognition for
paying dues. Within a pre-established
environment of veteran workers, this
can certainly raise tensions. It is our job
as leaders to provide a workplace, and a
chain of mentorship, that educates these
young employees while not scaring
them off. Indeed, such a process will
require them to look inward, and even
change or evolve, but as our workforce
gradually becomes younger and more
modern, the same expectations will be
required of us if we hope to grow the
next crop of quality workers, managers
or even CEOs.
Business writer Bruce Tulgan
has published a wealth of material
highlighting the unique methods often
essential in gaining the attention, and
then respect, of Generation Y. Most of
his advice circles back to two themes:
flexibility and a personalized approach.
He says to plan for high-maintenance
management if you expect high
performance. And when recruiting this
crowd, separate yourselves from the
competition by outlining what your job
offers them “right now…you have to
talk about right now – what you have to
offer them today, tomorrow, next week,
this month and the first year.” Tulgan
stresses the importance of a recruiting
message that speaks to their immediate
concerns.
That said, Tulgan points out that
members of Generation Y are also
interested in the long-term, especially
in what role you might play in their
life story (this is where some of the
personalized approach comes in). If
they can find confidence in your
willingness to pursue some common
ground between your traditional
practices and some of their new-age
quirks, the chance is strong that you will
ultimately find confidence in their ability
to enhance your company with the work
ethic and attitude you’ve come to expect
from everyone.
■
OCTOBER 2013
ACT
Generation Y has arrived.
Are you ready to hire
them?
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Joel Dandrea
5870 Trinity Centre
Parkway, Suite 200
Centreville, VA 20120
Ph: 703-698-0291
Fax: 703-698-0297
Gen Y
